knowing that he was putting his words of praise into the author's own mouth.*

We pass to another of the group of men who helped to start the Review. George Canning was now in his fortieth year. At Eton he had made his mark in literature, as editor of 'The Microcosm,' and had followed this up by his well-known verses in the 'Anti-Jacobin.' Though he began life as a Whig, he became, like others, under the influence of the French Revolution, a decided Tory, while still retaining some Liberal opinions. In the early part of 1809 he was Secretary for Foreign Affairs, under the nominal headship of the Duke of Portland. His position, his principles, and his literary antecedents thus rendered it natural that Scott (with whom he had become intimate in 1806) and Murray should look to him for assistance in regard to political matters. But, in the autumn of 1809, his official career was cut short by his duel with Castlereagh; and, when Portland shortly afterwards resigned, Canning refused to join the Cabinet of his successor Perceval. It was thirteen years before he returned to the post which will ever be connected with his name.

Canning was thus not in a position, during most of his later life, to give exactly the assistance which had been expected; but he contributed to the Review several articles, mostly written in conjunction with his friend Ellis, and inspired others. These include two important papers on Sir J. Sinclair and the Bullion Committee, published in November 1810 and February 1811. The article on 'Spanish Affairs,' published in August 1809, was written by Canning and Ellis. It is the voice of Canning, the disciple of Pitt, which speaks of the Spanish troops then desperately struggling against Napoleon, as follows: 'If, under all the disadvantages which are enumerated, and truly, as belonging to the present state of Spain, more has been done, and more endured without shrinking, by the Spanish nation, than by any other people in Europe, we ask, what may not be expected of them in proportion as these

* Since this passage was in type, the conjecture has been confirmed by the discovery that Scott's article (the original Ms. of which is before us) ends with the words 'bestows her hand on Morton' (p. 466). One (depreci atory) sentence which follows has been omitted by Gifford, who, it would

seem, added all the rest.

(From a portrait by T. Phillips, R.A., in the possession of Mr Murray.)

[To face p. 745.

disadvantages may be gradually removed? That the contest will be protracted and its fortune various, is highly probable: that the manner and opportunities of applying our assistance will be to be chosen, according to the exigencies and to the exertions of the Spaniards, is sufficiently obvious: but that Spain may ultimately triumph over the attempts of her oppressor, and that we may still gloriously and successfully aid her efforts for her own deliverance, is not more our prayer, than it is our hope.'

Next on our list of early collaborators comes Robert Southey, perhaps the most industrious and prolific man of letters that England has produced. At the time of which we are speaking he was living at Keswick, the friend and neighbour of Wordsworth, then settled at Grasmere. Literature was his means of livelihood; and the 'many mouths' which (as he said) he had to feed out of one inkstand' imposed upon him a life of laborious toil, which, however, his courage and energy and the high ideal of literary work which he always kept before him, prevented from sinking into a mere drudgery. As he wrote to his benefactor, Mr Wynn, 'A healthy body, an active mind, and a cheerful heart, are the three best boons Nature can bestow; and, God be praised, no man ever enjoyed these more perfectly.' Though only thirty-five, he was widely known as a copious and fairly successful writer. Two volumes of Minor Poems,' 'Thalaba,' 'Madoc,' some translations from the Spanish, and several other works had already appeared. The Curse of Kehama' was to come out in the following year. Like Canning, he had begun life as a Whig; he had even been a Republican: but he was now a Tory of the Tories, and was sorely vexed when his revolutionary drama, 'Wat Tyler,' a work of his youth, was published without his knowledge in 1817.

6

It was Scott who introduced him to the Quarterly,' to which he soon became a regular contributor. He wrote, in all, close on a hundred articles for the Review, in a space of thirty years. He was well paid from the outset, and his rate of payment was soon raised to 1007. an article. As he made but little by his books, his receipts from the Quarterly' were his chief source of income;*

* Smiles, ii, 264, 387. From his pension and his Laureateship he received 2351. a year.

6

and this no doubt induced him to acquiesce, though not without much grumbling, in the somewhat drastic editorial treatment he received at the hands of Gifford Southey's articles were frequently too long, and had to be cut down-mutilated,' as the Laureate complained, or even emasculated,' by the omission of what he considered to be the best portions. On the other hand, Gifford had a very high opinion of Southey. His prose, says Gifford, in 1812, is so good that every one detects him'; and in 1815 he writes to Murray: 'The great difficulty with me is Southey. . . . But he is, after all, the sheet-anchor of the Review, and should not be lightly hurt.' One of his best-known articles was that on Nelson (February 1810), on which was based his famous 'Life," published in 1813. Of his articles on the Poor-Law, Dr Garnett remarks † that they 'exhibit him in the light of a practical statesman who was ahead of public opinion.' This, however, is more than can be said of his political views, especially where the Church was concerned

Another man of distinction in his day, who was largely instrumental in founding the Review, was George Ellis, the author of an amusing jeu d'esprit, the 'Poetical Tales of Sir Gregory Gander' (1778). He was an intimate friend of Scott and Canning, whom he introduced to each other. To him Scott addressed the fifth canto of 'Marmion'; and he was Canning's chief helper in the 'Anti-Jacobin,' to which he contributed the verses entitled 'Acme and Septimius,' beginning:

'Fox, with Tooke to grace his side,
Thus addressed his blooming bride—
"Sweet! should I e'er, in power or place,
Another Citizen embrace;

Should e'er my eyes delight to look

On aught alive, save John Horne Tooke,
Doom me to ridicule and ruin,

In the coarse hug of Indian Bruin!"'

and many other pieces. Like Canning he had begun as a Whig, and wrote for the 'Rolliad'; and he is said to have been the author of the attack on Pitt, beginning,

*Nos. 16, 23, 29, 36, 37 (1812-1818).

+ Dict. of Nat. Biography.' A selection of his articles was in 1831 under the title of 'Essays Moral and Political.'

published