From The Fortnightly Review. The em demands on the part of the peasants for further rights, yet brought no danger to Alexander II. The danger was in stopIn spite of the fears of statesmen and ping short in the path of reform after havthe selfish opposition of officialism, the ing raised the hopes of the nation by condition and experience of the Russian taking such a splendid step. But it is people seem to make them specially fit for difficult for an absolute ruler - unless a political freedom. They are reared in the man of exceptional power and ability to practice of local self-government, which see the wisdom of the policy of conces is the best of all schools for the exercise sion or voluntarily to adopt it. of political rights. Everywhere the peas- peror is surrounded by a vast bureauantry, the great bulk of the nation, are cracy which looks with distrust and hatred accustomed to meet, to vote, and manage on the idea of political self-government, their social and local affairs; to elect the and which feels that its own existence is managers of their commune, and to im- incompatible with popular power and free plicitly obey those whom they have institutions. With no press, platform, or elected. They have to provide, not indi- Parliament through which he can hear vidually, but each commune collectively, the direct voice of the people, or see. for the excessive taxation imposed by things as they are, the czar relies on the central government, and in addition officialism. He sees with its eyes, hears to bear the irritating and constant inter- with its ears, and trusts to it for the adference of a central officialism. The ex-ministration of his will. Accordingly tension of their experience and action there is no response to any popular defrom local and social to political and na- sire. In retirement and in virtual defeat tional affairs seems a safe and natural the czar still clings to the reactionary step. There are, in fact, unusual guaran- policy. It is true there is a mild form of tees in Russia for the right exercise of liberalism which is permitted in Russia, political power by the people. They have and found even among the official classes few difficulties of caste, their present as- and in society. When referred to in semblies being representative and demo- newspapers it is apt to mislead the for cratic. There is the conservative ele-eign reader by indicating the existence in ment of a common ownership in land, each Russia of a recognized and progressive man being, as a rule, in his corporate ca- Liberal party. It is, however, merely a pacity a proprietor of the soil and re- fashionable profession of a liberalism by. sponsible to the commune for his individ-persons who enlarge on the advantages ual contribution to the common welfare. of constitutional government as a princiConsequently they have not had that most ple for countries to which it is applicaserious of all problems in their political ble, and who are anxious to give freedom future which other European nations have to the people when they are fit for it, and yet to solve the existence of a vast so forth. With grave signs of agrarian propertyless class in the midst of an ever- troubles in several parts of the empire, increasing national wealth. In this crisis with an ever-increasing army of officials, the one means of safety for the emperor with oppressive taxation, with annual would be for him to throw off the fatal deficits and new loans, with national load of absolute power; to call the people credit strained almost to its limit, with a to his aid by conceding to them political large and increasing revolutionary party rights and representative institutions; which lays hold of the intellect of the counand through the action of a constitutional try, and which cannot be kept down even government to destroy, or rather to use by the severest methods of repression, it and guide, the revolutionary forces which must be admitted that the outlook in Rusexperience shows it cannot control. The sian politics is a dark one. As to the policy of concession, though difficult, is issue of the perilous conflict between czar safe, if when once entered on it is con- and people, it requires but little political tinued. The emancipation of the serfs, insight to predict that the present system though imperfectly carried out and lead-in Russia cannot last. It would not be ing as it is doing to angry and ominous | rash to add that it cannot last long. For EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. Remittances should be made by bank draft or check, or by post-office money-order, if possible. If neither of these can be procured, the money should be sent in a registered letter. All postmasters are obliged to register letters when requested to do so. Drafts, checks and money-orders should be made payable to the order of LITTELL & Co. Single Numbers of THE LIVING AGE, 18 cents. From The Church Quarterly Review. know what he was must make a conception of him for themselves out of his THE friends of Bishop Thirlwall have works, for they will derive but little help done scant justice to his memory. The from his biographers and editors, if we list of works which we have placed at the except the brief but deeply interesting head of our article shows that three per-preface written by Dean Perowne. Mr. sons have been employed either in editing such of his works as it was thought proper to republish, or in recounting some few particulars of a life which ought, we think, to have been related with greater detail and a more lucid arrangement of materials. We are told by Dean Perowne that "the bishop's life was not an eventful life." It certainly was not, in the ordinary sense of the word, eventful. A biography which relates the ever-changing incidents of a bustling career, spiced with good stories and more or less indiscreet revelations of matters hitherto kept secret, is doubtless a very entertaining, and in a certain sense valuable, production. We think, however, that the narrative of such a life as Bishop Thirlwall's might, in good hands, have been made more valuable and quite as entertaining. It is true that he rarely quitted his peaceful retreat at Abergwili; but, paradoxical as it sounds, he was no recluse. He took part in spirit, if not in bodily presence, in all the important events, political, religious, and literary, of his time; and when he chose to break silence in speech or pamphlet no one could command a more undivided attention or exercise a more powerful in fluence. Those, however, who wish to Stokes, the author of the very meagre thread of