circumstances it has been conjectured that this spot was formerly covered by the sea, and that the salt is a gradual deposit formed by the evaporation of its waters. I was disappointed in some of the particulars which had fastened themselves upon my imagination. I had heard and read glowing accounts of the brilliancy and luminous splendour of the passages and chambers, compared by some to the lustre of precious stones; but the salt is of a dark gray colour, almost black, and although sometimes glittering when the light was thrown upon it, I do not believe it could ever be lighted up to shine with any extraordinary or dazzling brightness. Early travellers, too, had reported that these mines contained several villages, inhabited by colonies of miners, who lived constantly below; and that many were born and died there, who never saw the light of day; but all this is entirely untrue. The miners descend every morning and return every night, and live in the village above. None of them ever sleep below. There are, however, two horses which were foaled in the mines, and have never been on the surface of the earth. I looked at these horses with great interest, They were growing old before their time; other horses had perhaps gone down and told them stories of a world above which they would never know."

Letter to the Queen on the State of the Monarchy.
By a Friend of the Monarchy. Fourth Edition.
Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. 1883.

be, employs the keen and powerful weapons of a
literary gladiator, and makes tremendously hard hits.
In the language of "the fancy," he is an "ugly cus-
tomer:" we should not relish him as an opponent.
A single excerpt may suffice to shew the animus
of the production:

But

"It is not very safe for a whig ministry to turn their backs upon the country, and seek only the favour of the court. It is somewhat new and strange for a popular party to be in opposition to the people, and to hang, for their whole support, by the frail thread of royal favour. That the doom of such a government is sealed, no one can doubt; that it can only be averted by a speedy, a sudden, an entire repentance and amendment of life, is absolutely certain. you, Madam, are any thing rather than a mere spectator of all this unprecedented scene. There is one act for which you and all sovereigns are answerable: of choosing the Ministers, the sole and undivided responsibility rests upon the Sovereign. In that act there can be no adviser responsible in any sense that is intelligible to plain understandings. Lawyers may quibble; the metaphysicians of politics may subtilize; the transcendental doctors of our constitution may refine, and try to persuade us of what they themselves cannot comprehend, that the man who takes the office which his sovereign tenders him is the responsible adviser of the offer thus made. No person of ordinary straight-forward understanding ever will bring his faculties to put any reliance upon such a fiction. Its want of all foundation in fact is obvious tions in which the law delights. But it is not only to the meanest capacity. So far it resembles the ficunfounded in truth; it is contrary to the plain truth,

another's resolving to send for him and employ him, lieve or imagine that any person is answerable for may next understand how Baron Trenck could fall into a pit, and then run home for a ladder to clamber out of it. Believe me, whatever these subtle doctors may say, the bulk of mankind look to the SOVEREIGN, and to the SOVEREIGN alone, as the party responsible for the choice of the minister.”

Heads of the People taken off by Quizfizzz. No. 3.
Tyas. 1839.

By common report, this Letter, which has "made some noise in the world," is from the pen of Lord Brougham. We can only say that, if it be, it is widely different in style and manner from any other composition that we have seen of his Lordship's. In all the writ-Day, to the possibility of truth; and he who can beings that we have ever perused of Lord Brougham's, the construction of the sentences is marked by great and striking peculiarity. One of the distinguishing features of his Lordship's, style is the great length of his sentences-with an extraordinary, and wonderful, an unceasing and most felicious flow of ideas as well as of words. In writing, as in speaking, Lord Brougham is accustomed to start from a give point: for a certain length, he proceeds in a straight line; then he flies off at a tangent-tangent after tangent traverses half the globe in a single sentence; but, to whatever distance he may advance, he, without once losing sight of his object, invariably winds round, and lucidly comes back to his starting point. There is a rare quality in either oral or written composition. But such is not at all the case in the pamphlet before us; the mere style of which is marked by little if any peculiarity. Generally speaking, its sentences are concise, terse, and Junius-like, consisting, frequently, of simple propositions, rather than long, voluble, and voluminous. The only characteristic that would for a moment induce us to suspect the composition to be Lord Brougham's, is that of the unlooked-for, sly, epigrammatic, and bitterly sarcastic strokes which are now and then dealt with unerring and deadly aim. However, we do not mean to say, that if his Lordship had any adequate purpose in view, he could not disguise, vary, or depart from his usual style. Ergo, the" Letter" may be Lord Brougham's.

MR. TYAS'S " Heads" become more and more capital every month. Good as were Meadows's designs in Nos. I. and II., they are vastly superior in No. III. "The Spoiled Child" is indeed "a child more easily conceived than described :" the picture is a thousand times preferable to the reality.

