Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 61, No. 376, February, 1847

In Short

This volume is a curated monthly periodical that brings together essays, biographical tributes, and political commentary from the mid-nineteenth century. It balances serious professional reflections—such as the legal career of John William Smith—with lively cultural criticism regarding French theater and travelogues of the Ottoman Empire. By preserving these varied voices, the collection offers a vivid snapshot of how the Victorian reading public engaged with history, law, and the shifting landscape of global trade, reflecting the specific anxieties and ambitions of the British ruling class.

The Story

The magazine opens with a somber, reflective biography of John William Smith, a young barrister whose promising legal career was cut short by illness. The narrative of his life serves as a moral touchstone for the volume, illustrating the Victorian ideals of "indomitable industry" and personal integrity in the face of professional hardship. Smith’s story is one of quiet, scholarly ascent, detailing how he navigated the "bitter and disheartening probation" of the legal system to become a leading mind in mercantile law, only to pass away in his prime.

This tone of observation shifts as the magazine turns its attention to broader historical and cultural theaters. A discussion of General Pépé’s memoirs moves the reader to the battlefields of Italy, tracing the life of a soldier through the volatile Napoleonic era and the subsequent political reshuffling of Naples. The text examines the shifting loyalties of military men and the rise and fall of King Joachim Murat, highlighting the "ardour of patriotism" that often collided with the brutal realities of foreign occupation and civil insurrection.

The volume then pivots to the lighter, yet equally scrutinized, world of French entertainment. A detailed report on the Vaudeville theaters of Paris provides an interlude of social observation, focusing on the comedic genius of actors like Arnal. This is followed by a sharp, cynical look at the reign of George II through the eyes of Horace Walpole, focusing on the political maneuvers of figures like George Bubb Dodington. The character of Dodington—a man of fluctuating principles and elaborate social vanities—is treated as a case study in the corrupting nature of court life and the absurdity of political ambition.

Finally, the magazine settles into the domestic and the abstract. We encounter the fictional travails of Alfred Winston, a gentleman whose romantic indecision in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius highlights the tensions between social standing and genuine emotion. This is balanced by a rigorous economic argument regarding the "direct taxation" of land and the encroaching influence of free trade. The volume concludes with a firm political stance, breaking from the conservative leadership of the time to demand a more principled, independent approach to governance. It is a sweep that moves from the intimacy of a deathbed in the Inner Temple to the complex, impersonal forces of national policy, capturing a society grappling with its own modernization.

How It Unfolds

The Tribute The volume begins by honoring a legal scholar, detailing his rise from obscurity to preeminence. It emphasizes his "quiet fortitude" and the disciplined intellect that allowed him to master complex commercial codes.

The Historical Memoir The focus shifts to the personal accounts of a Neapolitan general during the Napoleonic wars. These chapters explore the intersection of military duty and political upheaval, painting a vivid picture of shifting loyalties in early 19th-century Europe.

The Cultural Review A transition occurs into the lighter, more ephemeral world of French vaudeville acting. The analysis treats comic performance as a serious craft, detailing the self-possession required to elicit laughter from an audience.

The Political Portrait The reader is introduced to the court of George II, where the focus turns to the failures of character among the political elite. The narrative uses the life of a single, ambitious courtier to reflect on the vanity and instability of public life.

The Romantic Interlude A fictional narrative introduces a gentleman traveler in Italy whose heart is divided by social pressures. The setting of Naples provides a backdrop for exploring the tension between class expectations and personal desire.

The Economic Critique The magazine concludes with a dense, analytical examination of land taxation and the long-term dangers of free trade. It ends with a strong editorial declaration, emphasizing a break from previous political alliances and a call for future integrity.

The People

John William Smith stands as the volume’s moral anchor. A barrister of "unsullied purity," he is defined by his modesty and the way he bore his professional struggle without complaint. His death marks a loss of intellectual rigor. In contrast, George Bubb Dodington appears as a man of "worldly passion and infirm principle." He is a social climber who, despite his wit and fortune, ends his career as a figure of ridicule, illustrating the vanity inherent in seeking power through sycophancy.

General Pépé represents the "soldier of fortune" archetype, constantly navigating the turbulent political waters of Italy. His shifting loyalties and narrow escapes highlight the instability of his era. Alfred Winston, the central figure in the fiction, is a gentleman whose struggle is not with war or law, but with his own future. He is torn between the "safe harbour" of property and marriage and his own internal confusion. Finally, the magazine’s editorial voice functions as a character itself—stern, principled, and deeply skeptical of the "movement party" and the shifting allegiances of government leaders, acting as a watchful guardian of political tradition.

In Its Own Voice

"But the fair guerdon when we hope to find, And think to burst out into sudden blaze, Comes the blind Fury with the abhorred shears, And slits the thin-spun life."

The author uses this somber verse from Lycidas to open his memorial for the young, industrious barrister John William Smith.

"A Mussulman loves not to hear this salutation at the mouth of a Christian; it is the expression of a religious wish; and when uttered by one who receives not the Korán, it falls on the ear of a Turk as a profanation."

This observation is offered as a stern warning to travelers, highlighting the social perils of misusing language when navigating the East.

"He cannot move in their stately and measured pace; his genius is volatile and vivid; he moves by bounds: and his display is always the most effective when, abandoning the beaten tracks of authorship, he speeds his light way across the field."

The editor uses these words to capture the unique, spirited quality of Horace Walpole’s writing style when compared to more traditional historians.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the tension between individual integrity and the forces of a rapidly changing world. Whether examining the personal death of a lawyer, the political survival of a general, or the economic viability of land ownership, the contributors are preoccupied with the question of how to maintain one's footing in an era of volatility. There is an underlying anxiety about the erosion of tradition—be it in the legal profession, the conduct of political life, or the stability of land-based wealth. The magazine asks how a gentleman or a citizen should navigate a society where old protections are failing, and where personal reputation must increasingly be forged in an unforgiving, competitive environment.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the dense, opinionated prose of the nineteenth century will find this volume deeply rewarding. It offers a rare, unfiltered look at the Victorian mind—an intellectual landscape that is at once highly formal, deeply moralistic, and surprisingly cynical about the political theater of the time. You will feel the weight of its era’s social expectations, particularly in the way it equates professional success with personal worth.

However, the reader must be prepared for the magazine’s stylistic challenges. The prose is often ornate, and the political arguments regarding trade and land tax require a patience for the specific, often dry, economic grievances of the mid-1840s. Some of the period’s attitudes—particularly regarding the "exoticism" of the East and the rigid class hierarchies of the day—are presented without question, offering a stark reminder of the cultural boundaries of the nineteenth century. Yet, for those interested in the history of ideas, the experience is like walking through a contemporary newspaper of 1847; it captures the immediate, often messy, pulse of a nation in transition. What stays with you is the contrast between the fleeting nature of individual fame and the enduring, sometimes crushing, weight of historical and economic structures.