THE BRITISH MAGAZINE. JUNE, 1823. MEMOIR OF SIR SAMUEL EGERTON BRYDGES. "A wight of — mickle fame, Book-learn'd, and quaint—an antiquary wight; AKENSIDE. SIR Samuel Egerton Brydges is one of those persons who, with only a moderate share of talent, have an irresistible desire to become authors. This itch, which in many persons produces very mischievous results, such as the loss of that slender reputation they were born to achieve, and the impoverishment of their worldly estates, assumes quite a different appearance when it breaks out in one of more elevated rank. We know no reason why men of fortune should not indulge themselves in scribbling: they cannot hurt their fame, for the old maxim of the schools, that what is not cannot be damnified,' protects them; they injure their fortunes but little, and the good they do to our worthy friends, the booksellers, more than makes amends for this but, in the mean time, it must be remembered that they gratify their vanity, they gain an ephemeral reputation, and a title to be talked of in their own circle, which, but for their writings, (God save the mark!) they would never attain to. Among the mob of gentlemen who write with ease Sir E. Brydges is perhaps the most eminent. He, for many years, was a small literary man among persons who could write, and a great literary man among people of fashion who could not read. He is descended, on his mother's side, from the Bridgewater family, and was born at Wotton, in Kent, on the 30th of November, 1762. His education was finished at Cambridge, where he gained the reputation of being a young man of parts. Flushed with college praise, he came to London, and was entered of the Middle Temple. After the usual period he was called to the bar, which event we think took place in 1787. He had, however, previously done something towards gaining a name, by publishing a volume of poems two years before. In the year 1792 he was so fortunate as to inherit a considerable property in Kent, where he went to reside. Being a married man, he continued to live upon his property here, and some time afterwards was returned a member for Maidstone. He had before been received into that mockery of all literary and scientific societies, that superannuation hospital for imbeciles and old women, the Antiquaries' Society, of which it would be no compliment to say he was the brightest ornament. Among illiterate attorneys, and worm-eaten retired tradesmen, it is no honour to play the first fiddle; VOL. 1. June, 1823. Br. Mag. while the facility with which persons of the least pretension gain admission causes it to make one acquainted with strange companions. In the House of Commons Sir Egerton Brydges cut a very respectable figure, and gave reason to believe that, if the love of scribbling had not turned his brain, he would have made a reasonably good man of business. His zeal was always before his ability, but he had no contemptible portion of both. During the time, however, that he was devoting some portion of his energies to the service of his country, he did not neglect the more elegant and congenial pursuits of literature. He not only wrote books with considerable rapidity, but, setting up a printing-press at Lee Priory, he sent into the world some beautiful reprints of valuable and rare books. It was in this pursuit that Sir Egerton Brydges' most valuable talent was displayed. He had acquired a profound knowledge of old books; and, possessing besides a much larger portion of good taste and critical skill than the greater part of the biped book. worms who busy themselves in similar undertakings, he pointed out many estimable things in writers, which had been forgotten by all but those illuminati whose knowledge is confined to title-pages. His edition of the Theatrum Poetarum Anglicanorum is really a valuable work, and is far superior in every respect to that of Philips, the nephew of Milton, by whom it was first compiled. His Censura Literaria, and his Restituta, or the Titles of Old English Books and their Authors revived, are works which have established for him the reputation of being the ablest and most diligent critic upon old English poetry which our times have produced. Much as we are inclined to sneer at the labours of antiquaries, those ungrateful drones, who, living upon the spoils of other men's genius, yet look with contempt upon the labours of living authors; and contemptible as these antiquaries are, as well in their spirit as in their individual characters; we do not pretend to be blind to the merit of many an author who is suffered to slumber in undeserved oblivion. To Sir Egerton Brydges we are under many obligations on this score; and we cannot testify our gratitude more remarkably than by heartily exempting him from the unsparing censures which we pass upon his dust-besprinkled confederates. After this we are sorry that our duty compels us to refer to this author's original works: they are entirely beneath criticising. He has written some romances and some poems; but it would be well for his fame if they had never been published. Sir Egerton Brydges has been abroad for some years past, and is now residing at Geneva, where his deficiency not being so easily perceived, and his amiable manners and his acquirements showing off to the best advantage, he now enjoys a very deserved and general esteem. We cannot help wishing that all our countrymen resident abroad were in all ways as respectable as this gentleman. 