THE 'VICAR OF WREXHILL.

Man. TROLLOPS cannot write a book without libelling and cari-

caturing some class or other. The present subjects of her trading spite are that section of the Church of England called the Evan-

gelicals : but the Vicar of Wrexhill, if not the worst, is the

dullest of her efforts. Site is obviously ignorant even of the out- side of the religious world ; for otherwise, being quick and clever, the "stout housekeeper-looking personage" must have caught more correctly the pharisaical, self-satisfied spirit, which renders the active and energetic part of that sect obnoxious to a mix- ture of stern satire and biting ridicule, as well as the imita- tive parrot-like use of phrases on the part of the weaker brothers, which require knowledge and original zeal to prevent the parties using them from becoming a subject for comic banter. To draw this conclusion, requires no knowledge of the life. It will be sufficient to compare the exquisitely easy and truthful characters

of Geraldine, with the heavy, laboured, and forced exaggerations of the Vicar of Wrexhill, to be satisfied that Mrs. TROLLOPS has no acquaintance with " grace" or its semblance.

The general scheme of this fiction is borrowed from the play GI the Hypocrite ; as its leading character is taken from Dr.

Cantwell, refined, so far as mere externals go, into a correspon- dence with the greater refinement of our age, and acting in a somewhat larger sphere; but at the same time presented in worse

keeping, rendered more of a daub by Mrs. TROLLOPS'S changes,

and deprived of the unction which gives character to the Doctor. The reader, indeed, who looks only at appearances, will demur to this. He will say that Mr. Cartwright, the Vicar of the novel, is a clergyman of the Church of England, whilst Dr. Cantwell had " never been in orders ;" that the object of the Doctor's fortune-hunting views is the daughter of his patron whilst he tries to seduce the mother-in-law, but in the novel Mr. Cart- wright marries a widow and her daughter is the object of his unsuccessful lust—though he succeeds with another widow, for " he is a elivil among the women ; " that a young gentleman in the play defeats Cantwell by a substituted conveyance, whilst an old one in the story is the means of foiling Cartwright through a reel a ill ; and that the son of the dramatic dupe is a colonel without a mistress, but the son in the novel is deeply in love and only wishing to be a soldier. We will admit these differences, and many more; but the general purpose of each production is exactly the same,—to show lust and avarice concealed under the veil of religious hypocrisy; to represent them working upon weak instruments to accomplish their ends ; religious feelings being one grand means, and the spread of dissension in families another.

Nor do we believe that without the Hypocrite before her, Mrs. TROLLOPS would have written the Vicar of Wrexhill. BICKSR- srArp, though imitating MOLIERS, might correctly enough assign the vices spoken of to the representative of the low fanatical adven- turers of his time : at all events, his scenes have a truth-like air about them. Instances of every vice, even up to murder, might

doubtless now be found amongst professing Christians, as amongst any other extensive class of men ; but we imagine that

spiritual pride and imitative devotion are the average points of distinction in our day. Be this, however, true or false, Mrs. TROLLOPS'S pictures have for the most part an unreal and exag-

gerated appearance about them ; which proves pretty clearly that the writer sat down to invent, instead of reviving the results of observation.

The details of the story of the Vicar of Wrexhill are complex enough : its outline is easily told. Mr. Mowbray, a country gen-

tleman, the quintessence of perfection, and possessed of I4,000/. a year, dies suddenly of apoplexy, (the machinery of our modern novelists ;) and having received the bulk of his fortune through his wife, leaves it entirely at her disposal, without making any provision whatever for his children. Mr. Cartwright, the newly-ap- pointed Vicar of Wrexhill, intrudes himself upon the family in their bereavement, under the plea of administering spiritual consolation ; alld being ,one of those all-powerful,, all-accomplished, irresis- tible persons, which bad novelists delight to paint, he succeeds in alienating Mrs. Mowbray from two of her children, and finally in making her Mrs. Cartwright. In consequence, however, of a dis- covery of his true character, the lady secretly revokes a will she bad made in his favour ; and on her death, the arch-hypocrite is de- feated, and expelled loin his fancied possessions, in the very mo- ment of triumph.