"The Old Lord" is highly aristocratic, and though less intellectual, bearing no slight resemblance to Sir Francis Burdett. His literary illustration is very neatly and quietly written under the signature of "ECHION;" though we have yet to learn why the accident of a man's being a peer should be deemed good and sufficient reason for holding him up to derision and contempt.

That heartless burly old brute, “The Beadle of the Parish," is so like, that it must be from the life.

For "The Linen Draper's Assistant," the artist We have little to do, and wish to have little to do, and the scribe (Henry Brownrigg, Esq., otherwise with politics; consequently, we shall not attempt to Douglas Jerrold) may contest the palm of supeenter into the party or political merits of this pamph-riority: they are both so admirable that we know not let. Suffice it to say, that the writer, whoever he may | how to decide; but, if we must pronounce an opinion,

ere is a shade of excellence in favour of the writer.
Iost readily, were it possible, should we transfer
ɔth engraving and writing to our page en masse;
ut, as such things cannot be, we must perforce
ontent ourselves with a little bit of "flannel."
"There are bright minutes in the long day of the
nen-draper's assistant; minutes of half-confidence
ith shopping beauty, coveted in vain by other
ealers; and the address, the delicacy displayed by
m on these occasions, test him as the master of his
aft. There are certain questions wich he hazards
ith a self-depreciating look, as though he were
dallying with an interdicted subject." It is, as we
ave observed, the linen-draper's province to suggest
e want of things, the very existence of which is not
› be merely doubted, but to be utterly unknown to
ankind at large. It is his business to harp con-
nually, by inference, upon the result of the fall,"
nd to impress upon the minds of Eve's daughters
he consequence of their first mother's transgression.
And this the linen-draper does in so bland, so smil-
ng a manner in the generosity of his nature is so
tterly forgetful of the share his own sex bears in the
eneral calamity, that it should be no wonder when
e see ladies as generously forgive the insinuation,
nd as largely buy.

"Charles Lamb, in one of his letters, in allusion to
he fruitless condition of our original father, says,
It irks me to think of poor Adam laying out his
alfpenny for apples in Mesopotamia !" This regret
of the philosopher presents to our mind Eve at the
inen-draper's. We see the shopman bow and smile,
nd roll out, and roll out, and roll out! The lady
purchases; and, it may be, the necessity of the pur-
hase-the evil that makes it indispensable-is, for a
ime, wholly forgotten in the loveliness of the article
Dought. "Nothing else?" asks the shopman: and
other trifles are rolled out-measured-cut. At
length the assistant assumes his delicate privilege,
and having suggested all the known and palpable
common-places of dress, stops, smiles, and, with his
palms upon the counter, and his eyes half-abashed,
half-closed, lets two words escape ffutteringly-
Any flannel?"

"And yet these are the men who wish their condition ameliorated! Men, licensed to put queries such as these to the best beauty of the earth-the aforesaid beauty taking the interrogative with the warmest possible grace, and thus granting indulgence for new inquiries! "Any flannel?" But we cannot -we may not pause to philosophise on the question: we leave it in its suggestive simplicity to the imaginatton of our readers."

THE THEATRES, CONCERTS, &c.

66

THE pantomimes, indifferent as they are, continuing to run at all the houses, the chief and only important theatrical novelty of the week has been the joyous return of Madame Vestris (Mrs. Mathews) to the Olympic. This event occurred on Wednesday evening, an entirely new, grand, musical, comi-tragical, melo-dramatic, burlesque burletta," entitled Bluebeard, the joint production of Planché and Charles Dance, having been got up for the occasion. Madame's reception must have realised the most sanguine expectations: the cheering lasted for " seven minutes and a half," (by a stop watch,) amid the waving of handkerchiefs and the flinging of flowers, one nosegay of which she picked up and pressed and kissed, as if she really felt not only the home-greeting that was bestowed upon her, but its contrast with her reception abroad. She appeared in tolerable health, and excellent spirits, but certainly not looking the better for her transatlantic voyage. The new piece was received with enthusiastic applause by a house crowded from the pit to the ceiling.

However, the greatest, or largest, novelty of the week is Monsieur Bihin, a French giant, said to be eight feet two inches in height, brought forward by Yates at the Adelphi on Monday evening. He was introduced in a "serio-comic burletta spectacle," entitled The Giant of Palestine, and founded on the story of Armida, the enchantress, in Tasso's "Jerusalem Delivered." Both giant and piece went off with considerable éclut.

On the same evening another new piece was produced at the Adelphi, Jim Crow in his New Place, in which Rice personated a negro footman with his usual success.

