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marvellous rapidity and accuracy of critical judgment. As a critic, his perceptions were exquisite, and his resources boundless. He could put a new or an old idea into a sort of kaleidoscopic variety of striking and novel aspects, and with a charming facility. He could bring out a meaning often more distinctly and happily than his author himself. His rich, comprehensive, and penetrating criticism shed new splendour over Homer, Shakespeare, Spenser, Milton, Dryden, and whomsoever else he willed to set before his own and his reader's eye.

One of his most distinguished contemporaries, not apt to bestow eulogy lavishly or unworthily,-I mean Mr Hallam,-in his Introduction to the Literature of Europe, while sketching the character of Spenser, thus alludes to a fine series of papers by Professor Wilson on the Fairy Queen: "It has been justly observed by a living writer, of the most ardent and enthusiastic genius, whose eloquence is as the rush of mighty waters, and has left it for others, almost as invidious, to praise in terms of less rapture, as to censure what he has borne along in the stream of unhesitating eulogy, 'that no poet has ever had a more exquisite sense of the beautiful than Spenser :' adding, in a note, "I allude here to a very brilliant series of papers on the Fairy Queen, published in Blackwood's Magazine, during the years 1834 and 1835." I think the observation which the Professor makes concerning Spenser, may be well applied to the gifted critic himself. I fear, however, that I am wandering too far from the object of this humble tribute to the memory of Professor Wilson.

I never heard him speak in disparaging terms of any of his contemporaries; but how tremendous, in his earlier years, were his flagellations of those whom he considered deserving of them as literary offenders, is known to all well-informed literary readers. I have conversed with him much about literary men, and often admired his forbearing and generous spirit.

Shortly after Mr Dickens had so suddenly eclipsed in popularity all his contemporaries, Professor Wilson spoke to me of him in terms of high admiration, as a man of undoubted and great genius; and he spoke of "Nelly" as a beautiful creation.

Professor Wilson told me that there were two things he specially hated letter-writing, and being "made a lion of," or, as I recollect him saying contemptuously, "a lionet." As for letter-writing, I never received from him but one in my life; and that was written on half a sheet of paper, evidently the blank sheet of some old letter. Mentioning a late accomplished dignitary of the Church, he said, laughingly, will continue writing to me, though I never answer his letters, nor will!” One of those letters happened to contain a friendly allusion to myself, and he sent it to me through a common friend, thinking it would please me.

66

He never called on me in the Templẹ but once; and then sate a long time, asking a multitude of ques tions about the Temple,-its history, the nature of chamber life, &c. &c., with lively interest; almost suggesting that he might be thinking of writing something on the subject.

He used to be a daily visitor at Messrs Blackwood's saloon,* in George Street, to chat with them and one or two other friends, read the newspapers, and skim over the magazines, reviews, and new publications. He was much attached to all the Blackwoods, giving them many proofs of his zealous and affectionate good-will. How pleasantly have I chatted with him in that saloon! How fresh and genial he always was! How sly his humour! How playfully his eye glittered while he was good-humouredly making fun of you! How racy his comments on literary and political topics! How ready and correct his knowledge in all kinds of subjects, even while he professed "to know very little about them!"

I saw him last in that saloon, towards the close of September 1851. I had been for ten days in Edinburgh,

*This is a spacious room dedicated by Messrs Blackwood to the use of their friends, where are lying numerous newspapers and magazines; and ornamented with busts and pictures of their distinguished literary allies.

superintending-as that was the long vacation-a work which was on the eve of publication, and had lived quite secluded all the time. In passing hastily through the saloon with some proofs in my hand, I came upon Professor Wilson, sitting there as usual; but I had not seen him for several years. He had become a great deal stouter than I had ever seen him before; he was also aged much; but his face was as fine, his eye as bright, and his manner as delightful as ever. He did not, however, speak with his former energy. "They tell me," said he, laughing good-humouredly, "that you've quite buried yourself since you have been here! What have you been about?" I told him. "Aye-it's a capital title, and promises well. You have set us all gaping to know what we're to have! Tell me what it's about-I'm anxious to hear. What's your idea?" I told him, as briefly as I could. "Let me hear some of it," said he, after I had given him my notions of the scope of the work; and I read him, at his desire, a considerable portion. How I recollect his full, keen eyes, watchfully fixed upon me as I read !