It requires small knowledge to perceive that the beginning of this is improbable, and the ending impossible. It is not likely that a staid, prudent, elderly landed gentleman, should leave the whole of his estates at the absolute disposal of his wife, a weak- minded, foolish woman. But having done so, when the lady married again without a settlement, her possessions became the property of her second husband ; and though she had made two thousand w instead of two, they would have been mere waste paper. These errors of structure might, however, have been easily overlooked, for excellence of execution : but there is little or none of it dis- played in the general features of the work. The events that carry on the story, or tend to influence its termination, are not always likely, and are mostly brought about by unlikely means. The characters have little individuality, and the most prominent ones are melodramatic exaggerations, or gross caricatures. They rarely speak or act in a natural manner : Mrs. TROLLOPS racking her brains for effect is visible in almost every dialogue and " situation." Nor is the composition attractive : it is hard, literal, minute, and heavy, although she contrives to impress her descrip. tions upon the mind with considerable distinctness. If it were possible for a village to run away, Wrexhill church and church- yard might be successfully advertised in the Hue and Cry.

" The beauties of an English village have been so often dwelt upon, so often described, that I dare not linger lung upon the sketch of Wrexhill, which must

of necessity precede my introduction of its Vicar. And yet not even England can show many points of greater beauty than this oak-sheltered spot cau dis- play. Its peculiar style of scenery, half video half forest in aspect, is familiar to all who are acquainted with time New Forest, although it has features entirely its own. One of these is an overshot mill, the spatkling fall of which is accurately and most nobly overarched by a pair of oaks which have lung been the glory of the parish. Another is the gray and mellow beauty of its antique church, itself unencumbered by ivy, while the wall and old stone gateway of the churchyard look like a line and knot of sober green, enclosing it with such a rich and unbroken luxuriance of foliage " never seen," as seems to show that it is held sacred, and that no hand profane ever ventured to rob its venerable mass of a leaf or a berry. Close beside the church, and elevated by a very gentle ascent, stands the pretty vicarage, as if placed expressly to keep watch and ward over the safety and repose of its sacred neighbour. The only breach in the ivy-bound fence of the churchyard, is the little wicket-gate that opens from the vicarage garden • but even this is arched over by the same immortal and unfading green,—a fitting emblem of that eternity, the hope of which emanates from the shrine it encircles. At this particular spot, indeed, the growth of the plant is so vigorous, that it is controlled with difficulty, and has not obeyed the head which led it over the rustic arch without dropping a straggling wreath or two, which, if a vicar of the nineteenth century could wear a wig, ini;ht leave- him in the state coveted for Absalom by his father. The late Vicar of Wrex. hill, however,—I speak of him who died before my story begins,—would never permit these graeeful pendants to be shorn, declaring that the attitude they en- forced on entering the churchyard was exactly such as benefited a Christian when passing the threshhold of the court of God. " Behind the vicarage, and stretching down the side of the little hill on which it stood, so as to form a beautiful background to the church, rose a grove of lofty forest-trees, that seemed to belong to its garden, but which in fact was sepa- rated from it by the road which led to Mowbray Park, on the outskirts of which noble domain they were situated. This same road, having posed behind the church and vicarage, led to the village street of Wrexhill, amid thence towards various other parishes, over a common studded with oaks amid holly, bushes, OD one side of which, with shelving grassy banks that gave to the scene the appear. ance of noble pleasure-grounds, was a sheet of water Loge euough to be digni. fled by the appellation of Wrexhill Lake. Into this time little stream that turned the mill emptied itself, after meandering very prettily through Mowbray Park, where, by the help of a little artifice, it became wide enough at one spot to de. serve a boat and boat-house and at another to give occasion for the erection of one of the moat graceful park-bridges iu the county of Hampshire."

The exceptions to the censure we have passed are few and partial, consisting of scenes and bits. Mrs. TROLLOPS has hit off a ghostly flirtation or two not badly; and the painful position of young Mow- bray when dependent on his converted mother and father-in-law, is truthful and effective,—qualities which seem to arise, by the by, because the author was hardly aware of their existence. The cold atheistical daughter of Mr. Cartwright by a former marriage, is- also a good conception ; and there are occasionally some forcible but theatrical scenes. On the whole, however, the book has not so much of the circulating library interest as most of the writer's former works.