147 CAPTAIN FRANKLIN'S NARRATIVE. (Continued.) We never remember to have read a narrative more full of suffering and privation than that of Captain Franklin; and, at the same time, one which places the character of the persons exposed to them in so respectable a light. Although under the pressure of the most dreadful hunger, surrounded by danger of all sorts; with little prospect of attaining the end of their journey, and still less of getting back to the settlement; a pious and rational courage seems to have sustained them. The influence of religion in the human mind is here displayed in a most striking manner, and without any of that cant which sometimes makes it disgusting, and oftener doubtful. The following observations on the probable success of Captain Parry's expedition we insert with great pleasure, because they tend to calm some of the anxiety which is necessarily felt on his account: 'Our researches, as far as they have gone, seem to favour the opinion of those who contend for the practicability of a north-west passage. The general line of coast probably runs east and west, nearly in the latitude assigned to Mackenzie's River, the sound into which Kotzebue entered, and Repulse Bay; and very little doubt can, in my opinion, be entertained of the existence of a continued sea, in or about that line of direction. The existence of whales too, on this part of the coast, evidenced by the whalebone we found in Esquimaux Cove, may be considered as an argument for an open sea; and a connexion with Hudson's Bay is rendered more probable from the same kind of fish abounding on the coasts we visited, and on those to the north of Churchill River. I allude more particularly to the Capelin or Salmo Arcticus, which we found in large shoals in Bathurst's Inlet, and which not only abounds, as Augustus told us, in the bays in his country, but swarms in the Greenland firths. The portion of the sea over which we passed is navigable for vessels of any size; the ice we met, particularly after quitting Detention Harbour, would not have arrested a strong boat. The chain of islands affords shelter from all heavy seas, and there are good harbours at convenient distances. I entertain, indeed, sanguine hopes that the skill and exertions of my friend Captain Parry will soon render this question no longer problematical. His task is doubtless an arduous one, and, if ultimately successful, may occupy two and perhaps three seasons; but, confiding as I do, from personal knowledge, in his perseverance and talent for surmounting difficulties, the strength of his ships, and the abundance of provisions with which they are stored, I have very little apprehension of his safety. As I understand his object was to keep the coast of America close on board, he will find in the spring of the year, before the breaking up of the ice can permit him to pursue his voyage, herds of deer flocking in abundance to all parts of the coast, which may be procured without difficulty; and, even later in the season, additions to his stock of provision may be obtained on many parts of the coast, should circumstances give him leisure to send out hunting parties. With the trawl or seine nets, also, he may almost every where get abundance of fish, even without retarding his progress. Under these circumstances I do not conceive that he runs any hazard of wanting provisions, should his voyage be prolonged even beyond the latest period of time which is calculated upon. Drift timber may be gathered at many places in considerable quantities; and there is a fair prospect of his opening a communication with the Esquimaux, who come down to the coast to kill seals in the spring, previous to the ice breaking up; and from whom, if he succeeds in conciliating their good-will, he may obtain provision, and much useful assistance. If he makes for Copper-Mine River, as he probably will do, he will not find it in the longitude as laid down on the charts; but he will probably find, what would be more interesting to him, a post, which we erected on the 26th August, at the mouth of Hood's River, which is nearly, as will appear hereafter, in that longitude, with a flag upon it, and a letter at the foot of it, which may convey to him some useful information. It is possible, however, that he might keep outside of the range of islands which skirt this part of the coast.' We do not know whether our readers will excuse us for presenting to them some of the horrors which Captain Franklin and his party encountered, but we think in common justice they ought to be known: those who live at home at ease' ought to be acquainted with the perils which, at a distance, seem too great for any effort of human courage, and which still were mastered by perseverance and a strong sense of duty. 'The morning of the 7th cleared up a little, but the wind was still strong, and the weather extremely cold. From the unusual continuance of the storm, we feared the winter had set in with all its rigour, and that by longer delay we should only be exposed to an accumulation of difficulties; we therefore prepared for our journey, although we were in a very unfit condition for starting, being weak from fasting, and our garments stiffened by the frost. We had no means of making a fire to thaw them, the moss, at all times difficult to kindle, being now covered with ice and snow. A considerable time was consumed in packing up the frozen tents and bed-clothes, the wind blowing so strong that no one could keep his hands long out of his mittens. Just as we were about to commence our march I was seized with a fainting fit, in consequence of exhaustion and sudden exposure to the wind; but, after eating a morsel of portable soup, I recovered so far as to be able to move on. I was unwilling at first to take this morsel of soup, which was diminishing the small and only remaining meal for the party; but several of the men urged me to it with much kindness. The ground was covered a foot deep with snow, the margin of the lakes was incrusted with ice, and the swamps over which we had to pass were entirely frozen; but the ice not being sufficiently strong to bear us, we frequently plunged knee-deep in water. Those who carried the canoes were repeatedly blown down by the violence of the wind; and they often fell, from making an insecure step on a slippery stone: on one of these occasions, the largest canoe was so much broken as to be rendered utterly unserviceable. This was felt as a serious disaster, as the remaining canoe having through mistake been made too small, it was doubtful whether it would be sufficient to carry us across a river. Indeed we had found it necessary, in crossing Hood's |