was in 1817 fairly started in its present character with "Christopher North" as its leading contributor. When Wilson gave up his residence at Elleray, he was, wri'es Professor Ferrier,1 “after sundry pleasant overtures from Jeffrey, and the composition of one eloquent article on 'Childe Harold' for the Edinburgh Review,' induced finally to cement a perpetual treaty with Mr Blackwood, and to act, for months and years, as the animating soul of his celebrated Magazine." It was not, however, by a jump, or even rapidly, that Wilson attained to the full command of his powers, or the Magazine to a lucrative circulation. It was established in

1817; but it was not until 1825 that that brilliant succession of articles from Wilson's pen began to appear, which brought fame to him and a shoal of subscribers to the Magazine. For the ten following years, his industry never flagged. About 1836 it became somewhat intermittent, although, until near the close of his life, it was still powerfully exerted. "Dies Boreales were the last contributions from his pen to 'Blackwood's Magazine.'2 All his prose writings made their first appearance in 'Maga,' as he delighted to call the Magazine; after his death the principal of them were collected and published by the Messrs Blackwood under the editorship of his son-in-law Professor Ferrier. The numerous floating traditions of "Christopher North's" commanding personal appearance and physical prowess have always made him one of the most popular of literary characters. The graceful dignity of his carriage, and the length of limb and peculiar formation of heel that gave him his extraordinary superiority as a far-leaper, are recorded with characteristic minuteness in De Quincey's sketch. De Quincey also dwells upon the popularity of his manners-his frank, open affability to all comers, his "infinite gamut" of acquaintance from college "Don" to groom, ostler, and stable-boy. His writings were no less popular than his person. As a critic he did not pos sess De Quincey's subtle power of entering into characters different from his own (in that respect De Quincey probably stood alone among his contemporaries); but his sympathies were so broad that it is not easy to define their limits. His strong pleasure in natural scenery, the native susceptibility of his eye to colour and form, gave him a wider compass than Jeffrey, and was the secret of his enthusiastic advocacy of Wordsworth, as a corresponding deficiency was the secret of Jeffrey's no less earnest depreciation. When we compare his review of Lord Tennyson's early poems with Lockhart's

1 In Mackenzie's Imperial Dictionary of Biography.

2 Among the early contributors to this Magazine, which introduced a new era in periodical writing, being the first parent of all the magazines that now swim the literary stream, were John Gibson Lockhart, Captain Hamilton (author of Cyril Thornton,' a brother of Sir Willian Hamilton), John Galt (author of Annals of the Parish '), Mrs Hemans, David M. Moir ("Delta"), Sir Archibald Alison, De Quincey, and other well-known names.

review of the same publication in the 'Quarterly,' we see that this nature-interest, this additional "bump" or bumps, overbalanced his repugnance to the admixture of the "Cockney "element, and the pseudo-metaphysical "drivel," that irreconcilably offended his early friend and associate. As regards Wilson's style, it has been said by Mr Hallam that "his eloquence is like the rush of mighty waters." He greatly admired Jeremy Taylor; and while, from temperament, he does not display the same habitual breathless eagerness in the accumulation of words, but pours out his full eloquence with less appearance of excitement, he often reminds us of Taylor's manner in his way of following out picturesque similitudes. Comparing them upon one point only, and disregarding other characteristics, we should say that of the two Taylor is the more rhetorical, and Wilson the more eloquent: Taylor rather accumulates his wealth of expression upon given themes; Wilson flows out spontaneously and often somewhat irrelevantly to the subject in hand, concerning what strongly interested him in real life: Taylor can flexibly bring his powers to bear upon any subject; Wilson, although from the width of his interests the distinction is not glaringly obtrusive, is copious only when he happens to strike a plentiful spring in his own nature. With all Wilson's Nimrod force and abounding animal spirits, perhaps his richest and most original vein of expression is connected with his love of peaceful beauties in natural scenery. A very high tribute both to his judgment and to his powers of illustration is paid by De Quincey when he says that from Wilson's contributions to 'Blackwood's Magazine,' and more especially from his meditative examinations of great poets ancient and modern, a florilegium might be compiled of thoughts more profound and more gorgeously illustrated than exist elsewhere in human composition.

