peace, if it please God. I must add this, if he can be thus happy, he will be governed in every thing, public and private, by Lord Marlborough. I have particularly talked to him of that, and he is sensible how advantageous it will be to him to be so. I need not, I am sure, desire that all this may be a secret from every body but Lady Marlborough."

"The proposal was not, however, received with equal warmth by the parents of the young lady. Lord Spencer in person was highly favoured by nature, and no less liberally gifted with intellectual endowments, which he had improved by assiduous study. He was remarkable for a sedateness above his years, but in him a bold and impetuous spirit was concealed under a cold and reserved exterior. Imbued with that ardent love of liberty which the youthful mind generally draws from the writers of Greece and Rome, and educated amidst the effervescence which produced the Revolution, he was a zealous champion of the Whig doctrines in their most enlarged sense. Associating with the remnant of the Republicans who had survived the Commonwealth, he caught their spirit: he was an animated speaker, and in the warmth of debate disdained to spare the prejudices or failings even of those with whom he was most intimately connected. His political idol was Lord Somers, though he wanted both the prudence and temper of so distinguished a leader. The deportment of the young nobleman in private life was ill calculated to win the esteem of those who could not regard with indulgence the defect of his public character. Abhorring the very shadow of adulation, he carried his freedom of speech to a degree of bluntness which was often offensive. At this period, the loss of a beloved wife threw a gloom over his mind, and gave the appearance of additional harshness to his manners and temper. A man of so unaccommodating a disposition was not likely to conciliate the favour of the Countess of Marlborough, who was accustomed to adulation and foud of Battery. As little did his political principles accord with those of her Lord, who was averse to party violence, and particularly hostile to those republican notions which were fashionable among the ardent Whigs of the day. Even at this period, however, it appears that Lady Marlborough was not hostile to Europ. Mag. Vol. LXXIV. Sept. 1815.

Whig principles; but her maternal feelings suggested another difficulty. Judg ing from the natural reserve of Lord Spencer, and the additional gloom with which he was now depressed, she deemed him averse to a new marriage, and withbeld her approbation from a fear lest ber beloved child should be made the sacrifice of a match without affection. At length, the charms and accomplishments of Lady Anne dissipated the grief of the young widower, and he felt the passion which her youth, beauty, and merit, could not fail to inspire. The impres sion sunk deep in å reserved but ardent mind; and he testified no less anxiety for the alliance than his parents. The intelligence of this conquest was exultingly communicated by his mother to Lady Marlborough, and accompanied with the most pressing entreaties to hasten an union which she hoped would equally ensure the felicity of both parties. By the zealous interposition of Lady Marlborough, the objections of her husband were gradually removedbut he did not give his consent without strong forebodings that his intended son-in-law would not long maintain the promised change in his political habits and principles--and his fears were fully realized, for it soon appeared that the father had over-rated his son's docility, when he engaged that he should be guided in every thing, public and private, by the Earl of Marlborough.

"In reality, this connexion occa sioned a schism of politics in the family of Marlborough which often disturbed his domestic tranquillity.

"From the period of the queen's accession, his consort cordially eme braced the interests of the Whigs, and, to judge by her letters, appears to have imbibed the generous spirit of Lord Sunderland's sentiments. All her influence failed to detach her Lord from the Tories, by whom he was constantly harassed, abused, and finally betrayed."

We shall not follow Mr. Coxe through the history of those military achievements which form the most brilliant portion of our national annals. His victory of Blenheim is admirably detailed; his negociations with the seve ral potentates of Europe are even more interesting; but his domestic correspondence, including those confidential epistles in which his heart overflows with conjugal affection, is, perhaps, the most attractive part of this truly valuable and highly important volume.

The exaltation of Marlborough to the dignity of a Prince of the Roman Empire, was the most singular event of his life, though the least noticed by former biographers. To supply this deficiency, Mr. Coxe presents a circumstantial statistical account of the principality of Mindelheim, which, together with its inhabitants, was transferred to the Duke of Marlborough. This pelly principality forms part of the circle of Suabia, and the district of Algow. During the thirty years war, it was alternately in the possession of rival potentates, but at the peace of Westphalia was ceded to the House of Bavaria. On the elevation of Marlborough, in 1705, to the electoral dig. nity, he delegated to his agent, Mr. Stepney, the task of receiving homage from the inhabitants, who appeared to have no disinclination to their new sove

reign. The revenue arising from this territory was originally estimated at 20001. per annum. Mr. Stepney pronounced the air pure and salubrious, the soil fertile, consisting of arable, pasture, and forest, well stocked with caille, and abounding with deer and wild

bears.