The next, and last time I saw him, was also the last time that he left his own house. During the intervening years, he had had a paralytic seizure, which affected his powers of motion and speech, and to some extent his mental faculties. He had driven up to Mr Blackwood's door, accompanied by a fond daughter, for the purpose of congratulating one in whom he had

always felt deep interest, on his approaching marriage. I was in the saloon at the time; but on being told that he would be pleased to see me, though he was feeble and could not converse, I went to the carriage door. Shall I ever forget father and daughter,* as they sate opposite to each other, she eyeing her gifted but afflicted father with such tender anxiety! Never! His hat was off, and his countenance, on which fell the rays of setting sunlight, was fine as ever; his eye was not dim, nor did his natural force seem abated, as he sate, and looked at me, and stretched forth his hand; but when he attempted to speak, alas! it was in words few, indistinct, and unintelligible. To me it was an affecting moment-but a moment; for he was not allowed to become excited. Again he shook my hand; and I had looked my last on Professor Wilson. The next I heard of him, was his peaceful death; and then a burial befitting one of the great men of Scotland.

I am almost ashamed to commit to the press this sudden and spontaneous, but poor tribute to the memory of such a man of genius and goodness. I am altogether unequal to the task of his intellectual portraiture; but what I have written is true, and comes from my heart; wherefore I hope it will be accepted in the spirit in which it is offered.

Adieu, Christopher North! Adieu, John Wilson !

* Mrs Gordon.

SAMUEL WARREN.

INDEX TO VOL. LXXVI.

Aali Pasha,72-his defeat at Lepanto, 81.
Aberdeen, lord, responsibilities of, as
regards the war, 100-his views on it,
233-policy pursued by him towards
Greece, 404-effects of his early vacil-
lation, &c. with regard to the war, 601.
Aberdeen Ministry, accession and pros-
pects of the, 230.

Aberdeen University, subdivision of the
students at, 136-Highland students
at it, 144-privileges and immunities
claimed by it, 424.

Aberdeen Doctors, the, 146.
Adamson, professor, 149.

Adelaide, town of, its progress, 276.
Eschylus on the colouring of statues,
327.

Africa, present position, &c. of, 268.
Agricultural population of Turkey, pre-

of

sent state of the, 493-its amount and
means for its improvement, 495.
Agriculture, present state of, in Greece,
417-its stationary condition in Greece
and Turkey, and causes of this, 500.
Albanians, character, &c. of the, 416.
Alexander, the emperor, progress
Russia under, 99-review of his con-
duct with regard to the Greek Revolu-
tion, 121.
Alexander VI., Pope, Bull establishing
King's College, Aberdeen, by, 431.
Alexis, the Czar, conquests of, 99.
Alison on the Greek Revolution, review
of, 119.

Allies, occupation of Greece by the, 420.
Alma, battle of the, 627—the battle-field,
630.

Alma, battle of the, a song, 696.
America, imports of gold from, 673.
Andrews, Mr, on the climate of Canada, 4.
ANTHOLOGIA OXONIENSIS, review of, 560.
Arabs of Palestine, the, 246.
Arbaces, the revolt of, 468.
Armansperg, count, 405.

Army, importance of its officers to an,
653.

Arpad, leader of the Magyars, 178.
Asia, present position of, 268.
Asiatic Turkey, social excitement in, &c.,
493.

Assyrians, religion of the, 468.
Astronomy and geology, parallel between,
373.

Athens, modern, aspect of, 133.

Athenians, employment of white marble
by the, 330.