The Reverend William Jacob Cartwright, the Curate of Wres• hill, is represented as a Whig-Radical : why, we do not altogether perceive, for no use is made of it in the story. We are not coin- purgators of the Cabinet, but it is merely a matter of justice to observe that the Evangelical body in the Church of England have discovered little liking fur Whigdorn ; and now, when they are the sole remaining conscientious champions of " No-Popery,' they are less likely to be affected toward it than ever. In her total ig- norance of religion, Mrs. TROLLOPE seems to have confounded the politics of Evangelism with those of the more earnest Disseuters; and her friends the Tories will not be particulaly obliged to her for the mistake. If she has any eye to their probable advent, the picture she gives of a strong section of their party will not be par- doned, even for the following miserable notion of a Wing Cabinet Minister's correspondence. He is represented as breaking his promise about a living, in these terms-

" My dear Fellow—As the Devil would have it, I am now a Cabinet Minister, and I no more dare give the living to your Tury father's son, than I dare blow up Westminster Hall, or pull the Lord Chancellor's nose in public. I do assure you I am very sorry for this ; for I believe you are likely to be as good •

book itself. This scene takes place at a dinner given after a serious fancy fair. of the working classes should not depend on charity, and practi- The champagne flowed freely: and whether it were that the sacred cause for Bally these kinds of schools produce the worst effect. The which the meeting was assembled appeared tojustify, or at least excuse, some children have the notions of a pauper infused into their minds little excess; or that nothing furnished at Mr. Cartwright's board but must with their daily instruction; the parents get accustomed to a sense bring a blessing to him who swallowed it ; or that the fervent season led to of dependence, a contempt or disregard of education ; and as it thirst, and thirst to copious lileatious; whatever the cause, it is certain that a very large sonority of wine wait swallowed that day, and that even the most frequently happens that well-meaning people canvass the Foot serious of the party felt their spirits considerably elevated thereby. to send their children to school, they get a notion that they are But, in recording this fact, it should be mentioned likewise, that, except in conferring a favour in doing so, and often require to be bribed by some few instances, in which thirst, geed wine, and indiscretion united to over- school-gifts of clothing, or something equivalent, into sending them power some unfortunate individuals, the serious gentlemen of the party, though at all. Another advantage arising from the interference of Govern- elevated, were far from drunk ; and the tone of their conversation only became ment, would be the suppression of sectarian prejudice. At present, more animated, without losirg any portion of the peculiar jargon which dis• tinguished it when they were perfectly sober. if Churchmen establish a school, Dissenters of all sorts refuse to The discourse especially, which was cart ied on round Mr. Cartwright after let their children attend ; and vice versa; whilst the Dissenters the ladies retired, was, for the most part, of the most purely Evangelical cast ; have various differences and schisms amongst themselves. Ex- though some of the anecdotes related might, perhaps, in their details have par- perience has shown that it is useless for individuals to attempt taken more of the nature of miracles than they would have done if fewer sham- stemming this feeling : it is only the power and authority of Go- pa,;ne corks had saluted the ceiling. One clerical gentleman, for isstance, a Mr. Thompson, who was much his, vernment which can effectually enforce neutrality. tinguished for his piety, stated as a fact which had happened to himself, that, In addition to all these evils, the number received by these in his early days, before the gift of extempore preaching was fully come upon charity schools is comparatively few. Even in the densely- him, he was one Sabbath.day at the house of a reverend friend, who, being peopled Manchester, out of 50,000 children above five years of taken suddenly ill, desired Mr. Thompson to preach for him, at the same time age, only 20,119 attend schools of any kind. What is worse, futnishing hint with the written discourse which he had been himself about to deliver. " I mounted the pulpit," said Mr. Thompson, " with this written they arc taught little, and in the vast majority of cases nothing sermon in my pocket ; but the moment I drew it forth and opened it, I per- for any practical purpose. Numbers cannot read with readiness ceived, to my intxpressible dismay, that the handwriting teas totally illegible to or ease; few can write; scarcely any can cipher. Various causes me. For a few moments I was }:sited with heavy doubts and discomfiture of contribute to this. Most Sunday schools neither teach reading spirit ; but I had immediate recourse to prayer. I closed the book, and he- nor writing, because they are "mechanical arts, and to teach them sought God to inske its charactess legible to Inc ; and when I opened it again, the pages seemed to my eyes to he as a maraiscript of n.y own." would be a desecration of the Sabbath." The scholars are chiefly This statement, however, eves: pot only received with every evidence cf the taught to get by heart hymns or passages of Scripture, &c.; mist militating belief; but an elderly clergyman, who sat near the narrator, those who ean read, learning by themselves ; those who cannot, exclaimed with great warmth, " I thank ■ gm, Sir ; I thank you greatly, Mr. having the lesson read over to them in classes, until they are able Thump-on, for t his shinitq tx laille of the effect el 'Tidy piety and ready wit. to repeat it. The National and British Schools were respectively Though the cloth is tenaivei!, .-iir, I must ask to eh ink n gkss of wine with you ; founded by the Established Church and by Dissenter?: from it; and ilmy the !writ volition,: to :...11 Lis especial gmee." There }vine some plaasos, tei,, which though undoubtedly sanctioned iv the National by tests excluding Catholics, Nioravians, Unitarians, serious usage, sourmed strung, ly evlaal used in a scene apparently of such a ..-,,,y and ninny Dis'senter's ; nild the British being nearly as stringent festivity. its its way. Even at the chief or model schools in London, the eine gentleman confessed very franhly his insbility to resist taking 211(M. sf teachine is less efficieet than would have been supposed : in many such wise ii- that now -et uss re tilt in than was Mo:ether consistent with his of the branch schools it frequently resolves itself into teaching own strict ideas of ueotisteli..1 propriety. " But," added Le., " though in no yielding, I am conscious of being ill some sett wrong, I fed intimately peromdeil nothing that is remembered after a few years. The scanty re- at the same time, that by thus freely denionstratimr the stret.qth and power of sources of the parent and branch societies, are one cause of this O iginal sin within me, I am tieing a service to the cause of religion by esta- defective instruction, as they are neither able to provide proper b :•.1.ing one of its most important truths." tnasters, nor enough in proportion to the scholars. Another rea- This apology was received wide universal applause ; it manifested, as one son may be found in the dry and unattractive nature of their ele- ct' the comp.aly remarked, eyed soundness of faith and delicacy of conscience.