The Promenade Concerts à la Musard, at the English Opera House, have proved more attractive than we were led to expect. They are performed every evening with much variety and effect.

NECROLOGY.

MRS. MACLEAN, LATE L. E. L." WITH the deepest regret, as deploring the sudden the death of Mrs. Maclean, the wie of George and premature loss of a personal friend, we record Maclean, Esq., Governor of Cape Coast Castle. This lamented lady, better known as L. E. L. (Letitia Elizabeth Landon), died suddenly on the

fatal shore, which has been the grave of many 15th of October last, soon after her arrival on that valuable lives. Amongst those, the thousands, who have known her, few will be the eyes unmoistened by a tear on hearing the sad intelligence. It is only a few months since that Miss Landon was married

to Governor Maclean, with whom she left her native land, full of health and spirits.

The Handbook of Magic; and Endless Source of Amusement for the Fire-side. containing Philosophical Amusements, Simple Deceptions, Tricks with In the world of poetry-the loveliest of all subCards and Money, Sleight of Hand: clearly ex-lunary worlds, and partaking more of heaven than of plained by the Sieur Blismon de Bartoli. Illustra-earth-L. E. L., whilst yet a mere girl, commenced ted with Engravings. Second edition. Tyas. 1839. We have not the honour of the Sieur Blismon de Bartoli's acquaintance, nor dowe profess to be either magicians or conjurors, but we venture to say that this is the most simple and lucid little book of its class we have met with. By consulting its pages," persons of even the meanest capacity" may speedily learn to "astonish the natives."

her proud and brilliant career in the Literary Gazette. Since that period, her Improvisatrice, her Troubadour, her Golden Violet, innumerable miscellaneous poems, to say nothing of two or three eminently successful novels, and an infinite variety of contributions to the periodical press, have acquired for her a bright and imperishable fame. But, observes a friend of hers, and of ours-one who knew

THE

ALDINE MAGAZINE

OF

Biography, Bibliography, Criticism, and the Arts.

VOL. I. No. 7.

JANUARY 12, 1839.

PRICE 3d. For the Accommodation of Subscribers in the Country, and Abroad, the Weekly Numbers of The Aldine Magazine are re-issued in Monthly Parts, and forwarded with the other Magazines.-Orders received by all Booksellers, Newsvenders, &c.

would long since have ceased in our streets. However, the labouring classes are beginning to perceive, and to comprehend, that when BREAD is very cheap, WAGES are necessarily very low; and that it is infinitely preferable to possess eighteenpence, with which to purchase a quartern loaf that costs a shilling, than to have only sixpence with which to pay for the same description of loaf when it costs ninepence.

With reference to manufactures and tradeto domestic as well as to foreign produce-the farmer is at once the most liberal and the most extensive home consumer. Destroy the farmer, and you inflict a deadly stab, not only upon the manufacturing, commercial, and trading interests, but upon those of the community at

Support the farmer-make him prosper and flourish—and you give a new impetus and an increased remuneration to every industrious hand throughout the empire. In fact, the interests of the agriculturist and of the manufacturer are so closely interwoven-so absolutely amalgamated—that they must stand or fall together. "UNITY" should be their joint motto; and, above all, "INDEPENDENCE."

THE BRITISH MARINE, &c. TIME was when England was a great wheatexporting country; and nothing but the pressure of heavy rents and heavy taxation could prevent her from becoming so again, were such a consummation to be found desirable, or in any respect advantageous. It is desirable that England should, by her arable produce, be able to sustain her own population; but, under existing circumstances, it is not desirable that she should again become a wheat-exporting country. For the support of the manufacturing and commercial interests, at least as much as for those of landowners and their farming tenants, it is important-it is essential—that agri-large. culture should be protected; as it is only by the protection and encouragement of agriculture that the community, collectively and individually, can be secured against the exorbitant and crushing demands of foreign corngrowers. We do not say that we might not, just now, obtain wheat from abroad at a far lower price than we are obliged to pay for it at home; but how long would that advantage last? Common sense tells us that, by large and continued importations of foreign corn, the English market would be depressed-the English farmer would be ruined-his land would be thrown out of Ships, Colonies, and Commerce"-and, coNcultivation—and, for the very staff of life, the SEQUENTLY, Manufactures and Agriculture— nation must be cast prostrate at the feet of the are essential not only to the well-being, but to foreigner. As a matter of course, the foreigner the very existence of England as a nation. To would take advantage of our situation: finding preserve, intact, our ships, colonies, and comthat we were no longer in a position to grow merce-our manufactures and agriculture—our corn for ourselves, he would compel us to take his greatness and power as a state-we must corn, and at His price: the only alternative- maintain our independence: that is, to the exstarvation! This would be sufficiently dread- tent of our ability we must hold ourselves in ful in the "piping times of peace;" but it would such a position that, come war come peace, we be incomparably worse in the event of a war. may be enabled to exist, and triumph, and flouLet us not then by casting away our independ-rish as a great people without the slightest ence forfeit our EXISTENCE.