Australia, the gold discoveries in, and
effects of these, 270-statistics regard-
ing the progress, &c. of it, 271-its
capabilities for empire, 275.
Australian Steam Navigation Companies,
the, 281, 282.

Austria, views and policy of, 101, 102-
her present position, &c., 104 - her
danger from Russia, 107-parallel be-
tween her position in Italy and that of
Great Britain in India, 183.

Babylon, the ruins of, 462, 463, 471.
Balaklava, the flank march to, 634-its
capture, 636.

Balbek, the position of the, 633.
Barbarigo, Agostino, 76.

Barcelona, establishment of banks in, 582.
Barron, Dr Robert, 146.

Basque race, the, 168.

Bathurst, the gold-fields at, 270.

Bavarians, mal-administration of Greece
by the, 405 et seq.

BEAUTY, USES OF, 476.

Beauty of colour, sources of the, 540.
Bedouins, character of the, 254.
Beecher, rev. Charles, 317.
Bejant, origin of the term, 432.
Belgæ, origin, &c. of the, 170.

Belgium, position of, with regard to Rus-
sia, 115.

BELLEROPHON, A CLASSICAL BALLAD, 256.
Bendigo gold-fields, the, 271.

Bengal, position, &c. of the British in, 183.
Berbers of Africa, the, 169.

Bills of exchange, first use of, 582.
Births, town and country proportion of,
520.

Black Sea, importance of the, 101.
Black Warrior, affair of the, 481 et seq.
Blair-Drummond, whale found at, 167.
Blind, number of, in Great Britain, 523.
Boglione, defence of Famagusta by, 78.
Boulogne, defence of, 114.
Bragadino, Marco Antonio, 78.
Bras d'Or lake, the, 13.
Bretons, the, 168.

BREWSTER'S MORE WORLDS THAN ONE,
review of, Part I., 288-Part II., 371.
Brigandage, prevalence of, in Greece,
406, 415-and in Turkey, 502.
BRITISH AMERICA, THE GROWTH AND PROS-
PECTS OF, 1.

BRITISH INDIA, THE GANGETIC PROVINCES Christianity, relations of the discoveries of
OF, 183.
the telescope to, 289.

Broadfoot, major, 195.

Brougham, lord, on the marriage law of
Scotland, 512.

Burmese war, defence of the, 202.
Burritt, Elihu, 313.

Bursaries, Scottish, 144.

Butler, Mr G., Latin verses by, 570.
Byzantine Empire, proposed reconstruc-
tion of the, 132 — disappearance of
gold after its fall, 577.

Cabyles, alleged identity of, with the
Bretons, 168.

Cadet company, the, 660.
California, the seizure of, by the United
States, 268-its future prospects, 269
et seq.-communication between, and
the United States, 278 et seq.
Cameron, Mr, work on India by, 203.
CAMPAIGN, STORY OF THE, chap. i. The
Rendezvous, 619-chap. ii. The Move-
ment to the Crimea, 622-chap. iii.
First Operations in the Crimea, 624-
chap. iv. Battle of the Alma, 627-
chap. v. The Battle-field, 630-chap.
vi. The Katcha and the Balbek, 632
-chap. vii. The Flank March, 634-
chap. viii. Occupation of Balaklava,
636.

Campbell, G., Esq., on India, 190 et seq.
passim.

Canada, growth and prospects of, 1 et seq.
Canals, progress of, in Canada, 7.
Canaris, the exploits of, 128.
Canning, the recognition of Greece by, 404.
Cape Breton, the colony of, 12, 13.
Capodistrias, character, &c. of, 404.
Carmel, sketches of, 249.

Carshalton, the Royal Ordnance School
of, 659.

Catharine, the Empress, progress of Rus-
sia under, 99.

Celts, appearance of the, in Europe, 168.
Censor, the, in the universities, 140.

Christina, Queen, feeling against, in Spain,
162-demonstrations against her, 359,
363 difficulties of the government
with regard to her, 365-her departure
from Spain, 477.
CHRISTOPHER NORTH, A FEW PERSONAL
RECOLLECTIONS OF, 731.

