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66 THE LEADEE. [No. 356, Saturday,
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POLITICAL CRITICISM: NAPOLEON THE THIRD....
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Are Boswell's Letters Authentic? Letters...
Wbat is the case with ' Bos well ' s Letters , ' which our contemporaries have received with so much enthusiasm ? As far as the external evidence goes , " never was apublication entitled to less credits Observe , we do not pronounce these Letters not to be authentic . They may be the veritable letters of James BoswelL , discovered in the way stated by the editor ; on a question so-deKrate we naturally refrain from expressing an opinion . We have no ^ pro of that they are not auth entic ; but—and here lies the whole difficulty —we have absolutely no guarantee for their authenticity . To enable our readers to form an . opinion on the point , we will extract the whole of the preface to this volume , wherein is narrated the discovery of the Letters : —
The Letters of James Boswell , contained in the present volume , came into the banda of the Publisher under the following circumstances . A few years ago a clergyman having occasion to bay some small articles at . the shop of Bf adame Noel , at Boulogne , observed that the paper in which they were wrapped was the fragment of an English letter . Upon inspection , a date and some names were discovered ; and further investigation proved that the piece of paper in question was part of a correspondence , carried on nearly a century before , between the Biographer of Dr . Samuel ¦ Joinsen and his early- friend , the Rev . William Johnson Temple . On making inbad beetaken from
< $ niry , it was ascertained that this piece of paper n a large parcel recently purchased 1 from a hawker , who was in the habit of passing through Boulogne once or twice , a year , for the purpose of supplying the different shops with paper . Beyond this i » farther information could be obtained . The whole contents of the parcel were immediately secured . The majority of the X » etter 9 bear the London and Deren postmarks , and are franked by -weH-known names of that period . Besides those written by Boswell which are here published , were found several from H & r . NkfroHs , Jffr . Claston , and other persons alfcrded to in the following pages , as well as a few unfinished Sermons and Essays by Mr . Temple .
At the death of the purchaser of these Letters they passed into the hands of a nephew , from whom the Editor obtained them ; and in the-present form they are now eubnattted to tb » Pablic . Thiamay be the simple truth , strange as It appears ; but when such a narrative ia submitted to the investigation of even friendly scepticism , the utter want o £ guarantee , the vagueness , and suspiciousness of the statements must be noticed . Who is , or was , the clergyman ? What was his name , where did he live , " what -were his antecedents ? ! KTo reserve , of modesty ought to prevent a man ' s name being given in such a case . On his veracity must depend oar belief . If he is known to be a man of integrity , incapable of collttswn iii a trick of literary forgery , the publication of his name would carry some authority with it . But , unhappily , no name is given ; clergyman , nephew , and editor , all are anonymous ; and the public has a right to know who all three actually are .
So much for the discoverer . Ifow for tke occasion . The letters were found at Madame Noel ' s shop , in Boulogne , a few years ago . " Mrs . Smith , of London , a few years ago , " would be evidence as acceptable . Where did Madame Noel live ? in what street ? what was her business ? and what was the year-in which the letters- were found ? Moreover , tbis hawker ,, who is in the labit of passing through Boulogne once or twice a year for the purpose of supplying waste paper to the different shops , is an extremely MythicaUooking person ; and we should be glad to know ^ nether it is thou ght worth while for a lawker to carry ' waste-paper '
across the Channel twice a year , when * waste paper' always finds purchasers enough in [ England . Finally , now that this precious discovery is made , and the Letters are recognised as being the unmistakable correspondence of James Boswell with Temple , the anonymous clergyman whose interest in Literature is keen « nuugh to make him detect the treasure from a casual scrap of-waste paper , is silent respecting hia good luck , makes no announcement of it in the public journals , informs no literary man of the fket , but dies , and leaves the precious treasure to his nepnew , also anonymous , who gives or sells it to the anonymous editor I
To believe this story , on this evidence ,- requires an elasticity of acquiescence which few persons accustomed to investigate matters of this nature will be found to possess . We again emphatically say the story may be true , nor are we in any condition to prove it not true ; but the story , as presented to the public , is neither acceptable nor probable ; and until something like positive evidence is offered , the authenticity of these Letters must rank with the authenticity of many French Memoirs . We point out the imperat ive necessity of a guarantee , because the value of these Letters naturally depends on their being genuine . If they are forgeries , they are extremely clever forgeries , and interesting as such ; but the public must know what it is which amuses—the naivete of truth , or the adroitness of dramatic imitation . Reading-these Letters with profound distrust we may have formed a false opinion © f them , but it seemed to ua that the picture of Boswell here preaentad -was too like the popular notion of Boswell . The author