Were it not for the ignorant, the weak, and the wicked-for a combination of the three, unintentional on the part of the first and second-the insane cry of

VOL. I. NO. VII.

By independence let us not be thought to mean an affected independence of foreign commerce on the part of this country.

necessary reliance upon foreign aid.

No;

We will further illustrate the meaning and object of these remarks by referring to a case to which our attention has lately been calledCheap Bread!" a case which, in its different bearings, seems

London: Printed by J MASTERS, 33, Aldersgate Street.

H

likely to prove important in an agricultural, a
manufacturing, and even a national point of
view. Our allusion is to a company which has
recently been formed, under the denomination
of "
The Staffordshire Hemp and Flax Com-
pany, established at Rugeley, 1838, for render-
ing British and Colonial Hemp and Flax appli-
cable to all the Purposes for which Russian
Hemp and Flax have hitherto been used."

Perfectly aware of the trickery and manœuvring that are too frequently resorted to in the "getting up" of joint-stock companies, &c., the Staffordshire concern might have gone on for a century without attracting our notice, without inducing us to bestow a thought upon the subject, had it not been for the unimpeachable respectability of many of the patrons and directors of the undertaking, and from certain local knowledge which we happen to possess respecting it. For these reasons we shall, as briefly as possible, state the chief points of the scheme.

Under the express patronage of the Lord Lieutenant and many of the leading nobility and gentry of the county of Stafford, the company has been formed, according to the terms of its prospectus, "for the manufacture of sailcloth, canvas, ropes, and cordage of unequalled strength, soundness, and durability, perfectly free from rot, mildew, or premature decay; and also for the manufacture of waterproof cloths, of various descriptions, perfectly flexible, and unaffected by the extremes of heat and cold, resisting alike the action of boiling water and of the most intense frost." The invention (originating with a Mr. Donlan) is further described as consisting "of three distinct parts, comprehending most important improvements in the first principles of manufacturing hemp and flax, whether the material be designed for linen fabrics or cordage, viz. :

"1.-A new and improved machinery, applicable only to this method of manufacturing, whereby a larger quantity of fibre, without injuring the staple, can be obtained from the raw material, than by modes hitherto adopted, and the fibre rendered available in a green state, and without the injurious process of steeping, hitherto employed. "2.-The preservation of the fibre by a peculiar chemical compound, rendering the fabric free from mildew or premature decay. "3.-The hitherto unattained process of rendering cloths waterproof, the fabrics remaining uninjured, flexible, and unaffected by any variation of heat or cold to which they can, by any possibility, be exposed in service. Presuming these representations to be correct—and, as we have intimated, we hold faith in the integrity and honour of the parties concerned-important advantages are offered, in a

national point of view, and altogether independent of mere personal considerations. These advantages are at least four-fold, and, at a glance, may be seen to branch off and extend in numerous ramifications. 1. By opening a new and highly profitable source of agricultural growth, in the home produce of hemp and flax, for which, hitherto, we have been indebted chiefly to the foreign cultivator. 2. By this home growth of hemp and flax, insuring an actual pecuniary saving to the home manufacturer, and, consequently, to the nation. 3. The furnishing of an increased quantity of employment for the labouring poor in agriculture, and also in manufacture, and consequently, an additional relief to the state by a diminution of the poor's rate. 4. And, what is of still greater importance, in a national light, the INDEPENDENCE which, in the equipment of our commercial as well as of our royal marine, we shall achieve over Russia and the other Northern powers. These direct advantages cannot fail, as we have observed, to branch off into and create innumerable indirect and minor ones of a nature more or less important.

With reference to agriculture in particular, we have yet another remark to offer. Flax, of the first quality, has already been grown in the immediate neighbourhood of the Rugeley manufactory; many parts of the kingdom are especially well adapted for the growth of hemp and flax; the flax and hemp for the purposes here required must be cut in a green state, before the arrival of the plants at maturity; consequently, their growth will not deteriorate the quality of the land more than any other description of produce; and, as the farmer should be paid for his crop immediately on its having been cut and delivered, he will be enabled to purchase his manure for all purposes with ready money, and upon advantageous