one after the other, to the jealousy of their opponents, without contributing any thing in behalf of the common cause, which was ruined by their injudicious exertions. But notwithstanding all this, and even under a variety of disadvantages, in point of birth, fortune, and profession, much must be allowed to have been accomplished by the subject of this memoir. As an author, his work on the theory of language has stood the test of criticism, and will probably be esteemed, so long as the tongue in which it was written shall endure. In respect to the laws, from the practice of which he was unjustly precluded, he has, at least, confirmed that noble position in English jurisprudence, "That no man shall be obliged to accuse himself," by putting an end to interrogatories. And in regard to politics, if he proved unequal to the task of effecting any essential reform in the representation of the house of commons, yet by procuring the publication of the debates, he diffused a general taste for parliamentary investigation; and, while a new check was thus imposed on corruption, he, at the same time, enabled every man in England to sit in judgment on the conduct of his representatives. In respect to political principles he may be considered as a Whig of the times of king William ; never contending for a republic, like Milton; but, like lord Molesworth, standing up for every thing, either aimed at or obtained by the revolution. This subjected him to no common share of obloquy, and seemed to involve his opinions in a chronological error; for they were not always fitted to the times in which he lived, but appeared, by some anachronism, to have been transferred from the seventeenth to the beginning of the nineteenth century. Accordingly, the notions of government maintained by him, were said to be utterly impracticable. His extreme disinterestedness; his ideas of political perfectability; his personal independence; might be well calculated for a solitary, unconnected individual, but they were not deemed suitable to the genius of a luxurious and corrupt age. The machine of the body politic, it was said, could not be brought into action under such auspices, unless a new race of men was created for the express purpose of working it: while a single individual, however able, and however powerful, could not act with any effect in a government so constituted as ours, without the aid of a party possessing all the feelings, passions, and prejudices of men. It must, however, be allowed, that with a steady uniformity, of which Bolingbroke could not boast, Mr. Tooke possessed a better right than that nobleman, to style himself" the enemy of no national party, the friend of no faction; but distinguished under the cloud of proscription, by zeal, to maintain the liberty, and to restore the ancient prosperity of Great Britain." His reasoning faculties were peculiarly acute, prompt, and unclouded. During an argument, he usually heard his adversary with great patience, and, in his turn, pointed out the real, or seeming absurdity of his reasoning. If no opening was given for this, he then recurred to the Socratic method, and by means of pertinent and reply ever made by a subject to a British sovereign; and even during the trial for his life, when the common herd of mankind are entirely occupied with the perils of their situation, his mind was so disengaged, and his conduct so dignified, that he seemed, at one and the same time, to overawe a minister, whom he examined as a witness, and prescribe the law to the judges on the bench. CHARACTERS OF ALBERONI AND well-timed interrogatories, artfully drew forth such replies as could not fail to prove serviceable to that side which he espoused. After all, although truth was obviously the general aim of his life, yet it is but fair to allow, that he sometimes contended merely for victory; the ablest and best of men frequently fighting, like gladiators, for fame, without troubling themselves much as to the justice of the cause. Let it be recollected, however, that when declared conqueror, which was usually the case, he did not plume himself on his acquisition, or exhibit any unbecoming airs, on the contrary, he generally con- From Mr. Coxe's Memoirs of the trived to say something handsome of his antagonist, and endeavoured to soften defeat by compliment and conciliation. On the other hand, when the ground occupied was no longer tenable, like a skilful commander, he shifted his position; and, while preparing to renew the combat on more equal terms, he skilfully covered his retreat by playing off the inexhaustible artillery of his wit, raillery and humour, under the smoke of which he retired with all the air of a triumph. In point of personal intrepidity, Mr. Tooke has never been excelled. No fears could appal; no threats could terrify; no sufferings could subdue him. He lived, as if he had existed solely for the purpose of maintaining his principles; and such was his enthusiasm, that he seemed only ambitious of some properopportunitytovindicate them by his death. On one occasion, he prevented the progress of a private bill in its way through parliament, by his own personal interposition; at another, he dictated the only Kings of Spain. "According to the description of his contemporaries, Alberoni was of low stature, rather full than thin, plain in his features, and with a head too large in proportion to his height and size. But his look was peculiarly quick and piercing, and perfectly characteristic of his aspiring mind, though tempered with an expression of sweetness and dignity. His voice was flexible and melodious; and when he endeavoured to conciliate or persuade, assumed a tone and accent which gave irresistible force to his language. Though habituated to courts and camps; though accustomed to the intercourse of polished and lettered society; and though, on occasions which roused his lofty spirit, he