John Gibson Lockhart (1794-1854), already mentioned in connection with Blackwood's Magazine,' was editor of the 'Quarterly Review' for more than a quarter of a century, from 1826 to 1853. The son of a Scotch parish minister in Lanarkshire, he was a distinguished student at Glasgow College, and at the close of his curriculum was presented to one of the Snell exhibitions for Balliol College, Oxford. In the final examination at Oxford in 1813, he After a visit to Germany, in the course of which he made the acquaintance of Goethe, he fixed his residence in Edinburgh, and was called to the Scotch bar in 1816. Like several other young lawyers of the same date, his profession was more literature than law. He co-operated with Wilson in the inauguration of Blackwood's Magazine' in 1817. He had a principal hand in the famous 'Chaldee Manuscript.'1 In 1819 he published

took a first-class in classics.

1 This pungent production appeared in the seventh number of Blackwood's Magazine, the first number contributed to by Wilson and Lockhart. It was

'Peter's Letters to his Kinsfolk,' satirical sketches of Edinburgh men of the time. In the following year he married the eldest daughter of Sir Walter Scott, who fitted up for the reception of the youthful pair the little cottage of Chiefswood, near Abbotsford. Here he produced in rapid succession his 'Metrical Translations of Spanish Ballads,' and his four novels, 'Valerius,' 'Adam Blair,' 'Reginald Dalton,' and 'Matthew Wald.' From 1826, when he accepted the editorship of the 'Quarterly Review,' he resided in London; and besides his editorial duties and his own contributions to the periodical, which were upwards of a hundred in number, he found time to write his 'Life of Burns' for 'Constable's Miscellany' (1827), his Life of Napoleon' for Murray's Family Library' (1829), and his greatest work, the 'Life of Scott,' the last volume of which appeared in 1838.-Lockhart was a thin, dark, erect figure, proud and reserved in general society, and regarded with some fear on account of his sarcastic ways; but among his chosen companions, at least in his earlier and happier years, loved for his exuberance of animal spirits and his irrepressible flow of wit and humour. The kindliness that was not distributed promiscuously, made itself felt all the more strongly within the chosen circle. He made numerous enemies, especially during his career in Edinburgh, by the tormenting force of his ridicule, by his ingenuity in driving rusty nails into the most vulnerable parts of his victims; yet more acts of generous kindness and high integrity are recorded of him than can be placed to the credit of many men of more philanthropic professions and greater general suavity of manner. a critical potentate "he was kind and considerate towards unpretending merit, ready to recognise and welcome real talent in friend or foe, and severe only where presumption went hand in hand with ignorance." Much of his power as a writer depended upon his penetrating knowledge of character. The most notable feature in his novels and tales is the development of thought, feeling, and purpose, under the influence of circumstances: he loves particularly to play upon natural mistakes, and the consequences of natural mistakes, in the interpretation of appearances. His mostadmired articles in the 'Quarterly' are biographical. Throughout his life the study of character seems to have been his prevailing study we trace the natural bent towards it in his boyish carica tures, and we have the first memorable fruits of it in Peter's Letters.' The Life of Burns' is a good specimen of his power: when we compare this work with Dr Currie's, we are most forcibly struck with Lockhart's skill in weaving out of crude material. a coherent narrative of characteristic incidents. No student of

As

written in the style of the Old Testament. Its clever personalities made such a sensation that it was withdrawn from the second edition of the number. (Se Wilson's Works, vol. iv.)

biography can afford to overlook Lockhart. Apart from his skill in choosing significant circumstances, he is peculiarly distinguished by his faithful adherence to reality his biographies are remarkably free from the distortions of romance and hero-worship. He objected on several grounds to the writing of the lives of persons recently deceased; but he held that if " contemporaneous biography," as he called it, is to be permitted, the biographers should be peculiarly careful not to make in favour of the hero suppressions that might do injustice to other persons concerned. It was probably in pursuance of this principle that he made revelations concerning Scott which extreme admirers of the poet would rather he had left unsaid. Lockhart's is not a studied, finished style, but he had a great mastery of language, and is exceedingly fresh and varied in his diction. His characteristic qualities are keen incisive force, and sarcastic exuberant wit.