6s LUtrarif and Miscdlaneous Irttdligence. [Feb. 1, 



principle is best adapted to public vcrsy, to the independence of bio- 

 roads, it is also best .idapted to public j^rsipliy, and to the impartiality of 

 streets. Half tiie inconveniences of a history. We allude to the unworthy 

 town-life have hitherto resulted from appeal made to the law for the purpose 

 the necessity which stupidly appeared of sustaining the sycophancy and bad 

 to exist of paving the streets-with large taste of the noted author of "Wat 

 round stones. They were constantly Tyler," against the manly spirit and 

 out of order, and out of level;, the sterling genius of Lord Byron. If any 

 noise which they produced was into- crime has been committed, it was on 

 lerable ; the accidents which they the part of the author of "Wat Tyler," 

 occasioned were innumerable ; the who disgraced the name of poetry, 

 wear and tear of carriages was in- and the reputation of a man of letters, 

 creased by them ; and they were pre- by a servile production, filled with 

 ferred merely because a better system irreverent exhibitions of subjects of 

 had not been invented. The commis- grave religious faith, for the purpose" 



sioners of St. James's parish have, 

 Lowever, with a most laudable spirit, 

 unpaved St. James'ssquare, caused 

 the slones to be broken to an egg-size, 



of holding up certain characters to 

 idolatry, and covering others with 

 ignominy. It is not necessary for us, 

 in tiiis notice, to enter into the qucs- 



and imbedded on Mr. M 'Adam's sys- tion of tlie respective merits of these 



tern ; the consequence is, that St. parties ; but, in regard to them, there 



Jamcs's-square jircscnts a firm, quiet, has necessarily existed among a free 



and dry, highway, superior in every j)ronle great differences of opinion. A 



respect to every other square in the jioel-laurcate may be tolerated in 



metropolis. This example has beeu excesses of adulation, but in this case 



followed by the conuuissioners of that tlie servility of his muse was intcr- 



ornament of London, the new Regent- mingled with such gross allusions to 



street; and this noble avenue is udw points of religious faith, as to render 



undergoing the 51' Adam process. The the work such an outrage on decency, 



consequence will be most favourable as no one but the author of " Wat 



to the property ; carriages and eques- Tyler" could haveperpetrated. Respect 



trians will prefer it to the rumble and to i)ublic opinion ought to have led to 



dangers of other streets, and it will be iiis dismissal from his office. As the 



the grand resort of fasiiion. AVe doubt crimes of poets are, however, best 



not that other districts of the town, j)iinisiied by poets theniselves. Lord 



which are not governed by the sinister JJyron stepped forward to vindicate 



influence of paviors. Mill speedily fol- the character of tlie age, and produced 



low these examples; for, compara- ?i jcud'esprit, in i\\t form of a parody 



tively, the old mode of paving has not on that offensive w ork, and thereby 



a single recommendation, and we have rescued it from the oblivion to which 



heard of no objection to the new sjs- it otherwise was destined. Here the 



tem except the proliability of increased matter ought to have ended, — with 



dust; but, iuasnuicli as we are at pre- baseness on one side, wit on the otiier, 



sent obliged to water our paved streets, and a laugh on the part of the public; 



so the same remedy will cure the evil for it is not to be supposed, that any 



on the improved system. Great cities rational person was seriously moved 



■will thus be relieved from tlio inconve- in his opinions by the rhymes and 



uience of their noise; and, if the Society points of eitlier party. It seems, how- 



of Arts did their duty, \. e onght long ever, that the ghost of the Constilu- 



since to have bt en relieved from tl'at tional Association, — a body which had 



other great nuisajicc of citJcs^thcir been murdered by public opinion, — 



overwhelming Smoke. AA e have ex- was still prowling the earth like Mil- 



pected the accomplishment of the latter ton's evil genius, and that it beheld in 



even before the former; but the Society this petty squabble the bases of a 



of Arts are, as they think, better en- solemn war, in which the equivocations 



gaged in bestowing premiums on inge- of law and the machinery of special 



iiious and handsome young bidies, liir jury might be brought to bear, and a 



drawings of flowers and buttcrllies. ferment created where all before Jiad 



It is our painful task to have to re- been peace and badinage. It was 



cord the verdict of a jury, during the accordingly assumed, that Byron's 



past month, which mateiially aiiecls parody on "Wat Tyler's" insulting 



the liberty of the press, in regard to adulation was calculated to wound the 



works of fancy, to literary contro- filial feelings of our i)rcscnt excellent 



3 king. 



