cannot but be sometimes reminded, that he lives racy, which, during the wars with Napoleon, had under the sway of the despotic Czar, who does seen more of Europe in fifteen years, than before not forget those silent opponents of his author- in a century. Foreign literature proved to be ity. Not that he would banish them; such pun- fertilizing. It roused the native energies, and a ishment is reserved for those who talk of poli-national literature began to develop itself. At tics, not for those who look apathetically on the this time Russians began to read Russian books, doings of Government. But he sends them word and no longer only French and German. They that he expects them to do something for the began to wean themselves from foreign influprogress of the country; to build a cotton-mill, ences; they dared to think for themselves; they and to employ their serfs in manufactories; or grew warm in their sympathy for struggling to raise wine on the hills of the Crimea, and on Greece. A crisis was impending, when Alexanthe banks of the Don; or to have mines in the der died. The spirit of the higher classes and Ural worked. of the army was in a state of fermentation; but the outbreak of December 26, 1825, which was to destroy the omnipotence of the Czar, was quenched by the energy and personal courage of Czar Nicholas. The conspirators and rioters were shot down with grape, and the tottering imperial throne was founded more firmly in the midst of a pool of blood. The flower of Russian aristocracy, the most generous hearts in the army, were executed, or sent to the mines of The Czar does not expect that they should make money by such speculations; on the contrary, he is well aware that the mill and the vineyard will remain heavy incumbrances on the income of the persons to whose patriotism he has appealed, and that the gold dug out in the Ural may perhaps cost 25 shillings the sovereign. But the glory of the country is to be raised in such ways; and the Manchester manufacturer, who finds one wing of the baronial cas-Siberia. tle turned into a work-shop, is delighted to see the mighty aristocracy of Russia paying tribute French doctrinaire liberalism, and the visionary to industry. And, in fact, it is a tribute which the aristocracy residing around Moscow willingly pays to the whim of the Czar, in order to be allowed to remain undisturbed. However, the immense power of the Czar, which changes the aspect of society in every new reign, has largely affected the mind of the Russian. The aspect of society suddenly changed. The German mysticism of the time of Alexander, had to disappear; Nicholas is a matter-of-fact man, and despises speculation. Generous aspirations became dangerous,-materialism, pedantry, discipline, were the watch-words for the new reign. Czar Nicholas transforms the organization of Government into barracks and offices. He fears the influence of Western ideas, and throws difficulties into the easy intercommunication with foreign countries. To get a passport is now become a favor; whilst, formerly, travelling in Europe was encouraged. Nor are foreigners any longer admitted into the empire, unless they are merchants, or above all suspicion. But, on the other side, he endeavors to arouse a national exclusive spirit, which may in future isolate Russia, and keep it back from the ways of Western Europe. The ladies at court must wear the Russian costume; moreover, the Russian language, which since Peter I. has been excluded from society, becomes again fashionable by command of the Czar. Peter I gave the first coat of varnish to the original barbarism of Russian aristocracy; he drilled them into soldiers, shipwrights, sailors, courtiers, and chamberlains. They had to accept German and French manners, but he did not educate them. Gluttony and luxury of every kind remained the inherent vices of the people. Under his successors-nearly all of them females, for most of the males soon died the natural death of Czars. the scandalous conduct of the court demoralized society, though German and French forms were in turn adopted, and rigorously enforced. Russia was again, under Catherine II., ruled by an imperial mind; like Peter, she aimed continually at the aggrandizement of the em pire. She was in correspondence with Voltaire, Peter I. worked for years to make the Rusand protected science and literature. She gave sians Europeans, and his successors followed his the second and more brilliant varnish to Rus-example for a whole century; Nicholas now sian society, which, by her licentious example, works to separate them from the West, and was encouraged in debauchery. The madness once more to arouse their nationality. He has of her son Paul, more fit for a drill-sergeant than for an emperor, again aroused the original rudeness of the Russians. But soon after his death, his successor, Alexander, did all he could to assimilate his aristocracy to the western civilized nations. In opposition to Napoleonic France, Russia became liberal; and the French and