intended by way of bribe. I cannot even get out of my habit of going at half-price to the play, though entitled to a sight of the first piece. I am always on the watch for damaged goods in hopes of a diminution of price; and caught myself the other morning in the fact of buying a bruised melon, exactly as I used when intending to appeal to the sense of justice of the salesman to abate me the odd shilling.

Above all, I cannot surmount a sort of unnatural glee on the arrival of Saturday-night, with all its sacred securities from dun and bailiff. I cannot teach myself to look on Sunday as exclusively a day of devotion. It is still to my soul the weekly jubilee of the gentleman in difficulties -the day of escape from the iron bondage of the law.

With an income so snug as mine, to the expectancy of which I was born, I never ought to have been exposed to the incurrence of these villanous principles. I ought to be ignorant of the very name of sheriff's officer, of the very nature of the "Rules." I ought to be able to rejoice when any gentleman, enamoured of the cut of my great-coat, follows me from street to street. I ought to have courage to look in the face even the smartest of haberdashers' shop-windows; and to have nerve for as many post knocks at my door as at that of a popular member. One hears of desk diseases: the Lancet and other keen medical authorities assure us that long stooping over a book will bring on certain fatal contractions of the viscera; and history relates that slaves have implored not to be delivered from the fetters, which long years of bondage had caused to eat into the flesh.

Such is my case. Though alive to the wisdom of "out of debt out of danger," I am beginning to find that "out of difficulty" is not out of distress. My pecuniary susceptibilities have become constitutional. I never shall get over the trepidation of my youth. And as the immortal Pitt assured his friend, that "Austerlitz" would be found after his death engraven on his heart (in imitation no doubt of Queen Mary, who swore in her last days that "Calais" would be found engraven on hers --one of the earliest specimens, I should imagine, of engraving on steel) I am convinced that whenever a coroner insists on the privilege of laying bare the secrets of my heart, there will be found in Roman text thereon, the words "KING'S BENCH;" for be it known that Her Gracious Majesty succeeded to the throne and proprietorship of all the lunatics and debtors in Great Britain, long since I first became conscious of "the miseries of a gentleman OUT OF DIFFICULTIES."

LITERATURE OF THE MONTH.

CORRESPONDENCE OF LORD CHATHAM.*

It is hardly possible to over-rate the value and interest of this correspondence and it is scarcely needful to state (for their dates speak it) that the two volumes now presented to the public are at least equal in importance to those which preceded them. They form the concluding portion of the Correspondence,-commencing with the close of the year 1765, immediately before the elevation of Mr. Pitt to the peerage, and ending at the period of his death in 1778. It follows that they include matters of at least as much political interest as their predecessors did, and personal ones, of still more. Further, although in the early portions of them they show the character of Lord Chatham enveloped for a while in the mists of public suspicion and odium (on account of his unlooked-for acceptance of the peerage), those very mists serve to magnify his greatness; and when presently they clear away, he comes forth from among them brighter than ever. His popularity fell for a brief space, only to rise higher than ever by the rebound. Perhaps there never was a spectacle exhibiting in a more striking and impressive light, the supremacy of intellectual qualities, over all other means and evidences of human greatness, than that of which we find so many deeply interesting illustrations, in those pages of the fourth volume which show Lord Chatham, lying on his sick couch, for week after week, and month after month, bound as it were hand and foot-physically, helpless as an infant-not able even to dictate a reply to the numerous letters that were addressed to him almost daily by his king himself-as incapable of taking part in the business of the world, as if he had been a denizen of that grave over which he seemed to be hanging;-yet during all that period, the destinies not merely of England, but of the civilized world, hanging suspended upon his breath, and seeming as it were willing to so hang, till Heaven had issued the awful fiat-awful either way-of live or die.

Lord Chesterfield, in one of his letters to his son, written at this period, says,

"Our political world is in a situation that I never saw in my whole life. Lord Chatham has been so ill these last two months that he has not been able (some say not willing) to do or hear of any business; and for his sous-ministres, they either cannot, or dare not do any without his direction; so that every thing is now at a stand."

Among the numerous and highly curious letters addressed to Lord Chatham by the king himself at this period, that monarch, proud and stubborn as he was, actually goes down on his knees as it were, in entreaties that he (Lord Chatham) will either come to him on the morrow to consult on the crisis, or if that cannot be, will receive him, the king -who offers to call on him the next day at Northend, where he is lying. -AND HE DECLINES TO RECEIVE THE KING!

Another singular feature of this part of the Correspondence of Lord

Correspondence of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham. Edited by W. S. Taylor, Esq., and Captain Pringle. Vols. III. and IV.

