the Church of England, he yet agreed with that Church as to all essential matters of doctrine. His intellect remained unclouded. When all was nearly over, he lay murmuring faint prayers for himself, and for the cause in which he died. "Lord Jesus," he exclaimed, in the moment of the last agony, "receive my soul, “O Lord, save my country, O Lord be merciful to In that broken ejaculation passed away his noble and fearless spirit. He was buried in the parish church of Hampden. His soldiers, bareheaded, with reversed arms, and muffled drums, and colors, escorted his body to the grave, singing, as they marched, that lofty and melancholy psalm, in which the fragility of human life. is contrasted with the immutability of Him, in whose sight a thousand years are but as yesterday when it is passed, and as a watch in the night. The news of Hampden's death produced as great a consternation in his party, according to Clarendon, as if their whole army had been cut off. The journals of the time amply prove that the Parliament and all its friends were filled with grief and dismay Lord Nugent has quoted a remarkable passage from the next Weekly Intelligencer. "The loss of Colonel Hampden goeth "near the heart of every man that loves the good of his king "and country, and makes some conceive little content to be at "the army now that he is gone. The memory of this deceased "colonel is such, that in no age to come but it will more and "more be had in honor and esteem; a man so religious, and of "that prudence, judgment, temper, valor, and integrity, that he "hath left few his like behind him.' He had indeed left none his like behind him. There still remained, indeed, in his party, many acute intellects, many eloquent tongues, many brave and honest hearts. There still remained a rugged and clownish soldier, — half-fanatic, half-buffoon, -whose talents, discerned as yet only by one penetrating eye, were equal to all the highest duties of the soldier and the prince. But in Hampden, and in Hampden alone, were united all the qualities which, at such a crisis, were necessary to save the state, the valor and energy of Cromwell, the discernment and eloquence of Vane, the humanity and moderation of Manchester, the stern integrity of Hale, the ardent public spirit of Sidney. Others might possess the qualities which were necessary to save the popular party in the crisis of danger; he alone had both the power and the inclination to restrain its excesses in the hour of triumph. Others could conquer; he alone could reconcile. A heart as bold as his brought up the cuirassiers who turned the tide of battle on Marston Moor. As skilful an eye as his watched the Scotch army descending from the heights over Dunbar. But it was when, to the sullen tyranny of Laud and Charles, had succeeded the fierce conflict of sects and factions, ambitious of ascendency, and burning for revenge, it was when the vices and ignorance which the old tyranny hrad generated, threatened the new freedom with destruction, that England missed that sobriety, that self-command, that perfect soundness of judgment, that perfect rectitude of intention, to which the history of revolutions furnishes no parallel, or furnishes a parallel in Washington alone.* [*Among the many remarkable circumstances attending the first settlement of New England, a visit of the illustrious John Hampden to the infant colony at Plymouth, in 1623, has been mentioned in several recent historical works, on the authority of a conjecture of Dr. Belknap; and in "The North American Review " (Vol. XV. p. 28) it is asserted absolutely, that "John Hampden resided some time in Plymouth." The mere conjecture of a writer like Dr. Belknap, naturally enough passed for authentic history, while so little was known of Hampden's early life; but the particulars which Lord Nugent has brought to light seem to deprive the supposition of all probability. In his Life of Governor Bradford (American Biography, Vol. II. p. 229) Dr. Belknap mentions a visit made to the Sachem Massasoit in 1623, by Mr. Winslow, 66 accompanied by Mr. John Hamden," an account of which visit is given in Winslow's "Good Newes from New England," first published in Purchas's Pilgrims. On the words above quoted Dr. Belknap has the following note: "In Winslow's Journal, Mr. Hamden is said to "be a gentleman of London, who then wintered with us, and desired much "to see the country.' I suppose this to be the same person who distin"guished himself by his opposition to the illegal and arbitrary demands of "King Charles the First. He had previously (1637) embarked for New 'England with Oliver Cromwell, Sir Arthur Haslerig, and others; but "they were prevented from coming by the King's 'proclamation against "disorderly transporting his Majesty's subjects to the plantations of Amer""ica.' Hamden was born in 1594, and was 29 years old at the time cf "his being at Plymouth, in 1623.” 