German emigrants instructed the Russians in good manners and the elegances of life. Still, all their efforts acted only upon the surface. Napoleon knew it, and remarked, therefore, justly: "Grattez le Russe, et vous verrez le Tartare." Western civilization is in Russia only the varnish of the original savage. Yet Alexander's mystical and half-liberal turn of mind had, in his long reign, a smoothing influence on the character of the Russian aristoc succeeded, perhaps, beyond his expectation. The original Russian nature has been roused; and the present crisis is but the necessary consequence of the revival of narrow-minded bigotry and savage combativeness. Russia has been put in opposition to Europe,-Russia is "holy," and Europe is wicked. A few epigrams of Lérmontoff describe this reaction and its consequences very strikingly: No traitor to my native land, For that I blush their deeds to see, Nor glittering arms think beautiful; Since not of the ancient mould I am, Haply they're right; the devil appreciates it; To speak, and had to rue. How strange a land! Uses his mind, and wants his tongue for silence. Woronzoff, therefore, as a good strategist. retir ed with it to Woznosensk, which, according to the czar's opinion, was not defended. When, therefore, in the evening, Nicholas, at the head of his staff, galloped, triumphantly into the city, to receive the submission of the enemy, he saw himself suddenly surrounded by a force which he did not expect, and Prince Woronzoff ap proached him with the words: Your Majesty is my prisoner.' Nicholas smiled, and handed his sword to the prince, who, not accepting it, delivered his own sword to his master. But instead of making a compliment to the prince for his clever generalship, the czar, on the same evening, sent orders to Prince Woronzoff to take care of his health, and to visit the spas of Germany. He was banished, in this form, for having been a better general than his imperial master and friend, and for several years he re Lermontoff had sufficient reason for his epi-mained in disgrace. It was only when Schamyl's grams. When the untimely death of the great mountaineers had repeatedly defeated the Ruspoet Pushkin, by the pistol of Dantès d'Heeck-sian army, that the czar remembered Woronzoff, eren, suddenly aroused the poetical genius of the and intrusted the civil and military command young man who up to that time had lived a of Transcaucasia to the accomplished prince. I life of pleasure in St. Petersburg, and his indig-have this anecdote from one the Austrian offnation dictated to him some beautiful stanzas cers, who were present at the camp of Woznoaddressed to the czar, claiming justice and re-sensk; and I do not doubt its authenticity, as it venge-he, in three days had become a celebrated is entirely in the character of the czar. and reputed man. His stanzas were spread, in Two foreigners only, both of them having had manuscript, all over the capital; they had, in- the opportunity of seeing Nicholas at his court deed, reached the czar; but in the same hour.-Custine, the Frenchman, and Henningsen, the the imperial order reached the young poet, which Englishman-give us a description of his charbanished him to the Caucasus, on account of acter and of his measures. his boldness and sudden popularity. The czar does not allow any one to censure his conduct,peror cannot forget who he is, nor the constant even in the form of loyalty, or of hope for the attention of which he is the object; il posse future. His person is sacred; and, like the idols incessament (he attitudinizes unceasingly.) from of old, not to be approached but behind a cloud whence results that he is never natural, even of incense. Nicholas is, in this respect, just as when he is sincere. His features have three dif exacting as his father was, who, when the French ferent expressions, not one of which is that of ambassador mentioned a Russian scholar, call-simple benevolence. The most habitual seems ing him eminent in science, Czar Paul seem-to me that of constant severity. Another exed offended, and replied, that in Russia no man pression, though more rare, better befits that fine is eminent unless the emperor allows it. Custine says: It is easy to see that the em countenance-it is that of solemnity. The third The jealousy of Nicholas is not less striking; is politeness; and into this glide a few shades of not even his favorites can dare to express the graciousness, which temper the cold astonishment slightest doubt of his infallibility. Prince Woron- caused by the other two. But notwithstanding zoff, whom the czar honored with personal this graciousness, there is one thing that destroys friendship, had to experience the disgrace of his the moral influence of the man; it is, that each master, in consequence of a curious incident at of these physiognomies, which arbitrarily replace the camp at Woznosensk. An army of 60,000 each other on his face, is taken up or cast aside men was assembled there, and the sham-fights completely, without