with the flexibility of their language, are the means by which their translations are made perfect. We must not believe that a good translation cannot be made useful. Frederick the Great was not acquainted with Latin; but Cicero was as useful and important to him in a French translation, as he is to us in the original." "To Wieland Germany is entirely indebted for her graceful style in composition; from him she has learned much. The power of giving correct expressions to our conceptions is an accomplishment of no common order.' "There are certain maxims of great CHARACTERS FROM THE IDLER IN ITALY, BY LADY BLESSINGTON. 1839. MATHIAS. MR. MATHIAS, the reputed author of the Pursuits of Literature, dined with us yesterday. He is far advanced in years, of diminutive stature, but remarkably lively and vivacious. He is devoted to Italian poetry, and is a proficient in that language, into which he has translated several English poems. His choice in the selection has not always been fortunate. He resents with warmth the imputation of having written the Pursuits of Literature, not that he would not be vain of the erudition displayed in that work, but because some of the persons severely treated in it were so indignant that he positively denied the authorship, though the denial has convinced no one. Mathias's conversation is interesting only on Italian literature. His friends (commend me to friends for always exposing the defects ces petits ridicules of those they profess to like) had prepared me for his peculiarities, and he very soon gave proofs of the correctness of their report. One of these peculiarities is an extraordinary tenacity of memory respecting the dates at which he for the first time in the season had eaten green peas, or any other culinary delicacy; another is the continual exclamation of "God bless my soul!" Dinner was not half over before he told us on what days he had eaten spring chickens, green peas, aubergine, and a halfhundred other dainties; "" God and at each entremet that was offered him, he exclaimed, "What a delicious dish!-God bless my soul!" Mr. Mathias has an exceeding dread of being ridden or driven over in the crowded streets of Naples: and has often been known to stop an hour before he could muster courage to cross the Chiaja. Being known and respected in the town, many coachmen pause, in order to give him time to cross without being alarmed; but in vain, for he advances halfway, then stops, terrified at his imaginary danger, and rushes back, exclaiming, bless my soul !" It is only when he meets some acquaintance, who gives him the support of an arm, that he acquires sufficient resolution to pass to the other side of a street. While he was dining in a café a few days ago, a violent shower of rain fell, and pattering against the venetian blinds with great noise, Sir Wm. Gell observed that it rained cats and dogs; at which moment a dog rushed in at one door of the café, and a frightened cat in at the other. "God bless my soul," exclaimed Mathias gravely, 66 so it does! so it does! who would have believed it?" This exclamation excited no little merriment, and Mathias resented it, by not speaking to the laughers for some days. Mathias comes to us very frequently, and "God blesses his soul" at every new dainty our cook prepares. Two days ago, when he last dined here, * * this said cook encaged a poor goldfinch in a temple of spun sugar, as an ornament for the centre of the table for the third course; and the poor bird, while the convives were doing honour to the entremets and sucreries, fluttered through the temple, and beat his wings against its sugary pillars, till they were encrusted with its clammy substance. All which time Mr. Mathias kept exclaiming, his mouth filled with sweets, "God bless my soul! how odd how very odd! I never saw a real bird, a live bird, in that sort of thing before. Bless my soul! it's very pretty, very curious indeed! and must have been very difficult to manage.' A young child could not have been more pleased with the sight than Mathias was, and he went away fully impressed with a high opinion of our cook's abilities. SIR W. DrummonD & SIR W. GELL. of the other, not elevated by its great acquirements, but rendering them subservient to the bent of his humour, converts them into subjects of raillery and ridicule, very often poignant, and always droll. The heroes of antiquity, when referred to by Sir W. Drummond, are invested with new dignity; but when alluded to by Sir W. Gell are travestied so comically as to become almost ludicrous. So far from possessing the morbid fastidiousness of his friend with respect to his associates, Gell, though he can appreciate superior minds, can find pleasure in a contest with the most inferior, and by eliciting the ridiculous points of their characters, render them subjects of amusement. His drollery is irresistible, and what renders it more poignant is the grave expression of his countenance, which maintains its seriousness while those around him are * * excited to laughter by the comicality I have rarely met with so gifted of his sallies. He views every object a person as Sir William Drummond, through the medium of ridicule and who dined with us yesterday. To a as a subject for pleasantry. Even his profound erudition in classical lore, he own infirmities are thus treated by joins a great variety of other knowhim so that he may really lay claim ledge, being an adept in modern lite- to the character of a laughing philorature, mineralogy, chemistry, and sopher, if he cannot arrogate the more astronomy. The treasures of his caelevated one of a profound thinker. pacious mind are brought into action I have become so accustomed in his conversation, which is at once to see my kind and excellent friends erudite, brilliant, and playful. To Sir W. Gell and Drummond continuthese qualifications for forming a ally, that the loss of their society will delightful companion he adds a good be felt as a severe privation, whenever breeding, which, while it possesses I sustain it. Drummond's is one of all the politesse of la vieille cour, has the most highly cultivated minds nothing of its cold ceremoniousness. imaginable, and his conversation teems His mind is so thoroughly imbued with instruction so happily conveyed, with classical imagery, that his con- as to impress itself deeply on the meversation might be deemed a little mory. I count it one of the greatest pedantic, were it not continually im- advantages of my sejour at Naples to bued by flashes of an imagination so have enjoyed so much the society of fertile and a fancy so brilliant, that this remarkable man, and to have inthese natural endowments throw into spired him with a friendship that will, shade the acquired ones with which I feel certain, continue while he lives. a life of study has enriched him. It is I value this amity perhaps the more very amusing to observe the difference as it is bestowed but on a chosen few, that exists between the minds of Sir W. while that of the good-natured Gell is Drummond and his friend Sir W. Gell. acceded to all who seek it. An ItaThat of the first, elevated and refined to lian lady said of