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Samuel Taylor Coleridge,

The author of the 'Ancient Mariner' and 'Christabel,' was born at St. Mary Ottery, Devonshire, 1772.

"At a very premature age," he says of himself, "even before my fifteenth year. I had bewildered myself in metaphysics and in theological controversy. Nothing else pleased me. History and political facts lost interest in my mind. Poetry itself, yea, novels and romances, became insipid to me."

Here we have the true character of the great writer's mind. He was nothing if not metaphysical.

Yet he enlisted as a soldier, under the name of Comberbatch, in the 15th Dragoons, and the man of genius was discovered in the garb of a trooper by a quotation from Juvenal. The learned Captain who appreciated the wit and erudition of the unhandy soldier is forgotten; the author of the 'Christabel' lives for ever!

There was great constancy, albeit mixed with some degree of faithful fickleness, in the man who wrote:

"Alas! they had been friends in youth,
But whispering tongues can poison truth;
And constancy lives in realms above;
And life is thorny; and youth is vain;
And to be wroth with one we love
Doth work like madness in the brain."

These lines were written in 1797, during which year the 'Ancient Mariner' also appeared. During the following year he visited Germany in company with Wordsworth.

Before he went abroad the 'Ancient Mariner' was first thought of and planned. "It was in a delightful walk," he says, "from Nether Stowey to Dulverton, with him (Wordsworth) and his sisters, in the autumn of 1797, that this poem (the 'Ancient Mariner') was planned, and in part composed." And during that delightful walk the two last lines of the following stanza were suggested by Wordsworth :

"I fear thee, Ancient Mariner !

I fear thy skinny hand!

And thou art long, and lank, and brown,

As is the ribbed sea-sand."

As a poet, a critic, and a lecturer, and last, but not least, as a conversationalist, Coleridge will live in the minds and hearts of his countrymen for ages.

He has written many a line that the world will never allow to die.

"My poems," he says, "have been rightly charged with a profusion of double epithets and a general turgidness. I have pruned the double epithets with no sparing hand, and used my best efforts to tame the swell and glitter both of thought and diction."

But, rightly or wrongly, the poems are still admired, and will continue to be; for it is permitted to an author to be modest.

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The Countess of
Derby.

There has been more than one famous Countess of Derby, and Eliza Farren, the celebrated actress, stands as high, and with as pure a lustre, on the roll of the ancient House of Stanley, as the lady who held her own so stoutly in the Isle of Man during the time of Cromwell.

Eliza Farren first appeared on the stage in 1773, and, after a brilliant eareer in the provinces, was engaged at the Haymarket Theatre in 1777. She subsequently, and with a still greater reputation, appeared at Covent Garden and Drury Lane.

The last performance of DAVID GARRICK took place the year before Miss Farren delighted a Haymarket audi

ence.

Always highly respected, and received by George III. and Queen Caroline with especial honour at Court-a fitting tribute to a noble lady and a not less noble profession-she left the stage in 1797, when she dignified, by her private virtues and noble appearance, the title of the Countess of Derby. She died in 1829, having lived to a good old age, full of honours.

Mrs. Trollope.

This distinguished mother of a still more distinguished son-two of the most prolific writers of their age-first became known to fame by her work on the 'Domestic Manners of the Americans,' which, even at the present day, is still a theme of praise.

Anthony Trollope has followed his mother's footsteps; but, the 'Framley Parsonage' non obstante-the best of his novels, we think-his recent vo lumes on America are not comparable to those written by his mother.

In 1833, Mrs. Trollope published 'The Abbess,' and then, in quick suecession, numerous other works, both novels and travels, and volumes of personal adventures, which obtained for her the reputation of being one of the first writers of the day.

Mrs. Trollope had generally an object in all her writings: her tales always carried their own moral.

Her principal works, besides the 'Domestic Life of the Americans,' were 'The Widow Barnaby,' and 'The Barnabys in America,' ''The Blue Belles of England,' 'Town and Country,' etc. etc.

But to mention all her works here would be impossible.

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Thackeray.

Our friend Dionysius Diddler will, we hope, improve on acquaintance, though his present appearance is somewhat erratic.

Thackeray's note is almost as characteristic as his sketch, though Walpole would probably have thought it rather hard, great scribbler as he was, to be taken out in writing.

Dear B., as well as those still dearer to the heart of every literary man, will rejoice to see the autograph of one whose name, though almost unknown then, now fills the whole world.

Here he is, after forty years of fame, and he thinks upon dear Ballybunion. "I'm femous," says he, "all the world over: but what's the use of riputetion? Look at me with all me luggage at the end of me stick-all me money in me left-hand breeches pocket-and it's oh! but I'd give all me celebrity for a bowl of butther-milk and petaties."

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Charles Kean.