Cimbri, origin, &c. of the, 169.

Cities of the Plain, the alleged discovery
of the, 253.

CIVILISATION-THE CENSUS, 435—Part
II., 509.

Clarendon, lord, on the war, 233.
Classical studies, value of, 563 et seg.
Clergy, numbers of the, 517.
Clerk, Sir George, in India, 195.
CLIVE'S DREAM BEFORE THE BATTLE OF
PLASSEY, 88.

Coal mines of Nova Scotia, the, 13.
Cod-fisheries of Newfoundland, the, 14.
Coinage, depreciation of the, in Turkey,
501.

Coleridge, translations from, 570, 574.
Collantes, Esteban, 358.

Colonial Land and Emigration Commis-
sioners, the, 284.

COLONIES IN THE PACIFIC, THE COMING
FORTUNES OF OUR, 268.

Colonna, Marco Antonio, 72 et seq.
COLOUR IN NATURE AND ART, 539.
Colour, on the proposed application of,
to statuary, 318.

Comte, M., views of, as regards literature,
140.

Concha, Manuel and José, 152.

Connington, Mr, Latin translation by,

574.

CONSERVATIVE REASCENDANCY CONSIDER-
ED, 230.

Constantinople, views of Napoleon regard-
ing, 99-Greek account of the capture
of it, 410.

Copper, imports of, from Australia, 274.

Census returns, strictures on the, 442 et Cordova, general, 356.
seq., 510 et seq.

Cervantes at Lepanto, 83.

Chalmers's Astronomical Discourses, re-
marks on, 294, 296.
Chambly Canal, the, 7.

Chancellor, the, in the Universities, 136.
Charlemagne, views of, regarding the
northern barbarians, 98.
Charles I., attempt of, for the union of
Aberdeen colleges, 434.

Charles II., England under, 35 et seq.
Chaucer's Dream of the Crystal Palace,
335.

CHEVREUL ON COLOUR, review of, 539.
Chico, Francisco, death of, 363.
China, emigration from, to California,
269-and to Australia, 270-peculiar-
ities of the national life of, 460.
Cholera, ravages of, among the Allies, 621.

Cordova, regiment of, its revolt, 152.
Cornwallis, lord, system of, in India, 186

et seq.-modern changes in it, 187 et seq.
CORREGGIO, A TRAGEDY, review of, 698.
Corruption, prevalence of, in Greece, 407.
Country and town, proportions of births
in, 520.

Cousin on classical education, 564.
Crimea, importance of the, 101-the Rus-

sian conquest of it, 105-movement of
the Allies to it, 622—the landing, 623
-the first movements, 624.
Criminals, proportions of male and female,

523.

CRYSTAL PALACE, THE, 317.

Cuba, conduct of the United States with
regard to, 414-conduct of. M. Soulé
with reference to it, 480-danger of it
from America, 486.

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Cuzco, the great temple of, 675.
Cyprus, the conquest of, by the Turks, 70.
Dandolo, Nicolo, defence of Nicosia by, 73.
Dead Sea, the, 253.

Deaf and Dumb, numbers of, 523.
Deans of Faculty, origin of, 142.
Defoe's History of the Plague, 37.
Dempster, Thomas, sketch of the career
of, 423.

Denmark, position of, with regard to
Russia, 115.

Deputy-judges of India, the, 187.
Derby administration, the, means by
which overthrown, 230-benefits to the
country from it, 237.

De Quincey, Quatremère, on the supposed
painting of statues, 320.

De Quincey, Thomas, on Physiognomical
character, 521.

Disraeli, sketch of, 239.

Domenech, Spanish finance-minister, 358.
Doria, Andrea, a Spanish admiral, 72
et seq.

