The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 347, December 20, 1828

In Short

Published in the closing weeks of 1828, this periodical issue captures the eclectic literary appetite of nineteenth-century Britain through a diverse collection of essays, historical sketches, poetry, and biographical fragments. Readers traverse the sunlit expanse of Naples, mourn the tragic downfall of Cardinal Wolsey at Leicester Abbey, and follow the astonishing criminal exploits of Eugène François Vidocq. Interspersed with reflections on science, religion, and foreign customs, the volume preserves a fascinating cross-section of contemporary popular thought, blending serious historical inquiry with lighter amusement and moral instruction.

The Story

The volume opens with a picturesque survey of European capitals, lingering extensively on the radiant topography, climate, classical associations, and bustling vitality of Naples. From this sunlit Mediterranean idyll, the text shifts abruptly to the solemn history of English antiquity, recounting the final, wretched days of Cardinal Wolsey as he seeks refuge at Leicester Abbey. Wolsey's dramatic trajectory—rising from humble origins as an Ipswich butcher's son to supreme spiritual and political power, only to experience a catastrophic fall—serves as a timeless, sobering emblem of the instability of human ambition and the hollow pageantry of worldly greatness.

Following a lyrical interlude celebrating rural minstrelsy and the quiet, dignified passing of Saladin, Egypt's legendary lord, the miscellany explores architectural history and urban transformation. It traces the sorrowful final route of King Charles to his execution at Whitehall, juxtaposing historical tragedy with Inigo Jones's classical designs and modern poetic visions of a renewed capital. Spiritual and philosophical contemplation immediately follows in a sweeping, devotional ode to the universe, which connects celestial order, natural beauty, and the boundless sea directly to divine providence.

A sharp pivot toward domestic realism arrives through a cautionary university romance, wherein a young scholar's idealized, overly romanticized infatuation with a country girl named Grizel completely dissolves when faced with her shockingly unpolished, illiterate letter announcing her practical marriage to a local gardener. This touch of human comedy gives way to broader sociological observations, including a detailed examination of European Jewish populations, their geographic distribution across Poland and France, and unique Christmas customs observed in the Netherlands.

The historical and biographical current deepens significantly with a gripping exploration of Eugène François Vidocq's turbulent life. Emerging from a reckless youth, Vidocq details his theatrical, death-defying escapes from French military prisons, his harrowing entanglement with violent international smugglers operating under the sign of a nailed sea-gull, and the brutal, degrading institutional hierarchy enforced among desperate inmates at Bicêtre. His ultimate transition from fugitive criminal to chief of the Paris police, followed by his endeavor to employ liberated convicts in a paper manufactory, highlights a complex reality of institutional punishment and social redemption.

The volume concludes with a mosaic of miscellaneous anecdotal sketches and biographical portraits. It records the magnetic, theatrical oratory of evangelist George Whitefield through the critical recollections of Benjamin Franklin and David Hume, alongside witty anecdotes concerning the famously abrasive bedside manners of physician Sir Richard Jebb. Blending grand national monuments like the commemorative column in Blenheim Park with quirky everyday curiosities, the progression moves fluidly from high tragedy and crime down to the persistent humors of human nature.

How It Unfolds

The Neapolitan prospect The volume begins by exploring the stunning geography and cultural brilliance of Naples, framing it as one of the most delightful cities on the habitable globe. It details the city's amphitheatre-like hills, its sweeping gulf, and its surrounding fertile landscapes stretching toward Mount Vesuvius and the ancient lands of labour.

The Cardinal's retreat Moving into English history, the text chronicles the final, wretched days of Cardinal Wolsey as he arrives humbled and broken at Leicester Abbey. Surrounded by attentive monks, the fallen statesman reflects bitterly on the instability of human ambition and offers a poignant testament to the true joys of religion.

The scholar's disillusionment A lighter, domestic narrative recounts a university student's passionate summer romance in Devonshire with a young woman named Grizel. Months after returning to college, he receives an unpolished, frank letter revealing her illiteracy and decision to marry a local gardener, instantly curing him of his romantic infatuation.

