The Russian Princess Galizani, being in the heroic vein, on the arrival of Sir Walter in Paris, sent to assure him— "Elle vouloit traverser les mers pour aller voir, Sir W. S." &c.

"This is precious Tom-Foolery," quoth the good Sir Walter.

James Smith's account of the palmy days of " the Poet of Fashion," might serve for an illustration of those fleeting epochs of success in fashionable society, of all the tribe of humourists in high life.

"His book is successful, he's steep'd in renown,
His lyric effusions have tickled the town;
Dukes, dowagers, dandies, are eager to trace
The fountain of verse in the verse-maker's face;

While, proud as Apollo, with Peers tite-a-tite,
From Monday till Saturday dining off plate,
His heart full of hope, and his head full of gain,
The Poet of Fashion dines out in Park Lane.

Enroll'd in the tribe who subsist by their wits,
Remember'd by starts, and forgotten by fits,
Now artists and actors the bardling engage,
To squib in the journals, and write for the stage."

The author of "Sayings and Doings," "The Parson's Daughter," "The Widow and the Marquis," " Gilbert Gurney," " Gurney Married," "Maxwell," "Jack Brag," "All in the Wrong," "Fathers and Sons," " Precepts and Practice," "Peregrine Bunce," "Horace Vernon," &c., whose rich humour, ready wit, singular talent for repartee, and facility of improvising verse, are so well known, occasionally frequented Gore House. Like many fellows of " most excellent fancy," "wont to set the table in a roar," Hook—the humourist, all mirth and jocularity abroad—at home was subject to violent revulsion of feelings, to gusts of sadness, and fits of dejection of spirits, which temporary excitement, produced by stimu

VOL. III. K

lants, did not much tend to remedy or remove. The results of his disordered and embarrassed circumstances became too manifest to his private friends, in impaired energies of mind and body, in his broken health and depressed spirits, and furnished a melancholy contrast with the public exhibition of convivial qualities that rendered him a welcome guest at all tables.

Theodore Hook was the son of a celebrated organist and musical composer. He was born in 1788. In 1809, he made his appearance at Roll's theatre. He attended public dinners, improvising and reciting for a short time, and made his way eventually into the highest circles, where his wit and humour were greatly admired. He commenced writing for his bread before he was of age. His first work was " The Man of Sorrow." In 1812, the lucrative situation of the Treasurership of the Mauritius was given to him, an office of nearly £2000 a year, for which he was wholly unsuited. His unfitness was soon discovered by a large deficit in his accounts; this led to the loss of his situation, and to heavy claims of government, and large liabilities which continued hanging over him during his life. Hook, on his return to England, found a good market for his satirical talents; he sold them to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and gave the first value for the Prince's patronage, in a publication entitled "Tentamen," against the Queen, espousing the cause of his patron Prince against his Royal Highness's "greatest enemy," the Queen.

Various publications of Hook's, advocating high Tory politics, appeared, but seem to have failed for his support. Again he took to the stage. In 1820, "The John Bull" was established. He became connected with it, and for many years he derived a clear income of £2000 a year from it. This paper was set up specially to abuse the Queen's friends, against "The Brandenburg House Party."

In 1824, "Sayings and Doings" were published: the several series produced altogether about £2000. "The Ramsbottom Letters" attracted universal attention.

"Maxwell" appeared in 1830. "Gurney," and the sequel to it, had a very large sale. "Jack Brag " did not succeed. "Births, Marriages, and Deaths," in 1839, was likewise unsuccessful. "Peregrine Bunce " was not more popular. He owned one-half of "The John Bull," but sold his moiety for £4000, about 1830.

His embarrassments from this period went on from bad to worse—sometimes he was in actual want. The 13th August, 1841, he died at Fulham. He ended his miserable career, warred to death by creditors, attorneys, and bailiffs.

After his death, all his effects were seized by the government for his Mauritius debt, and sold by auction. They realized the large sum of £2500.

He left five children. A sum of £3000 was subscribed for his family—few of his noble friends contributed; they refused on the grounds of his extravagance, &c.; their protest against it was coincident with their interests.

FROM THEODORE HOOK.

"Athenaeum, Monday. "Dear Madam,

"I was on the point of writing to Mrs. Fairlie, when I received your Ladyship's note, and therefore, in order to save time, will say here what I was about to say to her.

"It is neither unwillingness nor occupation (for all other business should be laid aside for that) which has hindered me from doing the lines, but absolute want of power to do them. I have tried over and over again, and can make nothing fit to be published.

"This is the plain, real truth, and I never regretted my own stupidity more earnestly; perhaps your Ladyship will have the goodness to say this, and assure Mrs. Fairlie how happy I shall be to be of use in any other way to ber publication, to which I wish all manner of success.

"Believe me to remain, dear Madam,

"Your Ladyship's faithful Servant,

"Theodore Hook." "P.S. I have not the engraving in town, but it shall be sent to Gore House on Wednesday."

JAMES SMITH.

In the calendar of Saints, it has been said, there is no attorney to be found. la the Martyrology there are, no doubt, a vast number of their clients; and probably, if we turn to Lactantius, we shall find in the long list of persecutors of the church, in its richest days, many legal gentlemen, and very eminent literati.

With respect to the category of poets, very many lawyers and jurists, and, what is more singular, London solicitors, nay, even conveyancers' clerks, are to be found among the inditers of odes, lyrics, satires, and sentimental pieces, and miscellaneous writings.

James Smith was a London solicitor.

Procter, alias Barry Cornwall, was a London solicitor.

Henry Neele, the author of various " Poems, dramatic and miscellaneous;" the editor of "Friendship's Offering," the author of " The Romance of History," was a solicitor.

Sharon Turner, the Anglo-Saxon historian, who not only wrote, but published poems, was, in his early days, a Ix>ndon solicitor. W. H. Ainsworth started in life as a solicitor.

Among barristers, Blackstone, Sir John Davis, and Sir William Jones, all flirted with the muse. Sir Walter Scott was a clerk of the Court of Session, when he wooed and became wedded to the divinity.

James and Horace Smith were the sons of Robert Smith, an eminent solicitor, who held for many years the office of solicitor to the Ordnance. This gentleman was a member of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies, " had an occasional dalliance with the muse," and was one of those legal literati ever and anon—

"Who pen a stanza, when they should engross;
Compose by stealth, and blush to be in print."

His eldest son, James, thus named after his maternal grandfather, James Boyle French, a wealthy London merchant, was born in that city, in 1775. He was in early life placed at a school of some celebrity at ChigwelL in Essex, and there displayed considerable smartness, aptness to learn, and a very pranksome disposition.

On his removal from school, he was articled to his father— subsequently taken into partnership, and eventually he succeeded his father in business, and his appointment of solicitor to the Ordnance.

In 1801, he took a leading part in private theatricals, got up on a grand scale, by a society called the Pic-Nic Club, established chiefly by Colonel Henry Greville, at the Old Concert Rooms, in Tottenham Street. The Pic-Nic Society was abused by the press. Col. Greville established a weekly Pic-Nic paper for its defence, and his coadjutors were the two Smiths, Mr. Cumberland, Sir James Bland Burgess, Mr. Croker, Mr. J. C. Herries, and some others. The editor, Mr. Combe, a very eccentric person, of bookish habits, was the only salaried person connected with it. He resided in the rules of the King's Bench, and for his convenience the weekly meetings, at Hatchard's, were always held after dusk. "The Pic-Nic" paper merged into the " Cabinet;" and, like all merging of unsuccessful periodicals into others differently named, the change in the case of the " Pic-Nic" was only a verging to dissolution, which event took place in July, 1803.