1831.] 



Domestic and Foreign. 



571 



accomplished, nor are her materials ex- 

 hausted ; the subject too, has become 

 her own she has no rival, and is fairly 

 committed as long as Ireland has vir- 

 tues to disclose, or wrongs to redress. 

 Crofton Croker does not interfere with 

 her purpose ; that purpose has been 

 professedly to exhibit Irish Character 

 among the humbler classes, where, of 

 course, it is likely to be purest in its 

 most agreeable and advantageous fea- 

 tures ; and her young women, accord- 

 ingly, have all the charms and warmth 

 of simplicity, and her young men, the 

 bravery and frankness of chivalry. 

 Mrs. H. speaks from personal knowledge, 

 and we throw no discredit on anything so 

 attractive ; we would rather that realities 

 presented no exceptions. She seems to 

 think, where the noble qualities of Irish 

 youth degenerate, it proceeds wholly 

 from bad management, but that is not 

 peculiar to Ireland. It is the education 

 of circumstances, that works most of the 

 mischief, all the world over, and per- 

 haps of the good too. * Anne Leslie' 

 and fc Mick Conner's wooing and wed- 

 ding,' are among the most agreeable of 

 the sketches. l The Rapparee,' with 

 more energy and passion, approaches too 

 near the tone of the melo-drame. 

 ' We'll see about it,' and ' Larry Moore,' 

 are in the very best style of Miss Edge- 

 worth's efforts ; the details of Irish in- 

 dolence and carelessness, are happy and 

 humorous. Much of the misery and 

 degradation of the Irish peasantry, now 

 springs from absentees, notwithstanding 

 the economists, who, by the way, in 

 their eagerness to promote production, 

 never care a straw what becomes of the 

 producer and Mrs. H. more than once 

 introduces the rapacity of middlemen, 

 and the rascalities of uncontrolled agents 

 the inevitable consequences of ab- 

 senteeism. There is still ample room 

 for exposure, in this department of 

 Irish economy ; and Mrs. H. is ob- 

 viously too kindly disposed towards her 

 native land, to withhold her aid, as long 

 as she can contribute assistance, and 

 wants no telling that exposition must 

 go before redress. 



Voyages and Discoveries of the Compa- 

 nions of Columbus, by Washington Irving. 

 Family Library, Vol. XVIII. The 

 splendid discoveries of Columbus, and, 

 still more, his magnificent anticipations, 

 set the whole Spanish nation agog ; and 

 every one, young or old, who had his 

 own way to make in the world, naturally 

 looked to the west as the scene where 

 riches and renown were to be won. The 

 old crews of Columbus, almost every 

 man of them, were heroes in their own 

 imaginations, and many of them aspired 

 to distinctions that should equal them 

 with their commander. Ferdinand, too, 



who, in the first glow of his gratitude, 

 had conferred upon Columbus honours 

 and powers of which he quickly re- 

 pented, gladly encouraged competitors 

 by way of counterpoise. Commissions 

 and authorities were accordingly granted 

 to any that would ask for them, provided 

 they could fit out vessels at their own 

 expense ; and granted, too, not only in 

 contempt of Columbus's rights and those 

 of his family, but specifically to clip and 

 cripple them. The consequence was a 

 series of expeditions ; and the result of 

 them discoveries, which, without them, 

 would probably not have been made for 

 ages. The leaders of these expeditions, 

 impelled by temerity and cupidity, 

 rushed upon perils and difficulties which 

 drew out all their powers, and prompted 

 others to deeds or the most romantic, 

 and often of the most chivalrous charac- 

 ter. The interval between Columbus 

 and the exploits of Cortes and Pizarro, 

 presents a list of bold spirits, whose ad- 

 ventures are but little known ; and 

 these Mr. Irving has detailed with a 

 sort of congenial feeling that throws a 

 little of the smoothness and softness of 

 romance iipon what in reality had no- 

 thing but ruggedness and brutality. 

 Riches were the object of pursuit, and 

 the agents generally desperadoes ready 

 to cut their way to them through every 

 obstacle, moral or physical ; and in this 

 resolute spirit, which shews what the 

 man who dares can do, consists all 

 that can possibly in them command 

 admiration. They were maddened by 

 enthusiasm, and the sacred thirst of gold 

 hallowed every act. 



The story which occupies the largest 

 portion of the volume, is the singular 

 one of Nunez de Bilboa. He was at St. 

 Domingo, in debt, and in imminent peril 

 from his creditors, when the Bachelor 

 Enciso, who had scraped together a few 

 thousand ducats, bitten by the common 

 madness, very unlawyerlike, hazarded 

 the Avhole in one of Ojeda's projects. Bil- 

 boa got on board the Bachelor's ship in a 

 cask, and eluded his pursuers ; and, by 

 his activity and readiness, made from 

 an enemy a friend of the Bachelor. 

 Amidst the subsequent splitting of inte- 

 rests at Darien, Bilboa supplanted the 

 Bachelor, and rose upon the ruins of 

 the chiefs Ojeda and Nicuessa, by the 

 confidence in his resources with which 

 he contrived to impress his associates. 

 Not, however, feeling very secure in his 

 new elevation, he looked anxiously about 

 for some dazzling achievement ; and the 

 discovery of the Pacific was the reward 

 of labours so enormous, they well de- 

 served to be so repaid. Upon this dis- 

 covery he relied for establishing an in- 

 fluence with the government at home ; 

 but, unluckily, before his agents, loaded 

 with splendid presents, reached the 



4 D 2 



