JESSE'S MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OV ENGLAND UNDER TIIE STUARTS.

TIM two volumes now published complete Mr. Jcssn's under- taking. They contain notices of Cummins, and his flintily ; of the Second CHARLES :HA JAMES; of their wives, and children both legitimate and illegitimate • and of' the most distinguished cour- tiers, male and female, who 'flourished during their reigns. These volumes display the same qualities as the former two : they are amusing, as being full of anecdote, gossip, ;Ind incidental pictures of the times; they are useful, as e'e formerly observed, because they contain a good deal of information respecting the Pskate lives and personal peculiarities of people, of Munn the reader of history desires to know something without well knowing where to get it. We suspect, however, that the continuation will excite less interest than the previous volumes, partly front the mind of the reader being dissatisfied unless an improvement or progres- sion is made, partly front the nature of the subject. If not more moral, tlte age of James the First and CUARLES the First was more massy and masculine than that of the two succeeding monarchs. The objects both of' kings and courtiers were larger, and pursued by means less contemptible, than those of' the wretched demireps and their paramours, who haunted Whitehall from the Restoration till the Revolution. Hence there is less weight in the matter and the persmat of these volumes,—for we need not say that our author is quite unequal to grapple with CROMWELL, had even the plan of his work permitted him systematically to notice history.

Mr. isssi: is it thorough Tory of the old school, or rather pos-

sesses the servile nature of' a thoroughgoing Tory chaplain. Yet the bitterest enemy of Royalty could hardly have hit upon a better plan for debasimrb it by comparison with Democracy, than is exhibited in theseilfentoirs j. the Court of' Englund under the Shoot's. The statesmen of the Commonwealth are unnoticed by Mr. JEssE ; but compare CROMWELL with CHARLES or 3Ast we do not mean as a captain or a ruler, for that would be ridicu- lous—but look at the lives of one and of the other. The gallantries of the Protector, if there were any, were decorousty veiled ; the debaucheries of Cnant.es were gross and shameless. The number of his mistresses, regular or occasional, is unknown ; so is the number of his illegitimate children. Mr. JEssE, however, has col- lected a goodly list of the recorded. "By Lucy Waltee, he was the father of the Duke of Monmouth, and a denial er. married lo Sarslield, Esq. 13) the Dutchcss of Cleveland he had six children—the Duke of Southampton, the Du..e of' Grafton, the Duke of 'Northumberland, the Countc.:s of States, the Countess or Lichfield, and a daterJiter, Barbara, who 1,ecatna a nun at l'onto;,e, By the rititowss of Port-mouth—the Duke of Itich•liond. By Nell ff wynn—the Doke of St. Albatt':=, and a ,on, James Beatnik; k, who died young. By :Nlary Lady lhaalalitwater. By Lady Shannon—the Counte:is or Yarmouth ; and by cathcrew Peg—the Earl of Plymouth, mid a daughter, 1,1m died Namag. It is remarkable that Charks should love been fitlitr to six Duke:, wli`o were alive at the same time; and that cach khoul:t have licen provided with a main tenance becoming his dignity."

But, with the morals., CHARLES had also the manners of' a gen/Ze- man; his grace and his wit. varnished over his profligacy ; his good.nsture and aflitbility, conjoined with the feelings of loyalty prevalent in those days, rendered him acceptable, not merely to his courtiers but to the populace. JAMES, IlOWever, was a sullen profligate, who ruined his constitution with as much gravity as if' he were a Roman censor regulating morals, aud pursued his amours with it savageness which the good-nature of his brother would have shrunk from. " Like master like man "—such as were the King and the Prince, so were the courtiers: amongst all the women 'whom Mr. .1 Esse notices there is scarcely one. of even a doubt/ill

character, and the profligacy of the men is of a kind which no

other age would have tolerated. The larger portion of' the third and the whole of' the fourth volume are no better than the history of a brothel: The gravest could not escape the influence of the Court. Cretan:cows, who would not allow his own wife to visit Lady CASTLEMAINE, was the instrument by which she was forced upon the Queen as a Lady of the Bedchamher ; and as his own narrative, intended as an apology, unconsciously paints his subserviency in the meanest light, we may judge what it was in reality. Nor, if CliARI.Es himself may be trusted as a witness, was vice limited to commerce of the sexes. The most respectable entertained what our ancestors called " swash-bucklers," or persoos of' sintilar stamp; who, no doubt, were not kept tbr nothing. When Lord Keeper Gumnroun once interceded for a man of indifferent reputation, " it is strange," said the King, " that every one of' my friends keeps a tame knave."

