ing the fact than from himself or his family, always stated it to be wholly his. The Editor of the edition published by Stockdale in 1808, asserts positively that he saw the receipt for the copy money, amounting to fifty guineas, in Mr. Burke's own hand-writing. Internal evidence tends to the same conclusion both in language and manner, and particularly in some phrases, such as (when speaking of exchanges of territory) the cutting and shuffling of a treaty of peace," and others equally peculiar, which may be found in his future works. Toward the end of the second volume occurs a passage on population nearly the same in idea and expression as used by him in an argument with Johnson on the same subject some years afterwards, and repeated by Boswell. Similar coincidences may be traced on other points connected with political economy; and the account of the North American colonies, which beyond all question is his, contains the germ of some of his arguments, and much of that intimate acquaintance with the people and country, afterwards displayed by him in parliament. It may be remarked also, that he contends for the probability of a north-west passage, which at the present time occupies so much of the public

attention.

On the other hand, the late Lord Macartney said it was the joint production of Edmund, Richard his brother who had joined him from Ireland on commercial pursuits, and their name-sake and most intimate friend through life, William Burke; his lordship was on the most friendly terms with them all, and might have understood the fact to be so, but he himself did not arrive in London till above a

year after the publication. It is also true that Edmund did not subsequently avow it, though for this there might be sufficient reasons; his reputation for instance, did not require such an addition, especially if it could be useful to his brother, or to William Bourke; he might not wish to claim as his own what was in part the work of others, however small that part might be; and being brought out on an emergency, he might deem it an unsatisfactory as well as a hasty production, unworthy of his fame.

Whether wholly his own or not, the sketch, for it professes to be little more,—and an apology is made in the preface for inequality in the style which the reader may not readily discover,—is in many parts masterly, the reflections just and often original, but paraded perhaps too formally and frequently before the reader, so as sometimes to interfere with the facts, or almost to supersede them. The style is what may be termed ambitious, aiming at depth, terseness, and brevity, yet too frequently betraying the effort: no writer, however, need be ashamed of such a work. Mr. Dugald Stewart terms it a masterly sketch. Abbé Raynal is believed to have profited much by it in his history; and at home its popularity was such as to reach a seventh edition; the published price of the two volumes, containing above seven hundred octavo pages, was only eight shillings; this, while it accounts for the small sum received for the copyright, impresses the fact of the little encouragement then given to literature.

Soon after this time, Mr. Burke, under the pressure of temporary difficulty, is said to have disposed of his books, his coat of arms pasted in some of them,

according to the story, having inadvertently disclosed the secret. Hence it has been asserted that he was frequently so; and those who would throw a slight of some sort upon his memory, in order, by the absence of any more substantial failings to bring greatness down to their own level by some means or other, have said that for many years his pen, exerted in the periodical publications, afforded him the only means he enjoyed of support.

For these assertions there is little or no foundation. The simple fact of declining to be called to the bar, is of itself evidence that had he not had other resources, he would not have declined the profession of a barrister, calculated as he was beyond all question, to be the greatest that ever addressed a jury. His father, who possessed a handsome income from his profession, allowed him about 2001. per annum, at that time a liberal sum, during much of the time he spent in London; and though any additional supplies derived from the exercise of his literary talents were doubtless sufficiently acceptable, as they are to much richer men, it is certain they were not considerable. Literature, as may be believed from the sum given for the work just noticed, was then a wretched trade. Johnson, the first author of the age, could barely elevate himself above abject poverty; and parliamentary, legal, and theatrical reporting, now a cource of emolument to many, and by which several of the law students are enabled to keep their terms with little expense to their friends, were then in a great degree unknown.

There is indeed an amusing, but rather an absurd, coyness among the scribbling race themselves, about

being known to write for periodical works, and to receive payment for their labours. After all, as no man writes well by intuition, so magazines, pamphlets, and newspapers, form the natural nurseries for unfledged authors in which they are enabled to try the strength of their wings before engaging in more arduous flights. Some make the experiment for amusement, some for improvement, some to circulate a favourite opinion, and some who are nevertheless not at all dependant on such small and casual supplies, to be enabled by the produce of their pens to add to their libraries.*

For what reason there should be any slight attached to the idea of profiting in a pecuniary way by literary labour, it is difficult to conceive, except indeed it be the alarming apprehension to the person receiving it, that he may thence be suspected of being poor. To accept the reward, however, is not necessarily to be in want of it, or to be under obligation by receiving it. He who writes otherwise than for money," said Dr. Johnson," is a fool." So thought Mr. Burke; so said Darwin; so say, and so think, most others whose writings are in request by the world, or who know the severe and solitary toil by which alone a good work can be produced, and who in other respects care nothing for money. An

A young author, perfectly independent of literature as a trade, lately received from the conductor of a periodical work a few pounds for some of his essays, which he directly laid out in books. "This money," said he, "gives me more pleasure than ten times the sum arising from any other source. I take pride in it, because by the labour of my own mind I am enabled to make myself more extensively acquainted with the minds of others."

author must not be frighted by the term hireling; for no man is such except he who sells his principles: or rather perhaps it may be said, that in fact all men who receive pay from royalty downwards, are in this sense of the word hirelings. No man in any station of life, for instance, no statesman, no lawyer, no physician, no clergyman, no soldier, gives his labours, mental or bodily, to society, without hire. Why then should not the author also have his hire without slight or reproach? He who writes gratuitously for a bookseller, works for a man probably richer than himself. This species of charity is therefore misapplied. If a writer can afford to be generous, let it be to those who are really in want; for the fruits of his ingenuity, whether diurnal, monthly, or quarterly, if not necessary to himself, may be advantageously applied to purposes of private benevolence.

Some few years ago, when a member of the House of Commons, of the party of Mr. Fox, under the influence of erroneous information, had been throwing some slight upon the memory of Mr. Burke, as having been obliged to write in the periodical publications for subsistence previously to coming into parliament, Mrs. Burke, who saw the statement in the newspapers, ran her pen through it in the presence of some friends, observing, "Mr. Burke himself would not take the trouble to contradict this, nor indeed any thing else they say of him, but really I have no patience with such reports; I declare them from my own knowledge gross and unfounded falsehoods; that he received money for his publications is true, but the amount was very small-not worth mentioning as a means of support."