"In transmitting a seal of the arms which Marlborough was to bear as Prince of Mindelheim, Mr. Stepney introduced the Bell, the armorial bearing of the principality as an escut cheon of pretence.

He at the same time apologized for the omission of the family bearing of the Duchess; but she was not of a temper to submit to this exclusion, and accordingly we find the ensign of Mindelheim supplanted by her own in the public and private seals afterwards used by her husband." We anticipate with impatience the perusal of the second volume,

Second Journey through Persia,
Armenia, and Asia Minor. By W.

Morier, Esq. 1818.

It will be recollected, that Mr. Morier is the author of a narrative of the former embassy to Persia, and that he conducted to England the Persian Ambassador, whom, in his second visit, be accompanied on bis return to his native country, by the circuitous route of an East India Voyage. The peculiar circumstance of a Persian being associated with a British Ambassador, produced a degree of novelty which appears to have alleviated the tedium of the passage, and even to

have supplied an inexhaustible fund of entertainment. On arriving at Bushire, the party proceeded slowly to Shiraz. Mr. Morier re-examined many of the objects which had formerly engaged his attention, but was not so fortunate as to discover the colossal statue in the Caves of Shapour. During his long residence in the country, he was frequently employed in excursions of pleasure or curiosity-but he was often stationary during many months: a circumstance which has, perhaps, essentially contributed to render his book not only precious, but almost unique, as a compendium of Persian laws, customs, manners, and literature. It is not too much to say of Mr. Morier's present work, that he ap pears to have never missed an opportu. nity of procuring information for himself, or for supplying entertainment to his readers. We select a few passages, which illustrate the principles of policy maintained in the Court of Persia.

"The Ambassador during the winter had frequent interviews with the King, who conversed with him in the most familiar manner upon all sorts of subjects. It happened, one day, that bis Majesty was in high spirits, or, as the Persians would say, damaughisk Chauk Bud, and sent for the Ambassador to converse with him. The Grand Vizier, Mirza Sheffea, was also present. After using many flattering expressions, his Majesty said to the Ambassador, that he had been informed by his Visiers, that in England we had a variety of modes of increasing the revenue of the country, of which they were totally ignorant in Persia-' Now tell me, what might be done here, as you do it in England.'-The Ambassador answered, that one of the things which he thought might be established in Per. sia, useful to his Majesty's subjects, and beneficial to his treasury, was a Post for the transmission of letters. He then ex

plained the nature of an English Post, its advantages, and its profits. Aye, aye,' said the King, I perfectly comprehend you:' then turning to the Grand Vizier, he said, Now, Mirza Sheffea, I'll tell you exactly how it is. You, for instance, have a correspondent at Ispahan. Of course, you can't afford to give a messenger ten tomauns every time you have something to say, which on ur gent occasions you are now obliged to do; but if you had an opportunity of communicating with him every day, which the Post would give you, you

would write to him constantly, and your concerns would go on well. Now that is the utility of the thing. As for the profit, it is thus. We will say, two hundred letters are to be sent to Ispahau, for each of which one real will be charged by the post. Now there are about ten stages from here to Ispahan. The men who carry the letters from stage to stage will be contented to receive a real a-piece; therefore giving ten to the carriers, 190 will remain clear profit to the Sbah.-Be Ser Shah, By the head of the King,' exclaimed his Majesty, this is excellent. But,' turning to the Ambassador, you have more expedients still. Tell me what is there besides the post, that we have not in Persia?' His Excel lency would have been happy to drop the subject, for he felt that the information which would be drawn from him might be disagreeable to the Grand Vizier; but the King being very urgent, he informed his Majesty, that one of the great sources of our revenue (but which was resorted to only on particular emergencies), was the Income Tax, the principles of which he explained, endeavouring to impress upon the King's mind that it was intended to bear more upon the rich than the poor; a principle which the English government kept constantly in view, when the exigencies of the state required the levying of new taxes. What do you say to that?' said the King to his Grand Vizier: these English are extraordinary people!' The Ambassador, in continuation, said, 'We have also taxes, that are more particularly Jevied upon the rich. If a man keeps nore than a certain number of horses, he is taxed in a progressive ratio for every supernumerary horse; the same for servants, for carriages, &c.'- Did you hear that, Mirza Sheffea,' exclaimed the King. I am your sacrifice; I am ready to pay whatever your Majesty pleases,' said the Vizier. That's right,' returned the King; but there is a great deal of policy as well as profit in what the Ambassador says: for instance, a Governor General of India makes an immense fortune, and returns home richer than a Shahzadeh (a King's son). He sets up great state, and eclipses all the Princes; it is of course very proper that he should be made to pay for such advantages.' The King then requested the Ambassador to make a written note of the different details

·

which he had already given in conversation, and hoped that he might be enabled to realise them in Persia.