assuming ^ there wa & an author—has been too dramatic . The authentic letters of Moore , Scmthey , Byron , Gray , Walpole , and every other well Known , person , by no means display this perpetual self-revelation ; if they let ns into the secret of the writer ' s personality , it ia in a more oblique man , " ^ i : *!? » e ^ f ™ J ^^ efr 0 " * something unlike what ; we learned from their publnbed works . Boswell , on the contrary , is , in thes « Letters , the Boswell TT * aUto « m ; and the . Yeruimilitude . of this private portrait is . a suspicious Cttcunoataiwse : it ia more vraisemblabk than woi , in our estimation . Shquld they turn < mt to be authentic , tie Letters will deserve to live in Literature
,, as specunwsna oT naive autobiograph y . They are extremely -arauaug , and nothing would better please us than to find that they were the actual outpourings of the little man . His love passages are throughout touched with a trulj Bo & welhan hand . Read this as a sample : — You know I gav « you a Mat in my last of the contumance of my passion for Miss W - ~ r t : * - « W » yoHLl am excessively fond of hor , bo ( aa I haw Riven voti fair wamwg ) don ' t be aurpmed if your g r ave , aed « te , ' ph ^ W ^ c fri ^ ^ uld to ° JZLV ° ** # ? ?* ***? ** »<* a composed indifference , of the beautc ^ aox-, onS whom you used to admoinsh not to turn an old man too Boon , —don ' t * e thunderstruk if thia name fellow should all at onc « , sabitafurvn , olreptus ] commence DonX £ > te for fc"jd « abfe Dnlowa . But to talk Berlousiy , I at first fell riol < mtry in to ™ J ? £ h « r , and thought I should be quite miaerable if I did not obtain her ; but Wit ia changed to- » rational ^ em of her good qualities , so that I shoold . bo extr ^ ly
er any « r ; ( as I you before ) my mind is in suck an agreeable situation , that being refused would not "be so fatal as to diLve me to despair , as yonr hot-brained romantic lovers talk . Now , m-y dear friend , I sincerely ask ten thousand pardons for giving you the trouble of this , long narration ; but as it is a thing that concerns me a good deal , I could not but communicate it to you , and I know , when I inform you haw happy it makes me to open rny mind , you will forgive me . Pray never speak of it : you are the only person knows of it , except Mr . Love , who reads -with her , and takes every unsuspected method to lend me his friendly assistance . Oh Willie ! how happy should I be if she consented , some years after this , to make me blest ! How transporting to think of such a lady to entertain you at Aachinleck ! Can one not also fancy one hears him utter this noble sentiment when about to set forth on his travels : —
of her charactthan of oth but told happy to pass my life with her ; but if she does not incline to it , I can bear it cequo animo , and retire into the calm regions of philosophy . She ia indeed extremelypretty , and . possessed of every amiable qualification ; she dances , sings , and plays upon several instruments equally ¦ well , draws with a great deal of taste , and reads the best authors ; at the same time she has a just regard for trne piety and religion and behaves in the most easy , affable way . She is just such a young lady as I could wish for the partner of my soul ; and you know that is not every one ; for you and I have often , talked how aice we would be in such a choice . I own I can have but little hopes , as she is a fortune of thirty thousand pounds . Heaven knows that sordid motive is farthest from my thoughts . She invited me to come and vait upon her , so I went last week and drank tea . I was kindly entertained , and desir ed to come when convenient . I have reason to believe she has a very good opinion of me : and , indeed , a youth of my turn has a better chance to gain the affections of a ladv
My father has allowed me 6 QZ- a quarter , —240 Z . a year : that is not a great allowance , but with economy I may live very well upon it , for Holland is a cheap country . However I am determined not to be straitened , nor to encourage the least narrowness of disposition as to saving money , but -will draw upon my father for any sums I find
necessary . One word in conclusion : we have raised . a question of some importance relative to this work , and foresee that we may involve ourselves in an inteTminable controversy unless limits be assigned beforehand . . We have stated our doubts and difficulties ; and unless those can be removed by the production of positive flj < £ e « c < v we siall enter into no collateral discussions of ' probability , ' ' internal evidence , ' or what ' eminent critics ' may think . The question is wholly and simply one of personal guarantee ; what is wanted is a statement of names , dates , and localities .