66 The confusion of dates, by which his presence at Plymouth in 1623 is made to be subsequent to his intended voyage in 1637, shows that the note was written with little deliberation, though it does not prove that, when arrested in this attempt, he had not already once visited New England. But from Lord Nugent's Memorials nothing of the kind appears, either under the date of 1623, or afterwards when the frustrated voyage is spoken of; while it does appear, that in 1619 Hampden was married to a lady to whom he was fondly attached; that from January 1621 to February 1622 he was member of Parliament, paying great attention to the details of parliamentary business, and to the local interests of his own county; that about this time his friends were solicitous he should seek a peerage, his family, his possessions, and his personal accomplishments justifying such a pretension; and that in 1625 he was again member of Parliament, being never afterwards lost sight of in the history of his country. 66 It is altogether incredible that this distinguished country gentleman, in the short interval of his active parliamentary career, was traversing the unexplored wilds of North America from a desire to see the country, known only (in the words of Winslow) as one Mr. John Hamden, a gentleman of London," and unnoticed by Cotton Mather, who, writing in the same century, names him as one of "three famous persons, bound for New England, that were stopt." EDITORS.] [From "The British Critic, No. 23."] [WE select the following review because it affords a better notice of the contents of the very rich and entertaining work of M. Dumont, than any other we have seen. The narrative is generally an abstract from his book, and what is most striking in the reflections and language is also borrowed from him. The opinions of the reviewer, his dislike of Reform, and his dread of revolution in England, are apparent. Without any alteration in the article itself, we have added, in the form of notes, some passages translated from M. Dumont's work, which we have no doubt will give pleasure to our readers, and serve still further to illustrate his manner of thinking and writing. EDITORS.] ---- ART. II. Souvenirs sur Mirabeau et sur les deux premières Assemblées Legislatives. Par ÉTIENNE DUMONT, de Genève. London. Bull. 1832. 8vo. pp. 342. [Recollections of Mirabeau and of the first two Legislative Asemblies.] ALL the world is exclaining that this is one of the most interesting and instructive volumes which has ever been presented to their notice. Whig and Tory, - Conservative and Radical, - all join in the general chorus of encomium. Even the revolutionary press has had the candor to invite the public attention to it, although it teaches some lessons that might well cause the Genius of Revolution to cower "like a guilty thing," and to shrink back to its native darkness. It is, however, impossible to be surprised at this unanimity of praise. In the first place, the period to which the volume relates is one of intense and tremendous interest: secondly, the principal figure in the group which it exhibits was among the most extraordinary specimens of human nature which the world has ever looked upon: thirdly, the artist who has executed these vigorous sketches is a person eminent alike for his talents and his virtues: and, lastly, the volume derives an unspeakable charm, even from its unfinished character; for it rather resembles a collection of masterly fragments than a complete work; and the mind is consequently relieved from the weariness, which is apt to steal over flesh and spirit, in toiling through a formal treatise or a regular and solemn history. A word or two respecting the author, before we proceed to the book itself. Mr. Dumont was a native of Geneva. His original profession was the Church, and when very young he succeeded in fixing his reputation as a powerful preacher. In 1783 he visited Petersburgh, where certain individuals of his family were then established; and, during a residence of eighteen months, acquired the regard of all who knew him, by the activity of his mind and the elevation of his principles. In 1785, he left Petersburgh for London, where he became attached to Lord Shelburne, then prime minister. His first connection with that nobleman was in the character of tutor to his son; and, in that office, he speedily entitled himself to the confidence and friendship of his patron. It was It was at this period that he became acquainted with Fox, and Sheridan, and Lord Holland, and many other of the most illustrious men in England; of whom Sir S. Romilly seems to have stood foremost in his esteem and admiration. It was in 1788 that he first became personally known to Mirabeau, during a short residence at Paris