leaving any trace of the had, indeed, the dimensions of actual war. The preceding to modify the expression of the new. czar, who believes himself to be a first-rate strat-It is a change of scene with upraised curtain, egist and a great general, made all the plans for which no transition prepares us for. It appears the general action, which was to close the per- a mask taken off and put on at pleasure. Do formances. He took the command of half the not misunderstand the sense I here attach to the army, and gave the other half to Prince Woron-word mask; I use it according to its etymology. zoff, so as to represent the enemy. The battle In Greek, hypocrite means actor-the hypocrito had begun in the morning; and after a series of was the man who masked himself to perform a most skilful manoeuvres, the czar was to out-part. I mean, that the emperor is always mindgeneral the enemy on all the points, and in the ful of his part, and plays it like a great actor.' evening to capture Woznosensk, supposed to be the centre and stronghold of the enemy. All the exercises were executed in the most masterly way, according to the plan of the czar; but on the paper he had forgotten one brigade of the adverse army, which at the end of the action was neither defeated nor cut off; and Prince Henningsen says of his character: The Em peror Nicholas has not the brutal instincts of the Czar Peter I., any more than his talents; he has not the disordered passions of Catherine, his grandmother, any more than her brilliant intellect and her innate liberality; he has not the fit ful ferocity of Paul, his murdered sire, any more than his enthusiastic generosity; neither has he, the Polish nation; not only has he uprooted whole the irresolute, impressible nature of Alexander, races, and succeeded in extirpating the religious his brother and predecessor, nor Alexander's creed of millions; but he seems now bent both on benevolence of intention. destroying the nationality and religious faith of the The Emperor Nicholas, who nervously shud- whole of Poland, even, if required, by transplantders at the physical danger in which he sees a ing its population to Asia. Political violence and private soldier placed, is probably not innately cruelties, the mere extirpation of races or of cruel; but absolute and irresponsible power, the creeds, would be nothing, however, to the condiself-deification to which his auto-veneration has tion to which his subjects are reduced-comparled, acting on a limited intellect and selfish atively nothing-because races are doomed, acheart, have made him think himself the irate cording to the law of nature, to perish, and Jupiter Tonans, whose wrath should be as terri-creeds flourish and wither, and being immaterial, ble as his interests and glory should be sacred spring again from their ashes. But the dull, from competition with those of humanity. When monotonous, hopeless, all-pervading oppression they are so, he passes over them ruthlessly and remorselessly, without even apparently the consciousness of evil-doing. The influence of wealth, of family, of customs and of privileges, affords no longer any shelter. Prudent as he is in disposition, being aware that he possesses a power unparalleled, he uses it in a manner unprecedented. Not only does he hourly trample on both his great vanquished enemies-the nobility of his empire, and From the Literary Gazette. to which his subjects are reduced, producing the same moral effect on the human mind as the slough of his northern bogs on the human frame sinking into it, blinding the eye, silencing the tongue, and paralyzing the agglutinated limbs, is infinitely more terrible-doubly terrible-because it is a destiny the sufferers must not only endure, but propagate by foreign conquest, and by the natural reproduction and increase of population.' veteran impersonator of Falstaff, who took a fancy to him, taught him her charming acting DR. SAMUEL PHILLIPS. recitation, with music, of Collins's "Ode to the We have this week the mournful duty of an- Passions." On one occasion he gave this recital, nouncing the sudden death, from the rupture of in character, on the boards of the Haymarket a blood-vessel, on Saturday last, at the early age Theatre; and often did Samuel Phillips relate of thirty-nine, of a gentleman little known to the in after life how she took him up in her arms and world of letters by name, but whose writings in kissed him. On the 23d of June, 1829. on the the department of newspaper criticism have had occasion of a benefit given to a Hebrew friend, a wide circulation and elicited powerful interest. Mr. Isaacs, a popular singer at Covent Garden, In the columns of "The Times" during the last an act of Richard III. was introduced, with the ten years, and during the last three years in our part of the hero "by Master Phillips, a young own columns, have appeared occasional reviews gentleman only twelve years old, whose extraor or essays, chiefly biographical, distinguished from dinary abilities have