66 The Leadee. [No. 356, Saturday,
66 THE LEADEE . [ No . 356 , Saturday ,
Political Criticism: Napoleon The Third....
POLITICAL CRITICISM : NAPOLEON THE THIRD . Napoleon the Third : Review of his Life , Character , and Policy ; with Extracts from His Writingsand Speeches . By a British Officer . Longman and Co . The " Officer" has not attempted to produce a biography of Louis Napoleon . ^ His work is a pamphlet , on a large scale , and is composed of extracts and dissertations held together by the slightest possible thread of narrative . As far as the " life" ' of Louis Napoleon is concerned , he merely x-epeats that whicVhas been worked up in two or three shilling volumes ; the interesting memoirs which depict the youth of the present Emperor having altogether escaped his eye . _ His object , plainly , was not biographical . He las published his " views "—nothing more , and it remains to be ascertained of
what importance are the views set forth in a volume of anonymous panegyric . However valuable , or the reverse , they are by no means startling . We became familiar with them , and all their " congeners , during- the earlier stages of the Russian war . They were repeated day after day , in newspapers . As the " British Officer" tells us nothing , in point of fact , which was not told by Mr . Christmas , or Mr . Greenwood , so he suggests nothing which was not continually amplified upon by every devotee of success wliile Napoleonism was fashionable in England . Unfortunately , it is not now fashionable , and this voluminous eulogy has come too late . The writer promises on his title-page " references to contemporary opinions . " " We searched with some interest for these selections , but found that , wliile a considerable proportion qf the book is made up of quotations , the wr iters , or the journals , are rarely mentioned by name .
The greatest mistake of the bo & k is its unconcealed partiality . It is made up of invariable praise . Every allusion drives its ' substantive and six . ' The cc Officer" cannot rest a moment from the effusion of his courtly ardour , " wise , " " great , " " magnificent , " " unparalleled , " " yast , " " loyal , " " chivalrous , " and all the epithet species climbing in parasitical profusion about the page , until tliey ^ become an absolute nuisance . He cannot allow any incident to speak for itself . And this brings us to a topic which an " Officer " may regard as of secondary importance .. The events thus garlanded -with superlatives are not correctly narrated . In point of historical accuracy the pamphlet is not less deficient than in point of literary execution . * To instance one example , the alliance ia represented as the work of Louis Napoleon , although documentary proofs may be cited that it was the proposal of the Republican leaders who preceded him . This is a blunder which
surprises us when met with in a serious publication . The references to the Pro-visional Government , the June Insurrection , the Presidency , and the Coup d'JUtai arc often naively fatuous ; but it would be a superfluous task to set right a compiler so wilfully and so complacently wrong . It will be more useful , in order to show what kind ; of logic is necessary to the morality of such a writer , to quote and expose a paragraph on the December Usurpation : — A vast amount of mystification has arisen with respect to the lawfulness or rightfulness of the change -which was effected in the Constitution as it stood prior to the 2 nd of December . It has been argued by some -writers , in real or affected ignorance of the facts , that that Constitution was immutable id , all its details . Nothing could be more contrary to fact . Those-who pretend that tho Constitution was thus
unchnngeable in any one of its particular parts , would reduce tho enlightenment of its constructors to a level -with that of tfio ancient propoundcra of tho immutability of tho lima of tho Mcdes and Persians . No ; it was not any one detail ,- or any part of its details , that was unchangeable ; it was its principle . That principle wais the national will , which had created it , which had not abandoned its supremacy to it , hut to wliich it was necessarily and naturally subject . The Constitution was made for and by the people , not tlio people far tho Constitution . The Constitution , in short , meant tho national will . Tho promise to maintain it , meant allegiance to tho national will . Whoever pretends tho reverse , abnegates that principle of thesupremacy of tho suffrage of the nation without which the Constitution could havo had neither mean-Ing nor vitality , but woald have been a mere medley of barbarous impracticability .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 17, 1857, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17011857/page/18/
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