narrative which connects together the letters published in 1881, had not the advantage of knowing Bishop Thirlwall personally, and does not appear to have possessed the qualities essential to a biographer. Important events of the bishop's life are either left altogether unnoticed, or treated so scantily that they might as well have been omitted. It has been stated that Bishop Thirlwall's own dislike of even alluding to past controversies operated as a reason for omitting certain subjects, as, for instance, the Rev. Rowland Williams's letter to him and his reply; but surely such sentimental considerations ought not to have been allowed to interfere with the completeness of an historic picture. Dean Perowne tells us in his preface that the materials for the biography are "scanty and imperfect." This good-natured effort to save the character of his colleague only serves to bring out more clearly the unfitness of the latter for the task which he undertook. The scantiness of the materials rendered it all the more necessary that the editor should have made the most of those submitted to him- should have used every care in illustrating them, and should have supplemented them with all the information at * 1. Remains, Literary and Theological, of Connop Thirlwall, late Lord Bishop of S. David's. Ed-tainable in the way of dates, references, ited by J. J. STEWART PEROWNE, D.D. Vol. 1 Charges delivered between the years 1842 and 1860. Vol. 2: Charges delivered between the years 1863 and 1872. 8vo. London, 1877. 2. Essays, Speeches, and Sermons. By CONNOP THIRLWALL, D.D., late Lord Bishop of S. David's. Edited by J. J. STEWART PEROWNE, D.D. 8vo. London, 1880. 3. Letters to a Friend. By CONNOP THIRLWALL, late Lord Bishop of S. David's. Edited by the Very Rev. ARTHUR PENRHYN STANLEY, D.D. 8vo. London, 1881. 4. Letters, Literary and Theological, of Connop Thirlwall, late Lord Bishop of S. David's. Edited by the Very Rev. J. J. STEWART PEROWNE, D.D., Dean of Peterborough, and the Rev. LOUIS STOKES, B.A., Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. With Annotations and Preliminary Memoirs by the Rev. LOUIS STOKES. 8vo. London, 1881. 5. Letters to a Friend. New Edition. London, 1882. and the like. This view of his duties does not seem to have presented itself to Mr. Stokes. Again, we may ask, why did not Dean Stanley, at whose suggestion Mr. Stokes was employed, collaborate with him? We can conceive no reason for publishing the "Letters to a Friend" in a separate volume, and many for inserting them in their proper place in the other series. They deal with no distinct class of subject; but, on the contrary, elucidate many points left obscure in the volume published in the following year, and which seems to have been intended as the final "Life and Letters" of the bishop. His life, as we understand the word, has yet to be written; and we fear death has removed most of those who could perform the task in a manner worthy of the subject. For ourselves, all that we propose to do is to try to set forth his talents and his character, by the help of the materials before us, and of such personal recollections as we have been able to gather together. Connop Thirlwall was born February II, 1797. His father, the Rev. Thomas Thirlwall, minister of Tavistock Chapel, Broad Court, Long Acre, lecturer of S. Dunstan, Stepney, and chaplain to the celebrated Thomas Percy, Lord Bishop of Dromore, resided at Mile End. We can give no information about him except the above list of his preferments; and of Connop's mother we only know that her husband describes her as "pious and virtuous," and anxious to "promote the temporal and eternal welfare" of her children. She had the satisfaction of living long enough to see her son a bishop.* Connop must have been a fearfully precocious child. In 1809 the fond father published a small duodecimo volume entitled "Primitiæ; or, Essays and Poems on Various Subjects, Religious, Moral, and Entertaining. By Connop Thirlwall, eleven years of age." The first of these essays is dated "June 30, 1804. Seven years old ;" and in the preface the father tells us: without the most remote idea he could write We will quote a passage from one of these childish sermons, written when he was eight years old. The text selected is, "Behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years" (Isaiah xiii. 6); and, after some commonplaces on the condition of Hezekiah, the author takes occasion from the day, January 1, 1806, to make the following reflections: I shall now consider what resolutions we ought to form at the beginning of a new year. The intention of God in giving us life was that we might live a life of righteousness.. The We ought, then, to live in righteousness and same ever is His intention in preserving it. obey the commandments of God. Do we not perceive that another year is come, that time is passing away quickly, and eternity is approaching? and shall we be all this while in a state of sin, without any recollection that the kingdom of heaven is nearer at hand? But we ought, in the beginning of a new year, to form a resolution to be more mindful of the great account we must give at the last day, and live accordingly: we ought to form a resolution to reform our lives, and walk in the ways of God's righteousness; to abhor all the lusts of the flesh, and to live in temperance; and resolve no more to offend and provoke God with our sins, but repent of them. In the beginning of a new year we should reflect a little : although we are kept alive, yet many died in the course of last year; and this ought to make In the short sketch which I shall take of the young author, and his performance, I mean not to amuse the reader with anecdotes of extraordinary precocity of genius ; it is, however, but justice to him to state, that at a very early period he read English so well that he was taught Latin at three years of age, and at fourus watchful. read Greek with an ease and fluency which There is not much originality of thought astonished all who heard him. From that time in this; indeed, it is impossible to avoid he has continued to improve himself in the knowledge of the Greek, Latin, French, and English languages. His talent for composition appeared at the age of seven, from an accidental circumstance. His mother, in my absence, desired his elder brother to write his thoughts upon a subject for his improvement, when the young author took it into his head to ask her permission to take the pen in hand His request was of course complied with, too. Letters, etc., p. 177. the suspicion that the paternal sermons, |