The fugitive's escape The narrative delves into the rugged memoirs of Eugène François Vidocq, detailing his ingenious, theatrical escapes from French military prisons like St. Peter's Tower. It further chronicles his dangerous infiltration of a violent smuggler ring in Ostend and exposes the brutal, degrading institutional hierarchy enforced among desperate inmates at Bicêtre.

The final anecdotes The collection winds down with brief historical notes and biographical vignettes, highlighting the electric, dramatic preaching style of George Whitefield through the eyes of contemporaries like Benjamin Franklin. These varied entries capture the eclectic, instructional spirit characteristic of nineteenth-century popular periodical literature.

The People

Cardinal Wolsey seeks supreme political and religious power, but his unbridled ambition clashes with the fickle will of King Henry VIII and the harsh realities of political betrayal, leaving him a broken, dying exile who renounces worldly pomp for spiritual peace.

Grizel desires a comfortable marital establishment and social security, but her lack of education and competing romantic attachments complicate her choices, ultimately leading her to reject a wealthy scholar in favor of a practical marriage with Thomas the gardener.

Eugène François Vidocq aims to survive and conquer a life of relentless criminality and institutional confinement, with harsh prison walls, brutal guards, and rival criminals blocking his path, ultimately transforming from a hunted fugitive into a reformed industrialist employing destitute convicts.

George Whitefield wants to awaken the spiritual conscience of his audiences through dramatic oratory, overcoming public skepticism and cynical observers, and successfully moves listeners to intense emotional and financial devotion.

Sir Richard Jebb seeks to practice medicine efficiently, but his own abrasive, offensive temperament and impatient patients stand in his way, maintaining his reputation as a brilliant yet unapologetically harsh physician to the end.

In Its Own Voice

Reflecting on the transient nature of earthly power during his final days, the fallen cardinal observes the ultimate fruitlessness of worldly devotion.

"O Cromwell, Cromwell, Had I but serv'd my God with half the zeal I serv'd my king, he would not in mine age Have left me naked to mine enemies."

Exasperated by the endless, trivial inquiries of his patients regarding their daily meals, the famously blunt physician makes his frustration unmistakably clear.

"What would be proper for me to eat today?" says another lady.--"Boiled turnips."--"Boiled turnips! you forget, Sir Richard, I told you I could not bear boiled turnips."--"Then, Madam, you must have a--vitiated appetite."

Describing his harrowing, physical entrapment during a desperate bid for freedom, the French adventurer captures the agonizing reality of prison life.

In vain did my companions endeavour to pull me out by force, I was caught as if in a trap, and the pain of my situation was so extreme, that not expecting further help from within, I called to the sentry to render me assistance.

What It's Really About

The volume explores the radical instability of human fortune, constantly contrasting the grand tragedies of fallen statesmen and crumbling empires with the small, absurd comedies of everyday domestic life. It questions how individuals navigate power, social confinement, and moral redemption, whether through the tragic ruin of Wolsey, the remarkable criminal rehabilitation of Vidocq, or the fleeting illusions of pastoral romance. Beneath its entertaining, eclectic mix of travel notes, historical markers, and contemporary anecdotes, the text meditates deeply on the enduring permanence of art and nature versus the ephemeral vanity of human ambition, reminding readers that earthly glory inevitably fades into memory.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate nineteenth-century periodicals, historical miscellanies, and authentic period voices will find endless charm in this curated issue. Reading it feels precisely like sitting in a quiet nineteenth-century parlor while an erudite conversationalist shares travel tips, historical gossip, daring prison escapes, and moral reflections. Modern readers should be prepared for archaic phrasing, Victorian didacticism, and unvarnished period attitudes toward class and foreign nations, which occasionally surface across the varied entries. Yet, these historical hurdles amply reward reader patience by offering an entirely unfiltered, genuine window into the intellectual diet and entertainment of Regency Britain. What truly stays with you long after closing the volume is the striking, seamless juxtaposition of high tragedy and low comedy—ranging from Wolsey's solemn dying remorse to Grizel's hilariously unpolished, phonetic spelling. It is a wonderfully strange, heterogeneous artifact that proves human nature has remained delightfully eccentric across the centuries.