In CHARLES'S, as in the common case, the child was " father to the man." fame, and empire, were afterwards made subservient. This is amusingly, il- lustrated by the following brief correspondence. The Queen's note in of itself a curiosity, as being one of the very few letters of Henrietta in the English tongue, which have been handed down to us. It is written entirely in her own hand.

"Charles—I ant sore that I must begin my first letter with chiding you, beaus.' I hear that you will not take physic. 1 hope it was only for thus day, and that to-morrow you will do it ; for it' you will tmt, I must come to you and mike you to take it, for it is for your health. I have given order to my Lord Newcastle to send me word to-night whether you will or not ; therefore 1 hope you will not give me the pains to go. And so I rest ‘' Ilusittvrre MARIE, R.

" Your affectionate ectiote mother,

" To my dear son the Prince." We can scarcely doubt but that Charles bad his mother's remonstrance its Ids thoughts, in writing, about the same period, the following note to his go- vernor, the Earl of' Newcastle. It is written in the child's own hand, with lines ruled in pencil above and below.

‘. My Lord—I would not have you take too much physic ; for it (loth always make nte worse. and I think it will do the like with you. 1 ride every day, and am ready to thllow any other directions from you. INIake !mate to return to him that loves you. " CHARLES, P. " To my Lon' of Newcastle."

The King's escape after CROMWELL'S " crowning mercy" of. Worcester, is one- of the most remarkable adventures in modern history; and is clearly, though not very effectively, told by Mr. JEsse. Many relics connected with the escape are still remaining, which those who want an MAUDE.' trip may go in search of.

noscobei House is still standing—indeed, is almost in the same state as when it was visited by Charles ; hut the old mansion of White Ladies has been pulled down, though the ruins of' its more ancient monastery still remain. Mosely Hall, the scat of the Whitegraves, with its green lanes and old gable-ends, IS still an interesting relic of the past. Bentley Hall, the residence of the Lanes, and Abbotsleigh, the scat of the Nortons, are no more. The old house at Trent still remains, ami, independent of all other associations, would alone be rendered classic. groan& from its church containing the monuments of the loyal Wyndhams. Bele has passed front the family of Ilydes, and has been recently pulled down. Many other interesting mementos of Charles's wander- ings are still in existence; but modern Vandalism, or what is styled itnprove- ment, will probably soon lay them in the dust. The old inns of Mere and Charmouth were recently HI being, and may possibly be yet standing. Near the old parish church at Brighton may will be seen the tomb of Nicholas TM:terse!, who conveyed the King to Fecamp. But the Royal Oak, the most interesting of' all these relics, has long been gathered to his fathers. An off- spring. however, sprung front one of the father acorns, still points out the memorable spot. An iron railing protects it from harm; and may it long be regarded with reverence by the lovers of the past !

PRUDENCE OP A DEII.1UCHEE.

Charles never permitted the revels of the night to be referred to on the fol- lowing morning. By this means he in some degree prevented the over- Ibmiliarity of his less eligible associates. and put a stop to expectations that he might have held out in the hilarity of the moment and the over-fulness of his heart. Among his boon companions, also, he seems to have been more on hie guard than might have been expected. To one, who importuned Jilin for favour in one of' his jovial moments, " You bad better," he said, " ask the King to-morrow."

A coisrumNT PICKPOCKET.

Charles loved what may be called fun as much as the youngest of his courtiers. On one of his birthdays, an impudent rascal of a pickpoeltet had obtained admission to the drawing-room. in the garb of a gentleman. He had succeeded in extracting a gold sit utf-box from a noideman's pocket, null was quietly trans- ferring it to his own, when, looking up, be suddenly c.aught the King's eye, and discovered that be had been perceived hy his 'Majesty. The lalmv, aware, in all probability, ()I' the King's character, had the humid...nee to put his finger to his tease. and winked knowingly at Charles to hold his tongue. Shortly afterwards, the King was much 'unused by pereciting the nobleman feeling one pocket after another in search of' his 1 reastire. At last be could resist no longer ; and, !oohing about him, (probably to make call ain that the thief had escaped.) he (act to the injured person, " You necd Ind, my Lord, give yourself any more trouble about it ; your box is gone, and I own myself an accomplice. I could not help it, I was made a confidant."