DRAMA, PROSPECTS OF THE MODERN, 698.
Dramatic mysteries, the modern, 699.
Dramatic talent, alleged existence of, 698.
Dress, applications of colour to, 555.
Druidical circles, origin of, 167.
Ducange on the origin of Bejant, 432.
Dulce, general, 155 et seq. passim.
Dumbness, curious case of partial, 523.
Echague, brigadier, 156.
Edinburgh, Mrs Stowe at, 302.
Edinburgh University, 137.

EDUCATION OF THE ROYAL ARTILLERY,
653.

Edwards, M., on the Ethnology of France,
172.

Egypt, ancient, peculiarities of the nation-

al life of, 460-influence of gold on, 576.
Elgin, lord, his report on Canada, 5.
Elijah's Sacrifice, the scene of, 250.
Elphinstone, bishop, 431.
Emigration to Canada, statistics of, 5-
to America, 15-to Australia, influence
of the gold discoveries on, 270.
Engineers, the training for the, 658.
England, sketches of, under Charles II.,
35 et seq.
- the national career of, 461
-average duration of life in, 516-rise
of the woollen manufacture in, 581-
value of the pound at different times
in, 584, 587.

-

English Universities, effects of the Refor-
mation on the, 139.

Espartero, appointment of, as minister,
363-his reception in Madrid, 364-his
conduct with regard to the departure
of Christina, 479.

ETHNOLOGY OF EUROPE, THE, 165.
Eupatoria, the allies at, 623.
Europe, the civilisation of, 268-its con-

dition during the middle ages as regards

the precious metals, 579-amount of
gold in, before and after the discovery
of America, 673.

EUROPEAN ALLIANCE AND RUSSIA, THE, 98.
EVELYN AND PEPYS, 35.

Evelyn, John, sketch of, 38.

EUSEBIUS, LETTERS TO-RIDDLES, 18-
CIVILISATION-THE CENSUS, 435, 509.
Famagusta, the Turkish siege of, 75 et seq.
Fanshawe, lady, the memoirs of, 37.
Fasti Aberdonenses, the, 135.

Fisheries of New Brunswick, the, 12-

those of Nova Scotia, 13-those of
Newfoundland, 14.

Flanders, the early manufactures of, 581.
Florence, the early banking business of,
582.

Flowers, the beauty of, 540.
Fontenelle's Plurality of Worlds, on, 294.
Forbes, bishop Patrick, 148.
Forbes, Dr John, 147.

France, traces of pre-historic races in, 166
-the ethnology of, 172-early inde-
pendence of the universities in, 422-
early employment, coinage, &c. of the
precious metals in, 579.

French, the, at the Alma, 628.
Gaels, first appearance of the, 168.
GANGES CANAL, OPENING OF THE, 475.
GANGETIC PROVINCES OF BRITISH INDIA,
THE, 183.

Garden, colour as shown in the, 540.
Garrigo, colonel, 160.

Geelong, progress of, 276.

-

Geology, argument from, against the plu-
rality of worlds, 373- sketch of the
recent discoveries of, 375.
George III., influence of, on the national
morals, 511.

German powers, views of the, regarding
Russia, 101, 102.

Germanic confederation, present state of
the, 103.

Germany, amount of emigration to Aus-
tralia from, 270-the early mercantile
communities of, 578.

Gladstone, Mr, position of, 237.
Glasgow, Mrs Stowe at, 302.
Glasgow University, papers connected
with, 135-distribution of the students
in, 136-judicial administration of, 425.
GOD IN NATURE, 94.

Godolphin, Mrs, the diary of, 37.
GOLD, INFLUENCE OF, ON THE COMMERCIAL

AND SOCIAL POSITION OF THE WORLD,
Part I., 576-Part II., 672.

Gold, the discovery of, in California, and
its effects, 269 et seq.-and in Australia,
270.

Gold countries, general social character-
istics of, 577.

Gold digger, general character of the, 577.
Golden Age steamer, the, 282, 283.
Graham, Sir James, conduct of, regarding
Napoleon III., 238.

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