THE LIBRARY NORTH BRITISH REVIEW. No. XXXIII. FOR MAY, 1852. before them, ART. I.-1. History of the Whig Adminis-"Who know themselves, and know the ways tration of 1830. By J. A. ROEBUCK. London, 1852. And from among them choose considerately, And having chosen, with a steadfast mind into mere unconscious instruments of des- In a country in which action is so rapid, interests so varied, and occupation so inIn politics especially, a mere "hand-tomouth" existence-living, as the French extense and unremitting, as with us where men of business, philosophers, and politi- Press it, au jour le jour-can never be cians, pursue each their own special object claim to be progressive. Yet it is the bepoliti-worthy of men who boast to be free and with exclusive and overestimating eagerness where the whole nation is engaged with setting peril, and has always been the pecuhealthy cheerfulness in unremitting effort Overwhelmed as they constantly are with a liar reproach of our busy British statesmen. and an unpausing race, it is not easy for those to find a hearing who would call upon through; and having literally to fight their mass of routine work, which must be got the actors in this exciting drama to draw up for a brief space, and consider themselves, way inch by inch against a host of antagotheir position, and their aims, as becomes nists, whose sole business is antagonism; knowing that every step will be a struggle, beings and therefore, naturally enough, stepping less where they wish and think they ought than where they must and think they can, they can rarely get sufficiently out of the "Holding large discourse, Looking before and after." Yet these breathing moments in the hasting press and throng to see far, or sufficiently course of time these Sabbatical hours of free from the urgent demands of the mothe world's quick existence-in which we ment to deliberate or muse. The position may review the past, estimate where we are apart, the dry ground of security above, standing, and ascertain whither we are tend-which are indispensable to the profound and ing, in which we may calculate our progress patient thought out of which wisdom and catch a clear vision of our goal, may emerges, are almost wholly denied them. take stock of our acquisitions and achieve- The country, too, seems content that it ments, investigate the value of our objects, should be so; it is satisfied to be served by and compare them with the price we are men who do the duties of the day with capaying for them, and the means which re- pacity and decorum; it is never overmain to us of obtaining them-such pauses exquisite to cast the shadow of uncertain for reflection, introspection, and foresight, evils;" it goes on from generation to geneare particularly necessary if we would not ration, meeting unforeseen emergencies with sink from the dignity of men extemporized expedients, stopping up a gap VOL. XVII. |