"Upon another occasion, the King asked the Ambassador what had become of the Pope. I hear you no longer acknowledge his supremacy. How long is it since you have been yaghi, or in rebellion against him?' His Excellency then explained, and gave an outline of the history of Henry the Eighth. Ah,' said the King, he must have been a clever King indeed! he did just what I would have done. But what difference is there between your religion and that of the Papists?' The Ambassador answered, that we had discarded from our service the mummery of theirs; and that they believed in certain doctrines which were contrary to our faith, and particularly instanced that of transubstantiation. • What!' exclaimed the King, when they eat a bit of bread they really believe it to be flesh! What dolts! You are in the right. I can comprehend eating bread in commemoration of the death of Jesus to be a good doctrine; but that bread should turn into flesh is nonsense indeed.'”

Mr. Morier gives an interesting account of Abbas Mirza, the most intelligent of the King's sons, who in his government of Aderhigian, has introduced something like European tactics and civilization. The following anecdote is creditable to the urbanity of this distinguished personage.

"Before we reached our encamp ment at Ojan, we were surprised by the appearance of a coach and six making its way over a rugged mountain, which the Prince Royal, as a mark of attention, had sent for the Anibassador's convenience. It was dragged by six horses of the artillery, driven by Persian artillery-men, and ma nœuvred as a gun. It had been given by the Empress Catherine to the Armenian Patriarch, who had presented it to the Prince; and although it was still in good repair, yet the antiquity of its form, its history, its travels, the very spot upon which it stood, and particu larly the mode by which it had been brought hither, all combined to render it one of the most curious objects that we had seen since we had been in Persia, Another surprise that awaited us was the sight of a troop of Persian horse artillery, dressed like Europeans, with shaven chins, with English arms

The Prince, adds Mr. Morier, "in one of his first interviews with the Ambassador, described, with great naiveté, what were the first motives which induced him to attempt its introduction among his troops, He said, that he soon found out that it was in vain to fight the Russians without soldiers like theirs; that their artillery could only be opposed by artillery; and that all his efforts to make an impression upon them, with his undisciplined rabble, had uniformly been unsuccessful. His first essays in discipline were attended with little success, because he had, in the outset, to combat the prejudices of the Persian recruits themselves, who rejected the idea of being assimilated in any manner to Firengees [Europeans], and particularly to Russians, whom their national hatred made them despise, or perhaps their fear caused them to hate, more than all other Europeans. To efface such impressions, the Prince said that he himself was obliged to adopt a soldier's dress, and to submit to learn the military exercise from a Russian; that he commenced with twenty or thirty men at a time, whom he caused to be drilled in a separate court by themselves, in order that they might not be exposed to the ridicule of the populace; and that it was not until he had ordered his nobles to follow his example, and handle a musket, that he found his scheme making any progress. So far he had succeeded in teaching a few of his men the platoon exercise, to march abreast, to turn about at the word of command, and to beat a drum; but he wanted officers, and he very probably would have got no further, if the French embassy from Bonaparte had not arrived in Persia at that time, when the officers attached to it were put into commands of large bodies, and they advanced his views to the utmost of his expectations. What were but the rudiments of military science appeared to him its perfection; and notwithstanding he after.

wards discovered how little his first levies had learut, yet still in recollection of the pleasure which their appearance had given him, he ever after entertained a greater partiality for them than for his other troops.

"The English mission which succeeded the French, also supplied him with officers, and his first wish was to raise a corps of artillery, which was done by Lieutenant Lindsay, an othcer of the Madras army, in a manner truly astonishing. The effect that the sight of it produced upon us at Ojan has been already described. The zeal of this officer was only to be equalled by the encouragement of the Prince, who, putting himself above all preju dices, resisting the jealousy of his officers, and the cabal of courtiers, liberally adopted every method proposed, and supported Lieutenant Lindsay against every difficulty that was thrown in his way. He gave him full power to punish his recruits in any manner he chose, and gave him unlimited controul over his troop. It was only upon the article of shaving off beards, that the Prince was inexorable; nor would the sacrifice of them have ever taken place, if it had not happened, that on firing the guns before the Prince, a powder-horn exploded in the hand of a gunner, who by good luck had been gifted with a long beard, which in one instant was blown away from his chin. Lieutenant Lindsay, who did not lose this opportunity to prove his argument es the encumbrance of beards to soldiers, immediately produced the scorched and mutilated gunner before the Prince, who was so struck with his woeful appearance, that the abolition of military beards was instantly decided upon."