assumed an air and tone of dignity becoming his high situation, yet he never lost the original coarseness of his manner, derived from his mean birth and early connexions. "In the endowment of his mind nature seems to have lavished the gifts which she had withheld from his person. At once a scholar and a man of the world, he had equally profited by study and experience. Besides his classical acquirements, he possessed a vast fund of information in almost every branch of human knowledge; and his conversation and letters prove him scarcely less master of the French and Spanish, than of his native language. With intense and indefatigable application, he united great strength of memory, quickness of comprehension, and grace of expression; and a fertility of resource which extorts our admiration. He possessed the talent of insinuation in the highest degree, and a natural air of sincerity, frankness, and candour, which seldom failed of persuading when he wished to persuade, or of deceiving when it was his interest to deceive. He was irritable and impetuous; but he was so far master of passions highly dangerous to a nego tiator, that in all his conversations, which are exactly detailed by the French and English envoys, we never discover, amidst the most ve hement sallies, a single instance in which he was provoked to betray his purposes, or unveil his, impenetrable secrecy, either by look or gesture. Temperate in his habits and mode of life, he made a boast, which is uncontradicted by his contemporaries, that, amidst the various avocations of his high station, he had strictly conformed to the decorum and duties of his ecclesiastical profession. "Though gentle to inferiors, he was pertinacious, and impatient of contradiction, proud and overbear ing with his equals and superiors, and scarcely deigned to curb his haughty spirit, even in the presence of his sovereigns. By the confession, even of his friends, he possessed in a high degree that vindictive spirit which is attributed to his countrymen; and in a still higher, that dissimulation with which they are equally charged. His ambition was lofty and unbounded; but little scrupulous with regard to the means, provided he attained the end, he often debased the grandeur of his designs by the manner of their execution. In a word, he was one of those gigantic characters which form a compound of extraordinary qualities and extraordinary defects; born to rise in defiance of every obstacle; to change the fate of nations; and alike distinguished from the rest of mankind, in success and adversity, power and disgrace." We cannot omit the contrast drawn between Alberoni and Ripperda. "In reviewing the transitory administration of Ripperda, we naturally draw a comparison between him and his predecessor Alberoni. Both were men of abilities and extensive knowledge, and both the architects of their own fortune: Alberoni rising to power by the native energy of his character, Ripperda by dexterously availing himself of times and circumstances. One, however, seemed born to command; the other to figure in a secondary sphere. One always appeared superior to his situation, struck before he threatened, veiled his means and designs with a mysterious secrecy, which redoubled their effect, rose with new vigour from defeat; and for a time ba lanced the combined efforts of the great powers of Europe by the vast resources of his mighty genius. The other was no less rash in his promises than defective in their performance; rendered his real power contemptible by vain menaces and empty vaunts; and degraded his person and office, by needless falsehoods, pitiful evasions, or alternate insolence and mean. ness. Both were equally impetuous and irritable; yet the hopes or apprehensions of Alberoni were never betrayed, even amidst the most violent ebullitions of his temper; while Ripperda discovered all the workings of his mind, by his looks and gestures, embarrass ment and agitation. Finally, one was respected and dreaded in his retreat, the other despised even in the height of his authority. "But while we place Alberoni in a rank far superior, it would be unjust to withhold from Ripperda the merit of having suggested many useful schemes, which were executed by other ministers. He evidently projected most of the commercial regulations adopted by Alberoni; and the bare outline of the plans sketched in a preceding chapter, will suffice to prove how greatly his successor Patino profited by his ideas and designs. Indeed Ripperda may be justly regarded as one of the principal authors of the new Commercial System, established by Spain since the commencement of the last century." CUSTOMS MANNERS, CUSTOMS, &c. OF NATIONS AND CLASSES OF PEOPLE. ACCOUNT OF THE PARSEES. man soul, and an angel receives it when it leaves the body. Myrh, or Mithra, is the ferishta to whom (From Mrs. Graham's Journal of a this important charge is assigned, Τ Residence in India.) as well as that of judging the dead; he is also the guardian of the sun, IT appears that there have been and presides over the sixth month, Zoroaster, one of whom lived in times of such remote antiquity, that no dependance can be placed on the traditions concerning him. The last flourished as late as the reign of Darius, the son of Cambyses. He appears to have reform ed the religion of his country, which there is reason to think was, till that time, the same with that of India, to have built the first fine temples, and to have written the books of Guebre laws, of which only some fragments remain. The Parsees acknowledge aGood Principle under the name of Hormuzd, and an Evil Principle under that of Ahrimane. Subordinate to Hormuzd, the ferishta, or angels, are charged with the creation and preservation of the material world. The sun, the moon, and the stars, the years, the months, and the days, have each their presiding angels; angels attend on every huVOL. LV. |