been much admired at select all others by their terseness and dramatic elo- parties of the nobility." The performance was quence; and if we venture presently to name regarded by the profession as a clever juvenile some of them, it is only because Dr. Phillips's imitation of Mr. Kean, but the father's admiraliterary labors were so entirely of this anony- tion of the young tragedian was unbounded, and mous kind, that it is necessary to the writer's he had him speedily instructed in other Shakfame they should be mentioned. Dr. Phillips spearian characters. "I went last night," said was not gifted with much inventive genius or the elder Phillips one day to a theatrical friend, classical erudition, but he possessed a fine memory, a picturesque imagination, and admirable critical judgment. His career, though short, has been one of almost romantic adventure. who is still living, and well remembers the anecdote, "to see Mr. Charles Kemble in Hamlet. It was very beautiful, but Lor! bless you, Sir," he added, with glowing satisfaction, it's nothing About thirty years ago there dwelt in St. like my boy Sam's." The boy Sam, however, James's Street, and afterwards in the new Re- had a wise father, nevertheless; for at the advice gent Street, a bustling and somewhat jovial of the fine actor whose Hamlet he was thought to tradesman of the Jewish persuasion, with a shop have surpassed, he was removed from the stage, gayly stored with glass, especially lamps and and lived through much bodily suffering which chandeliers, and a family of several olive-com- he knew to be mortal, to become one of the most plexioned, curly-headed little sons and daughters. One of these, the subject of our memoir, presented indications at a very early age of a talent which began to develop itself in spouting and mimicry, in conjuring and in tricks with cards; and from the connection which the chandeliermaker had with the theatres and saloons of the aristocracy, opportunities were not wanting of bringing the juvenile phenomenon into notice. He was invited to perform and recite before the Duke of Sussex; and Mrs. Bartley, wife of the powerful writers of the day. Mr. Phillips, the elder, now consulted Mr. Kemble on the desirability of making his son an actor," Do no such thing," was the sensible reply; "there is more stuff in your boy than you think; send him to college." The father did so, for in the session of 1832-33 we find him assiduously preparing for his collegiate studies in the new London University. "Well do I remember young Phillips," writes a fellow-student to us; "a long, lithe, swarthy, Spanish-looking semi-man of perhaps DR. SAMUEL PHILLIPS. 127 seventeen, attending the class of rhetoric and warded. With the assistance of Mr. Alderman esty, Bull," but he only retained it a twelvemonth. Theodore Hook may have had more wit than his During his stay at the London University, Dr. successor, but he was no match for him in forePhillips's religious views underwent a change, thought and business alacrity. For two years and he repaired to Sidney Sussex College, Cam- Dr. Phillips wrote two leaders a-week for the "Morning Herald," and he was variously engaged bridge, with the view, it was whispered, of studying for the church. Be that as it may, the next for the provincial newspapers, but "The Times' few years of his life were devoted sedulously to has been the chief organ of his literary triumphs. learning, and the latter term of this period was The conductors of that journal formed a high spent in Germany, at the University of Göttin- opinion of Dr. Phillips's critical judgment and gen, from whence he had the honor, about a of his eloquence and imagination, and most of twelvemonth since, to receive his Doctor's degree. its literary papers for the last ten years have been At the opening of the Crystal Palace at Syden- from his pen. Among the most strikingly draham, the once tragic phenomenon of Covent matic of these we may mention the eventful hisGarden might have been seen, a distinguished tories of Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton, and man of letters, on bended knee before Her Maj- of Louis Phillipe and the French Revolution, in the scarlet academic gown of a Doctor published in 1849 and 1850. The picturesque of Laws. It has been said that Dr. Phillips skill with which the scenes are grouped and nar"accepted the office of private tutor in a noble rated in those essays without violence to truth, family, and travelled through most of the Euro- has perhaps never been surpassed. The discov pean countries in discharge of his duty to his eries of Mr. Layard at Nineveh, furnished Dr. What probably Phillips a fertile theme for his imagination, and employers," but it was not so. gave rise to this supposition is, that he read for he would take up a stray eccentricity, like the two or three months, as is not uncommon among butcheries of Mr. Gordon Cumming in Africa, gentlemen, with Lord Francis Bruce, at the fam-with amusing and vigorous power. His favorily seat in