Which of the Smiths? for they are a numerous people. To say nothing of
Black Smiths, White Smiths, Gold Smiths, and Silver Smiths, there is
Sidney, who is Joke-Smith to the Edinburgh Review; and William, who is
Motion Smith to the Dissenters Orthodox and Heterodox, in Parliament,
having been elected to represent them,—to wit the aforesaid
Dissenters—by the citizens of Norwich. And there is _Cher Bobus_ who
works for nobody; and there is Horace and his brother James, who work
in Colburn's forge at the sign of the Camel. You probably meant these
brothers; they are clever fellows, with wit and humour as fluent as
their ink; and to their praise be it spoken with no gall in it. But
their wares are of a very different quality.
Is it the Author of Thinks I to myself?—“Think you so,” says I to
myself I. Or the Author of the Miseries of Human Life? George Coleman?
Wrangham,—unfrocked and in his lighter moods? Yorick of Dublin? Dr.
Clarke? Dr. Busby? The Author of My Pocket Book? D'Israeli? Or that
phenomenon of eloquence, the celebrated Irish Barrister, Counsellor
Phillips? Or may it not be the joint composition of Sir Charles and
Lady Morgan? he compounding the speculative, scientific and erudite
ingredients; she intermingling the lighter parts, and infusing her own
grace, airiness, vivacity and spirit through the whole. A well-aimed
guess: for they would throw out opinions differing from their own, as
ships in time of war hoist false colours; and thus they would enjoy
the baffled curiosity of those wide circles of literature and fashion
in which they move with such enviable distinction both at home and
abroad.
Is it Mr. Mathurin? Is it Hans Busk?—
Busk ye, busk ye my bonny bonny bride,
Busk ye, my winsome marrow!
Is it he who wrote of a World without Souls, and made the Velvet
Cushion relate its adventures?
Is it Rogers?—The wit and the feeling of the book may fairly lead to
such an ascription, if there be sarcasm enough to support it. So may
the Pleasures of Memory which the Author has evidently enjoyed during
the composition.
Is it Mr. Utinam? He would have written it,—if he could.—Is it Hookham
Frere? He could have written it,—if he would.—Has Matthias taken up a
new Pursuit in Literature? Or has William Bankes been trying the
experiment whether he can impart as much amusement and instruction by
writing, as in conversation?
Or is it some new genius ‘breaking out at once like the Irish
Rebellion a hundred thousand strong?’ Not one of the Planets, nor
fixed stars of our Literary System, but a Comet as brilliant as it is
eccentric in its course.
Away the dogs go, whining here, snuffing there, nosing in this place,
pricking their ears in that, and now full-mouthed upon a false
scent,—and now again all at fault.
Oh the delight of walking invisible among mankind!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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