The superiority of CHARLES, not merely in politeness and refine- ment of' 'manner, hut even in wit, will be best appreciated by coin- paring hint with any of his courtiers. Vit.i.mas Duke of Buckingham, the " Zintri" of Davniev, was a man of acknowledged wit ; but how much of' coarseness, or disregard of' others' feelings—neither of which Cnants:s ever allowed himself' to indulge in—are visible in these anecdotes! There is, too, a vulgarity about them, which rudely jars against one's ideas of the man whose carriage was so graceful that the eye could not help followiug him /Is he moved along the presence-chamber, and whose cognomen was the "witty."

twesixonam Forum: A JESUIT.

King James the Second took considerable interest in Buckingham's spiritual welfare, and by means of Fathers Petre and Fitstgerald endeavoured to C1111 vort him to Popery. There is extant an acconnt of his conference with the former divine, %) bich affords an agreeable in statute of Buckingham's wit. I. Father Petro.- says the relater of' the anecdote, " undertook to convert the DII ke of 13uel:ingliam to Popery ; and, among other arguments that he was pr,•pared with, bet out with this, which these casuists commonly urge, and Inch, [Mocking the imagination in its weakest point, fear, draws in many Sill)' people. ' We,' said the good Jesuit, deny tint any one can possibly be saved out of our Church ; your Grace allows that our people may be saved.' 4 No, curse ye,' said the Duke, I make no doulit butt you will he all dammed to a maim.' Fhe reverend Miller started, and said gravely, ' Sir, I cannot argue with a person so void of all charity." I did not expect, my reverend father,' said the Duke calmly, ' such a reproach from you, whose whole reasoning with me was founded on the very same instance of want of charity in 3-ourself.'"

nucioNGIIAltt ON HIS 'MATURED.

An incident is related of' Buckingham during his last illness, which, both as a deathbed anecdote, and as affording a last specimen of his peculiar humour, will he read with interest. The circumstance in question is related by the younger Richardson ; who, however, unfortunately omits mentioning his authority. "An George Villiers Duke of Buckingham was dying, which he did at an inn, the Duke of Queensberry, going down to Scotland, heard of it when he was within a few miles of the place, and went to make him a visit. Seeing him in this condition, lie asked him if he would not have a clergyman ? look upon them,' said the Duke, to be a parcel of very silly fellows, who don't trouble themselves about what they teach.' So Queensberry asked him if he would have his chaplain, for he was a Dissenter ? No,' says Buckingham, those fellows always make me nick with their whine and cant.' rhe Duke of Queensberry taking it for granted he must be of some religion or other thect

supposed undoubtedly it must be the Catholic ; and told him there was a Popish lord in the neighbourhood, named him, and asked if he should not send for his priest ? No,' says he, those rascals eat God ; but if you know any set of fellows that eat the Devil, I should be obliged to you if you would send for one of them.' A GOOD RETORT OF DALZIEL.

When James, during the reign of his brother Charles, was sent as a kind of state exile into Scotland, he happened one day to itivite the famous General Dalziel to dinner. The Dutchess, observing three covers lab), upon the table, and ascertaining from James the quality of their intended guest, objected, it is said, to sit at table with a private gentleman. Dalziel, who happened to enter the room at this particular moment, overheard the spirit of the conversation. "Madam," he said with proper pride, "I have dined at a table where your father stood behind my back." Be alluded to the period when he bad served in the Imperial army, when her father, the Duke of Modena, had attended as a vassal of the Emperor, on an occasion when Dalziel happened to dine in state at the Imperial table.

In calling Mr. JESSE'S Volumes useful and amusing, we cannot accord to them any high authority. He has followed his authors without much discrimination, and sometimes inserted anecdotes of a very apocryphal or a very improbable kind. His acquaintance with the age does not appear to extend beyond the books be has read for the purpose of writing; and his acumen is small.