with Sir S. Romilly, already his intimate friend. On his return from that excursion, he formed an intimacy with the renowned Jeremy Bentham, with whose speculations he was so deeply captivated, that he devoted the greater portion of his life to the labor of interpreting to mankind, the somewhat oracular utterances of that Lycophron of Jurisprudence. In 1789, Mr. Dumont was tempted back to Paris by the return of Mr. Necker to the administration; an event which held out some prospect of the restoration of her lost independence to the Republic of Geneva. When once he was in the French capital, he found that events were in progress there, of such stupendous interest, that he was unable to deny himself the pleasure of hovering near their line of march. He speedily renewed his connection with Mirabeau, and became his secret and confidential auxiliary, both in the composition of his writings and the advancement of his projects. But the office of doer (faiseur) to that turbulent politician, threatened at last to force him into a painful and rather inglorious notoriety; and for this reason he returned, after some time, to England; and plunged once more into the enchanting labyrinth of Mr. Bentham's meditations. In 1814, the restoration of Geneva recalled him to his country, which, from that time to the hour of his death, he never quitted for any considerable interval. He there merited the gratitude of his countrymen by the dedication of his talents to their interests; and won the attachment of all to whom he was known by the goodness of his heart, the energy of his benevolence, and the superiority of his attainments and abilities. His death took place in 1829, during an excursion of pleasure in the North of Italy. Previously to the appearance of this work, Mr. Dumont had been principally known as the apostle of Mr. Bentham. It so happens, however, that the missionary has departed this world before the prophet; but it appears that he has left behind him various writings in manuscript, dictated, not by a love of literary renown, but chiefly by his zealous desire to put the world in complete possession of the discoveries and revelations of his venerated master. Of these compositions, no part is, at present, (according to the judgment of the editor, Mr. Duval,) in a condition to be presented to the public. It has therefore been thought advisable to select from his posthumous works the present volume, for immediate publication; both because it was less in need of revision than the rest, and because it exhibits the powers of the deceased as an original writer. Mr. Dumont appears before us now, not as the interpreter of Jeremy Bentham, but as the sagacious and philosophic observer of great events, and over-ruling characters. In his other writings, his own labors are so mixed up with those which it was his purpose to illustrate, that it would be impossible to separate his fame, as a Publicist, from that of his great original. But, here, he steps forward in a character which raises our regret that a larger portion of his time was not devoted to some more independent walk of literature. We now hasten to the volume before us. It consists entirely of "Reminiscences." The author is incessantly regretting that he omitted, while he was on the spot, to detain and perpetuate a multitude of fleeting facts and circumstances, highly interesting in themselves, but, apparently, of slight importance, as they were hurrying onward in the tumultuous procession of mighty events. Had he but preserved minute and written notices of every thing that was passing before his eyes, he might have enriched the world with a representation of those fearful times, which would have united all the charms both of picturesque and philosophical interest. As it is, As it is, he complains, he has little to offer but a collection of confused remembrances. He sat down to his work at the importunity of his friends; and soon found himself engaged in the task of recalling the lineaments of a fierce and vexatious dream, which had long past away, but which, fortunately, had left traces too deep to be ever obliterated from his memory. His narrative begins with the year 1789, the period at which he visited Paris together with his friend Duroverai, ancient Procurator-General of Geneva, for the purpose of deriving advantage to his country from Mr. Necker's reestablishment in the ministry: but before his plunge into the midst of affairs, he introduces a few brief notices respecting the previous life and habits of Mirabeau. It appears that this strange man had been in London in 1784, and had there become intimate with Romilly. At that time his only trade was literature; his pen was the only instrument he had, whereby to work his way in the world, or even to win his daily bread. But never was adventurer more indefatigable, more |