It is not as a tour, or itinerary, that this volume is entitled to notice. It is distinguished from every other work on Persia, of ancient or modern date, by the complete view which it offers of Eastern manners, and by the ingenious, and often most satisfactory, illustra tions which it affords of the analogy subsisting between the customs now extant in the Oriental countries with those recorded in scriptural history. Mr. Morier has not only collected facts, but elucidated questions of universal ind terest and importance- he thinks well, and, what is still better, be furnishes materials for thinking.

Felix Alvarez; or, Manners in Spain: Containing Descriptive Accounts of some of the prominent Events of the late Peninsular War; and Authentic Anecdotes, illustrative of the Spanish Character; interspersed with Pieces of Poetry, Original and from the Spanish. By Alexander R. C. Dallas, Esq. 3 vols, 12mo. pp. 838.

(Concluded from page 153.)

MANY anecdotes of Spanish manners and customs are incidentally introduced, which materially enhance the value of Mr. Dallas's work. We shall select a few for the gratification of our readers. "Smoking is universal amongst the Spaniards, and is not confined to any particular class; but all seem equally addicted to this practice. The better sort of people smoke Havannah segars, or what pass for them, which are called puros, or pure, in contradistinction to cigaros de papel, or chopped tobacco rolled up into small tubes of paper, which are substituted for the puros by the inferior class of people. Many Spaniards are in the habit, as they have themselves informed me, of lighting a segar just before they extinguish the candle which lights them to bed, and smoking themselves to sleep. In the morning a segar is the usual accompaniment to the small cup of choco Late which the Spaniards generally take in bed. The common breakfast which is procured at a coffee-house in Spain is a xicura, or small cup of very thick chocolate with a few slices of toasted bread: this is always served with a glass of water to cleanse the mouth after taking it, and a small brass pan, containing a morsel of burning charcoal, to light the segar. A merchant of Cadiz assured me, that he was unable to transact business in his countinghouse without a segar in his mouth, which is retained there in such a manner as neither to inconvenience in breathing or speaking, if necessary. The number which he consumed in a day sometimes amounted to thirty. In smoking, the Spaniards not only retain the smoke for a considerable time in their mouths before they eject it, but they occasionally swallow a large volume of it; which having remained some seconds in their stomachs, re-ascends, and finds its way out through the nostrils. The first time I obsered this particularly, was whilst talking with a priest with whom I was acquainted in Cadiz.

Having drawn in a quantity of smoke, he took his segar from his mouth, and continued in conversation: while I was guessing at the means he could use to retain the smoke while he continually opened his mouth, it made its appearance in two streams descending from his nose. There is another kind of segar besides those already mentioned, which is peculiarly adapted for the use of the ladies; for it is no uncommon thing to find matrons of a certain age indulging in this luxury, although I never heard of the younger part of the sex following their example, except in very low life indeed. These segars are made of the finest Havannah tobacco, and rolled into the broad leaves of Indian corn straw, forming a small tube of from an inch and a half to two inches long, and are called pajitas."

There is nothing with which a foreigner, unacquainted with the religious customs of Spain, is so struck, as the performance of the Oraciones, or prayers at sunset. The reflection, that at that same moment, or rather in an unbroken succession of moments, there is a general suspension of all work and conversation, and that a national act ofadoration in silence is taking place throughout the kingdom, renders it truly awful and imposing. Our author has given us the following picture of the Oraciones, as offered on the Alameda, or public walk of Cadiz.

"The sun had been some time apparently enlarging the circumference of his orb: his brilliant disk had gradu. ally received its evening tinge of red; and now his last ray darted upward from the refulgent bosom of the ocean, streaking with gold the expanded edge that veiled his face. It was the signal for the Oraciones, or evening prayer, which being repeated by the tolling of the bell of every church, the whole city, the whole kingdom, addressed a prayer and a thanksgiving to the Almighty Being who had brought the day to a close. The crowd upon the Alameda, whose busy hum and footsteps mingled their bruit upon the ear like the fall of waters where the course of a gentle streamlet is broken by some impeding rock, now stood still, and there prevailed, as if by magic, a sudden, profound, and awful silence. At the sound of the bell the carriages stopped; all who were sitting arose; those who were walking remained in the position in which this moment overtook them; ail