Many may deny to this celebrated actor the quality of genius, but none can dispute his great successes, which are owing in a great measure to his wonderful perseverance.

For our part, we regard his triumphs as the undoubted result both of genius and perseverance.

It was long before he could succeed in obtaining the ear of a London audience, though in the provinces his great abilities were more justly appreciated.

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A star in Edinburgh and Dublin, but a failure in town; and so it continued for eleven years and yet he persevered..

On the 8th of January, 1838, he took the metropolis by storm in the part of Hamlet. He then set the seal upon his genius, and his career ever since must be as familiar in our readers' mouths as household words.

He and his accomplished wife are now enjoying the applause of another English world at the antipodes.

May they thence return to enjoy for many years the delightful recolection of "the very casques that did affright the air at Agincourt!" A long and golden harvest be theirs!

Charles Mathews.

Our readers will acknowledge this autograph to be characteristic"eh?"

True, there is not much in it"there's nothing in it," though it is now " used up," and we are therefore sure it will give no offence.

A better autograph is yet to come of this celebrated man, than whom, his compeer Buckstone alone excepted, no one stands higher in the estimation of the public on the English stage.

His recent and almost unprecedented triumph at Paris is in the recollection of all our readers.

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John Leech.

This old "oss" is a thing which may have been long ago forgotten by the brilliant, truthful, humorous, and moral sketcher, whose works are the delight of the English people.

Still it shows this great artist in his native humour, and in a manner which will not be displeasing either to him or his admirers.

Mr. Leech's 'Pictures of Life and Character,' comprising a selection of his sketches from 'Punch,' are as justly admired as they are universally known.

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KEY TO THE CIPHER OF
CHARLES I.

Commence reading the cipher at the bottom of the right-hand line, "take Charles to France and then proceed to the line on the left hand, "conduct him to the Sieur Beron;" the top line then continues, "thence to Saint Germains;" and the cross lines complete the matter:-" The French King will supply you; have an eye on spies; set guards on the boy; watch his youth and will; write to me in this cipher.

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(from the Collection of the Editor)

George the fourth.

It is not generally supposed that "the finest gentleman in Europe" was so ardent a lover, or that he so earnestly desired

his marriage to take place with

the Princess Caroline of Brunswick.

This letter has been published in the 'Diaries and Correspondence' of the first Earl of Malmesbury by the present Earl, to whom we owe our deepest obligations for permission to publish a facsimile of the original

document.

The Earl of Malmesbury, in introducing the 'Diaries and Correspondence' relating to his grandfather's mission to Brunswick, says:

"Lord Malmesbury now received His Majesty's commands to demand the Princess Caroline of Brunswick for the Prince of Wales. He had them from the King himself, with no discretionary power to give advice or information to His Majesty or the Government on the principal subject of his mission. It will be seen, therefore, that publicly he confined himself strictly to its execution, although in private he did all he could to prepare his eccentric charge for her high elevation."

His Lordship's first interview with the Princess did not altogether very favourably impress him either with her personal appearance or her good qualities, "The Princess Caroline (Princess of Wales)," he says, "much embarrassed on my first being presented to her; pretty face, not expressive of softness; her figure not graceful; fine eyes; good hand; tolerable teeth, but

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in the Duchess's box; long conversation with Princess Augusta; clever in the Beatrix way; Princess Caroline improves on acquaintance; is gay and cheerful, with good sense."

"According to our calculation," says this letter, "Hislop ought to be at Brunswick the 8th." He arrived there on the 3rd of December, upon which date Lord Malmesbury wrote:"Major Hislop and a messenger arrive at eleven from the Prince of Wales. He brings the Prince's picture, and a letter from him to me" (namely, the letter now laid before our read

ers), "urging me vehemently to set out with the Princess Caroline immediately..... Whist with Duchess, Princess Caroline (who now takes the rank of Princess of Wales), and Mr. Elliot. Great supper; Duke sups; he out of uniform, and wearing the Garter; explain to him my embarrassment about the Prince's letter; he (as usual) not inclined to give advice, or an opinion. 'Nous dépendons positivement de vous, my Lord, et vous ne sauriez mal faire,' were his constant answers."

Two days after the receipt of this letter, Lord Malmesbury "held a very long and very sensible discourse" with the Duke of Brunswick about the Princess Caroline. He said of his daughter, "Elle n'est pas béte, mais elle n'a pas de jugement; elle a été élevée sévèrement et il le falloit." And elsewhere it is said, "the Duke" (her father) "entered fully into her future situation; was perfectly aware of the character of the Prince, and of the inconveniences that would result, almost with equal illeffect, either from his liking the Princess too much or too little." Too little it was! but certainly not for the want of good and wise advice. On the 6th of December the Earl wrote:-----" I led the Princess Caroline to supper, and am placed between her and the Duchess; her conversation very

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