Gell, that his heart, such a degree that a fastidiousness of like their churches, was open to all taste, amounting almost to a morbid who chose to enter; but that Drumfeeling of uneasiness in a contact with mond's, like paradise, was difficult inferior intellects, is the result: a result to be entered; consequently one was which not all his good breeding can was sure to meet there but a select prevent from being perceptible to company. Sir W. Drummond those who are quick-sighted. That has sent me his Origines, a work * * requiring all the patient research and LORD DUDLEY. Naples abounds with English, among whom is my old friend Lord Dudley, as clever, amusing, and eccentric as ever. The eccentricities of Lord Dudley increase with age, and sometimes assume so questionable a shape as to excite doubts of his sanity in my mind. These doubts are not, however, entertained by others, or, at least, if so, are not acknowledged, notwithstanding that he exhibits proofs of aberration of intellect too palpable not to be noticed. But the truth is, that a man with forty thousand pounds a year, and willing to give frequent and good dinners, must be as mad as a March hare before people will admit that he is more than eccentric. Lord Dudley thinks aloud, expresses his opinions of persons and things, not often in a flattering tone, to the persons of whom he is speaking, much in the style of the characters in Madame de Genlis' Palais de la Verité, frequently producing the most ludicrous effect. As I have known him long and well, and have perfect faith in his good-nature, I can only attribute these examples of his façon de parler to absence d'esprit, and not, as many of his acquaintance do, to méchanceté. Conversing with a mutual friend on this topic, two days ago, he declared his conviction that Lord Dudley only affected the absence of mind so much commented on, as giving a privilege of telling disagreeable truths. So much for the discourse of friends."No! no! he is far from being insane," added - : "he never throws away his money in buying things he can do without. Never lends a guinea on any pretext whatever; never makes a present ;-looks sharply into his steward's accounts, and gives capital dinners. So he is not mad, I'll be sworn, only un peu original, and so are many men of my acquaintance.' M. DE LA MARTINE. : I have seen M. de la Martine, and greatly like him he is very goodlooking and distingué in appearance, and dresses so perfectly like a gentleman that one would never suspect him to be a poet. No shirt-collars turned over, no apology for a cravat, no long curls falling on the collar of the coat, no assumption of any foppishness of any kind; but just the sort of man that, seen in any society, would be pronounced bien comme il faut. His features are handsome and his countenance is peculiarly intelligent and intellectual, his manners are polished, and his conversation brilÎiant and interesting. He has a presence d'esprit not often to be met with in the generality of poets, and a perfect freedom from any of the affectation of manner attributed to that ge nus irritabile. The truth is, that though gifted with a very glowing imagination, and a deeply reflecting mind, M. de la Martine has been called on to act a prominent part in the scenes of actual and busy life, which has compelled him to exercise his reasoning faculties, as much as his genius has led to the exertion of his imaginative ones. Hence he presents the not common union of a clever man of business, a well-bred man of society, and a poet, and appears to advantage in all these roles. He is very well-disposed towards the English, and, no wonder, for he is the husband of an English lady, said to be possessed of so many estimable qualities, as to give a favourable impression of her compatriots. He has a little daughter, one of the most beautiful children ever beheld, with eyes lustrous and timid as those of a gazelle, and a countenance beaming with sensibility and radiant with beauty. Imagination cannot picture anything more lovely than this child, on whom her father dotes. M. de la Martine is exemplary in his domestic life; offering a proof of the falsehood of the opinion often expressed,-that poets are not calculated to make good husbands. The poet improves on acquaintance, for he has a mind overflowing with information, and a fancy ever teeming with beautiful imagery; and all these rich and rare acquisitions gleam forth rather than are displayed in his conversation, which never seems to have for its object the desire of shining. A deep religious sentiment is discoverable in M. de la Martine, to which may be traced many passages in those poetical effusions, that appeal with such earnestness to the heart; but this sentiment is wholly free from bigotry, and has nothing in it austere or repulsive. Altogether he is a delightful companion as well as a very gifted poet, and is formed to be as much esteemed in society as his works are admired in the study. figure of the Bishop under a triple canopy, the whole surmounted by an arch supported by open shafts containing niches filled with figures of saints. At some distant period one of the shafts, and most of the small figures, were lost; and in this state it is seen engraved in Harding's work, and so remained till the late Coronation, a short time previous to which we took an impression of it. The mutilation now spoken of, and which has reduced the brass to a mere wreck, consists of the lower part of the Bishop's figure, with a considerable portion of the remnant of the canopy, and the only remaining figure, St. John the Evangelist. It appears this destruction was committed by some of the labourers engaged in removing the scaffoldings, and who carried off the fragments; on expressing surprise to the verger that so wanton an act should have been permitted to pass unnoticed, what was the answer?-that the Abbey was at the time under the absolute control of the government, and therefore those whose duty it is to attend to the preservation of the monuments had the jurisdiction taken out of their hands: they were even unable to gain admittance themselves, except as a special favor. This we believe is always the case on like occasions; but is it not a disgraceful neglect on the part of the authorities that there was no proper officer in attendance to prevent any spoliation ? It is an extremely injudicious thing that the care of the Fabric should, under any circumstances, be taken away from the proper parties, and especially as it is evident no superin. tendence is exercised over the workmen, a class who have great temptations thrown in their way, and who, when labouring in public buildings, should never be left to themselves. Most of the destruction now committed in churches is done by this class, and brass, having an intrinsic value, these monuments are the first to fall a prey to their rapacity. Before concluding this part of the subject we would just ask, has this robbery been committed to increase the collection of some pseudo-antiquary? such things occur (with shame be it spoken) even at this day, and our only hope is that, should any of these gentry be discovered, |