Wiltshire of the Marquis of Ayles-ite subject, however, was the biography of poets bury; but this was in the vacation of 1844, when and artists. Here his imaginative faculties found he had entered with popularity on his new lite- more ample material for their display, and the rary career, and was, in fact, engaged in writing tenderness and deep commiserative feeling with for "The Times." Three or four years before which he touched upon the infirmities of his he this, Dr. Phillips married and settled in the vicin-roes, gave assurance to the world, that the words ity of the metropolis, resolved to live, if possible, spoken of them came forth from a heart full of by his pen. It should, however, be mentioned, sympathy and truthfulness. Who that has read his to his honor, that his father having died, and the essays on Swift, Southey, Sterling, Keats, Changlass business beginning to fail, he made a strong trey, Haydon, and Tom Moore, can fail to have effort to restore it to prosperity, and worked been moved by the force and exquisite delineation away for a time on the top of a high stool in the of their several characters and writings. The shop in Regent-street, in his own earnest man- shortcomings of the authors and editors of the rener, at the accounts, thinking, alas! that he could spective works have, too, been most cleverly pointavert the impending vicissitudes of his mother's ed out, either with a dash of cutting sarcasm, such trade. Dr. Phillips was beginning to form a as fell to the lot of Lord John Russell for his indifconnection with the daily press, but the emolu- ferent editorship of the journals of Moore, or with ment at the outset was precarious, and in 1841-2 indignant remonstrance, such as Lord Holland he bethought himself of writing a novel. Bowed laid himself open to for the publication of the down in spirits with severe bodily illness, threat-worthless Reminiscences' of the nephew of Fox. ening consumption, he had come to his last One of the severest and most talented instances guinea, (we had it from his own lips,) when he of biographical criticism from the pen of Dr. transmitted to Blackwood's Magazine" a speci-Phillips, was the recent political memoir in men of his " Caleb Stukely." A week elapsed The Times,' of Mr. Disraeli, but we must conwithout an answer, and his too sensitive heart was fess to having perused it with feelings of regret. beginning to fail, when a letter arrived from-Of much greater service to literature were the Edinburgh publishers, enclosing him, along his occasional articles on Cheap Books. He with words of kindly encouragement, a 50l. note. swept away, by the force of his pen, a great This tale, which was continued in a series of ar-deal of the trash and nonsense that crowded the ticles, present some admirable sketches of college railway stalls, and a new and more healthy issue life; but it is inferior in literary merit to the of periodicals was commenced in the 'Travelcritical essays of the same author. Dr. Phillips ler's Library,' of Messrs. Longman, and the was a man of extraordinary sanguine tempera-Reading for the Rail,' of Mr. Murray, started ment, playful and gentle as a child in his sympa- by a selection from the very literary essays we thies and affections, but possessed of the most have just been speaking of in The Times. Of the writings of Dr. Phillips, in our own ardent elasticity of spirits. It was more the intrinsic generosity of this act of the Messrs. columns, we may refer to his review of the 'AuBlackwood, than the success of his novel, that to biography of William Jordan,' as a noble and stimulated his energies to more enlarged literary eloquent vindication of the literary character, exertion. This was the turning point in his written with a feeling and reluctant pen; and career, and it elicited a thirst for fame, which his admirable examples of criticism are presented contemporaries cherished and time speedily re-in his notices of a little book published by Mr. 6. Bogue, called 'The Man of the Time,' and in ments; and the God of the widow mercifully Mr. Holland's 'Memorials of Chantrey.' Dr. prolonged his life and sustained his energies unPhillips has been accused of being extravagantly til this desire of his heart was realized. He was severe against faults comparatively venial, and engaged, at the time of his death, in writing a what critic of like sensitiveness and enthusiasm Christmas story, but it is not sufficiently adhas not? A review in our columns, from his vanced for publication. A multitude of literary pen, of Mr. Hepworth Dixon's Life of Admiral plans were opening out before his sanguine Blake,' is, perhaps, open to this objection, and vision, but the voice, whose warning had been the same may be said of his criticisms in The long heard came, and he was summoned into Times,' of the writings of Dickens and Thack- the presence of his Maker. eray. Among the remaining papers by Dr. Phillips, in the Literary Gazette,' we may mention, as of striking merit, his reviews of Letters of Percy Bysshe Shelley,' Dr. Gutzlaff's 'Life of Taou-Kwang, late Emperor of China, Professor Creasy's Invasions of England,' Mr. Peter Cunningham's Story of Nell Gwynne,' Bristed's Five Years in our English Universities,' and Mrs. Romers's Filia Dolorosa.' MATERIAL FOR MAKING PAPER. 