Feb.-VOL. LVIII. NO. CCXXX.

U

Chatham is, the new and additional light it throws on the question of the "Junius" letters; a light which, we cannot help thinking, goes near, with other circumstances and considerations, to prove the identity of that extraordinary writer with the late Sir Philip Francis. There are two letters in this collection addressed by Junius privately to Lord Chatham, and fac-similes of the disguised handwriting are given, together with fac-similes of the ordinary writing of Sir Philip Francis at the same period; and the careful comparison of these documents alone offers strong ground for belief in the identity: but coupled with circumstances connected with the contents of the letters, the position of Sir Philip Francis, and many other considerations that are glanced at in the notes to this Correspondence-not forgetting the assertion of Burke that Sir Philip Francis was "the greatest pamphlet-writer of the age"-they amount almost to proof, on this curious and long-mooted question.

The only other point of detail that we shall notice in connexion with this Correspondence is, the many new and interesting references it includes, to the early days of Lord Chatham's illustrious son, William Pitt and on this point, one or two brief extracts will speak more than any thing we might urge. The following is from a letter of the then tutor of Lord Chatham's children, the Rev. E. Wilson, to Lady Chatham:

"The reason of my mentioning this affair is to acquaint your ladyship with the following anecdote of Mr. William. The captain had entertained him so much with a lecture on navigation and the anatomy of a ship,' that Mr. William entirely of his own accord, pressed him to stay all night, told him we had beds enough, and to prevent Mrs. Trenchard (the captain's wife) being under any uneasy apprehensions, he undertook to send a servant directly and inform her of it. All this he delivered with so good a grace, and in such elegant language, without the least hesitation, that the captain was struck dumb, with astonishment, and even Mrs. Johnson and I, who have seen so much of him, were very nearly in the same situation. I would have given any thing in the world that your ladyship had been a witness to it: for in the repetition it is impossible to do him justice.”—vol. iii., p. 35.

The boy was at this time seven years of age.

It is very pleasing to see the great statesman, and the lofty and somewhat rough orator, changed by the kindly affections of the heart into all that is gentle, graceful, and tender.

The following from Lord Chatham to his son William at college, has all the softness and sweetness of style of a silken poet.

"Need I tell my dear William that his letter, received this morning, diffused general joy here? To know that he is well and happy, and to be happy ourselves, is one and the same thing. I am glad that chambers, hall, and tufted robe, continue to please, and make no doubt that all the nine, in their several departments of charming, will sue for your love, with all their powers of enchantment. I know too well the dangers of a new amour, or of a reviving passion, not to have some feats for your discretion. Give any of these alluring ladies the meeting by daylight, and in their turns; not becoming the slave of any one of them, nor be drawn into late hours by the sweetness of their converse.”—vol. iv., p. 356.

We must break off abruptly, merely repeating our high estimate of these volumes, both in a political and a personal point of view.

RUNJEET SING.*

THE recent important events in India have attracted universal attention and interest to the name of Runjeet Sing; but little has hitherto' been familiarly known of the character and position of that extraordinary man, and still less of that "Court and Camp" over which he reigned and ruled for more than thirty years, with a splendour and a spirit of encroachment worthy the ancient caliphs, and a sagacity and spirit of observation which they did not (because the spirit of the time did not bid them) take the trouble of cultivating. The highly interesting volume which we now introduce to our readers, gives a detailed account, in the form of a journal, of an official mission to this chief, and a residence of nearly two months at his "Court and Camp," in 1838; an account, however, of a purely personal and descriptive character, and doubly valuable for that reason. The volume commences, very appropriately, with a rapid but comprehensive sketch of the early life and fortunes of this distinguished chief; and, of course, includes a history of the important kingdom of which he was at once the creator and the ruler-a kingdom and rule which late events have rendered doubly important in connexion with our Indian politics. The mission was sent by Lord Auckland, ostensibly as a complimentary return for one sent by the ruler of Lahore to the governor-general, while he was sojourning at Simla; but with the ulterior object of engaging the latter to an effective co-operation against the supposed political designs of a great northern_power. The mission was placed under the direction of W. H. Macnaughten, Esq., who was accompanied by Dr. Drummond, Captain Macgregor, and the Hon. W. Osborne, military secretary to the governor-general, and author of the journal which forms the chief portion of this volume, and which is written with that perfect simplicity and absence of pretension which are the most fitting and agreeable qualities of that form of composition; but at the same time with a spirit of observation, directed by good sense, that, while they seize upon all we desire to know of what passed before the eyes of the observer, avoid all those petty and superfluous details which so often encumber this class of writing. We shall pick out a few passages showing the nature of this journal, and the manner in which it places its matter before us-matter which has more of the air and spirit of romance than half the fictions of the oriental story-tellers themselves.