ll e been pay in.; me a visit." tuted through the want of means, as the great evil of the National " Indeed !" said Mr. Cartwright, whose attention was instantly roused by tlace is at least ten mils distant foam yors, I far, if 3;ou sup in the same style opinions of the writer.

serious, " I beg pardon, I made a sad blunder indeed." frequently out, and would leave the school to the care of the monitors. i " A mistake is no sin. Even I myself have sometimes been mistaken." by the minister ; every thing else neglected.

matt 34 puts escettent fathom, who, when he was my tutor, had certainly no Sc it O s) LS FOR THE INDUSTRIOUS CLASSES.

notion that I should turn nut such a first.rate Radical. However, there is no

resisting destiny ; aid so 'ale I am, just going to give my pretty little living to THE object of this timely tract is to take a survey of the existing some Reverend Mr. Somebody that I don't care a straw about, because my Lord state of popular education in England, and to suggest means fot BI— gays, that though a bit of a saint, he is a caloitiol clerical 1Vhip. I wish, its immediate improvement. The survey is broad, full, and satiss Edward, you'd try to forget all the fusty old nonsense about Church and fying—or, so far us its conclusions go, very unsatisfying ; and the State—upon my soul I do. Bygones are bygones, my dear fellow ; and if you could get up a clever pamphlet up the Tithe-laws, or on the Protestant afil. suggestions are brief, but perhaps sufficient for their purpose. pities to the Church of Rome, or any thing else with a good rich vein of The author begins with the principle of national education: Whiggery running through it I really think I might still be able to do some- and to the objection, that if national schools be established by Go- thing for you. Do think of this, and believe me, vernment, those maintained by voluntary subscription will cease "My dear fellow, very affectionately ynnr friend, "J. C. BLACKHOUSE."

'We will close with an amusing enough specimen of caricature: ho wishes to see the difference betty een nature little whether the money be raised by rate or subscription, since but the reader w

and fancy, may turn to our quotations from Geraldine, or to the at d much more equally by rating. In any other point of view,