Shall we go on? No, but will leave the reader to revel at ease in the luxuries of feeling and description scattered through the rest of the work.
We have only time to add two remarks more, which we do not remember to have seen made. One relates to the exquisitely good-natured and liberal tone displayed in the author’s quotations from living writers. He takes them every one by turns, and of all factions in poetry and politics, under his wing, and sticks a stanza from Coleridge, from Wordsworth, from Byron, from Crabbe, from Rogers, as a motto to his chapters, not jealous of their popularity, nor disdaining their obscurity. The author can hardly guess how much we like him for this. The second thing we would advert to is a fault, and a remarkable one. It is the slovenliness of the style and badness of the grammar throughout these admirable productions. Badness of the grammar! Slovenly style! What do you mean by that? Take a few instances, and we have done with the subject for ever. We give them seriatim, as we marked them in the margin.
‘Here Magnus proceeded with great animation, sipping from time to time the half diluted spirit, which at the same time animated his resentment against the intruders,’ etc. P. 16.
‘In those days (for the present times are greatly altered for the better) the presence of a superior in such a situation,’ etc. P. 21.
‘The information, which she acquired by habits of patient attention, were indelibly rivetted in a naturally powerful memory.’ P. 48.
‘And I know not whom else are expected.’ P. 56.
‘Or perhaps he preferred the situation, of the house and farm which he himself was to occupy (which indeed was a tolerable one) as preferable to that, etc.’ P. 89.
‘The strength of the retiring wave proved even stronger than he had expected,’ etc. P. 169.
But let us have done with this, and leave it to the Editor of the Quarterly Review to take up the subject as a mighty important little discovery of his own!