"Two marches from Adeenanuggur. Here we met Pertaub Sing, a boy of seven years of age, son of Sher Sing, and grandson of Maharajah. He had been sent by his father to accompany us on our march through his district. * * * Pertaub Sing was handsomely dressed, armed with a small ornamented shield, sword, and matchlock, all in miniature, covered with jewels, and escorted by a small party of Sihk cavalry and some guns. His horse was naturally of a white colour, but dyed with henna to a deep scarlet.-He is one of the most intelligent boys I ever met with, very good-looking, with singularly large and expressive eyes. His manners are in the highest degree attractive, polished, and gentlemanlike, and totally free from all the mauvaise honte and awkwardness so generally found in European children of that age.-In the course of conversation I asked him if his matchlock was a real one, and if he ever shot with

• The Court and Camp of Runjeet Sing. By the Hon. William Osborne.

it. He jumped off his chair, highly indignant at the question, and after rapidly loading his musket, exclaimed, Now, what shall I shoot?" I replied that I saw nothing in the camp at present it would be safe to shoot at, and asked him if he thought he could hit a man at a hundred yards' distance; to which he replied, without a moment's hesitation, pointing to the crowd of Sihk chiefs and soldiers that surrounded the tent, These are all your friends; but show me an enemy to the British government, and you shall soon see what I can do.' -pp. 56-58.

The following will give a glittering notion of what we are pleased to regard as "barbaric pomp."

"Five miles from our camp we were met by Rajah Sher Sing, and Soocket Sing, sent by the Maharajah to conduct us to our tents; they were seated upon elephants in golden howdahs, and escorted by about 500 of Runjeet's Goorcherras, or body-guards, splendidly dressed in chain armour and thick quilted jackets made of rich silk, of all the colours of the rainbow.-Rajah Soocket Sing, or Malek Adhel, as he was named by the ladies of Şir Henry Fane's camp, is the brother of the minister, Dheean Sing, and one of the handsomest of the Sihk chiefs, who are all eminently good-looking. He is high in Runjeet's favour, as well as much respected and admired by all the Silks, and about twenty-eight years of age. His dress was magnificent; a helmet or skull-cap of bright polished steel inlaid with gold, and a deep fringe of chain mail, of the same material, reaching to his shoulders, three plumes of black heron's feathers waving on his crest, and three shawls of lilac, white, and scarlet, twisted very round and tight, interlaced with one another and gathered round the edge of the helmet, a chelenk of rubies and diamonds on his forehead. Back, breastplates, and gauntlets of steel, richly embossed with gold and precious stones, worn over a rich, thick-quilted jacket of bright yellow silk, with magnificent armlets of rubies and diamonds on each arm, a shield of the polished hide of the rhinoceros, embossed and ornamented with gold, a jewelled sabre and matchlock, with his long and glossy black beard and mustaches, he looked the very beau idéal of a Sihk chief."-pp. 62-64.

We must not omit a glance at the one-eyed "Lion of Lahore," himself.

Cross-legged in a golden chair, dressed in simple white, wearing no ornaments but a single string of enormous pearls round the waist, and the celebrated Koh-y-nur, or mountain of light, on his arm-(the jewel rivalled, if not surpassed, in brilliancy by the glance of tire which every now and then shot from his single eye as it wandered restlessly round the circle)-sat the Lion of Lahore.-On Runjeet's seating himself, his chiefs all squatted on the floor, round his chair, with the exception of Dheean Sing, who remained standing behind his master. * * As this was merely an audience of introduction, the object of the mission was not touched upon, and our time was principally occupied in answering Runjeet's innumerable questions, but without the slightest chance of being able to satisfy his insatiable curiosity. It is hardly possible to give an idea of the ceaseless rapidity with which his questions flow, or the infinite variety of subjects they embrace. 'Do you drink wine? How much? 'Did you taste the wine which I sent you yesterday?' How much of it did you drink? What artillery have you brought with you? Have they got any shells?' 'How many?' Do you like riding on horseback? What country horses do you prefer?" Are you in the army? Which you like best, cavalry or infantry? 'Does Lord Auckland drink wine?" How many glasses ?' Does he drink it in the morning?' What is the strength of the Company's army? Are they well disciplined?' &c. Ill-looking as he undoubtedly is, the countenance of Runjeet Sing cannot fail to strike every one as that of a very extraordinary man; and though at first his appearance gives rise to a disagreeable feeling almost amounting to disgust, a second look shows so much intelligence, and the restless

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