66 A reward of £1000 has been offered in England The chief occupation of Dr. Phillips, during to any person who will discover a substitute for the last two years of his life, arose out of an enrags in the manufacture of paper. If by the word substitute," is meant one that is suitable for makgagement which he entered into with the Crystal Palace Company, to take charge of all that ng paper quite equal to that made from rags, it is probable no such reward will ever be paid, and pertained to literature, and he was officially term that the advertisers have adopted an ingenious ed the Literary Director. It was not merely for method of obtaining information at little cost. The compiling the Crystal Palace Guide Book that paper the reader now holds in his hand is manuthe Company were indebted to him, but for factured from shavings of the bamboo plant in Chihis advice and aid in almost every stage of the na. The quality is fair, though not equal to the enterprise. He was among the first who pro- best English paper; yet who can say how much it pounded this great scheme, and for a long while might be improved by European skill and the use of machinery? We have only Chinese authority he filled the responsible office of treasurer. Well for stating that this paper is manufactured from do we remember his remarking, on taking lunch-bamboo, as foreigners are not admitted to the proeon one day at our table, "I have this morning vinces where it is made; but the report seems to paid into the Bank the first subscribed capital of receive confirmation from the fact that, three years the Crystal Palace Company-four hundred ago, all the bamboos most common in the Canton thousand pounds, in one lump.' His connection provinces shed their seed and died, and the consewith The Times,' was, moreover, of advantage quence was a rise of nearly fifty per cent. in the to both parties. The journal was always favor- price of paper. If bamboo shavings can be turned ed with exclusive intelligence of the Company's to such account, the supply of raw material is inproceedings, and the Company always found exhaustible. Thousands of acres being kept in their proceedings reported en couleur de rose. We the West Indies for firewood alone. wish we could throw a veil over the arguments put forth in favor of Sunday opening. In Au- It is highly probable that the paper in quesgust of last year, Dr. Phillips conceived the idea tion is made from Bamboo shavings, for in the of forming an Assyrian Excavation Society, and United States paper is manufactured from the such was the energy that he brought to bear on same or a very similar material. It is. as we can the matter, that it was speedily sanctioned with testify from the copy before us, and from frethe support of Prince Albert, Mr. Layard, and a quently seeing other copies of the same journal numerous committee of noblemen and gentle-printed on the same kind of paper, well adapted men, and subscriptions were in a short time received, of sufficient amount to send out a staff of excavators to Nineveh, to make further discoverics. The favorable result of his mission has been already recorded in our columns, and we trust that Dr. Phillips's friend and co-secretary, Lord Mandeville, will follow the matter up with vigor. During this active literary career, short as it was, Dr. Phillips contrived not only to live in comparative affluence, but to make a handsome provision for his family; and all this time he was the doomed victim of consumption, with spitting of blood. His life hung upon a thread, which might be snapped at any moment, and every morning he woke with the thought, we cannot say anxiety, what could he do more for the welfare of those he must soon leave behind. Often did he show us, with almost childlike glee, his neatly written account of savings and invest to newspapers, albeit neither so white nor so light as the paper used by the English journals. Bamboo shavings, of all other things, seem well calculated to come into competition with rags; for they are refuse, of no use except to burn or to turn into paper, while most other substitutes suggested have a value independent of their use to make paper, and can only be grown or obtained by a considerable quantity of labor. In the present scarcity of material, it may be worth while to consider how far it might be economized by the general use of thinner paper. Daily journals are, as the rule, destined to be read and wasted; and to make them of such paper as books, intended to be lasting, is unnecessary. The flimsy on which many of the German journals are printed, or paper like it, might, we should suppose, be used by our journals with a great saving of material and no loss of character. [Economist. |