The Parterre of poetry and historical romance Volume 4 ; with essays, sketches, and anecdotes

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1836 Excerpt: …as a Livonian, born in a province that had certain rights and privileges to defend, and called to mind that he had quitted Livonia with no other view than to assert those rights, esteemed him a martyr to the liberties of his country. All, however, agreed that the title of Ambassador from the Czar ought to have rendered his person sacred. The King of Sweden alone, bred up in the principles of despotism, believed that he had done no more than an act of justice; while all Europe besides condemned in that act his merciless cruelty. The quarters of Patkul remained exposed on gibbets till the year 1713; when Augustus, having re-ascended the throne, gave orders lo collect those sad proofs of the extremity he had been reduced to at Altranstad. They were brought before him in a box, to Warsaw, while Buzenval, the French envoy, happened to be present. The King of Poland, directing that minister’s eye to the box–” There,” said he coolly, ” there are the members of Patkul;” without adding a single word either in blame or in pity to his memory; and without any one person present daring to open his lips, on a Subject at once so delicate and tragical. THE WRITINGS OF WASHINGTON IRVING. BY WILLIAM S. SOMNER. Mr. Irving is, at once, the.Raphael and the Teniers of literary art. His productions are animated with the graceful freedom of the Italian painter, and fin ished with the exquisite minuteness of the Flemish artist. In the same time, and on the same occasion, he rises with the one to sketch the features of nature’s grandest scenes, and descends, with the other, to elaborate the lace upon a lady’s sleeve. His powers are bold–his taste delicate, even to fastidiousness. To modern taste and ordinary thinking this cautious perfecting of parts may seem t…