HALL'S LIFE OF' SALT.

THOUGH far from ranking in the first class either of men of in- tellect or men of action, and chiefly indebted for his celebrity to the positions in which he was placed, SALT was not an everyday character. " The last infirmity of noble minds," a yearning after posthumous distinction, was strong within hint. His courage and resolution appear to have been considerable ; when a sufficient stimulus was applied, his patience, industry, and powers of en- durance, were great. It is not saying much of a candidate for public regard, that his social and domestic affections were keen, and his manners engaging, though not apparently of the highest polish ; but, judging front effects, his powers of adaptation must have been extensive ; for he conciliated men of opposite characters, countries, and ranks,—the English aristocracy and middle classes, the rough adventurers PEARCE and COFFIN, the barbarians of Abyssinnia, the people of all ranks and various nations with whom an Egyptian Consul must come in contact; and having seen MEHEMET ALI during his first journey, the Pacha expressed his pleasure on SALT'S appointment to the Consulate, that the Govern- ment had sent a man whom he knew, and not "a stiff unaccommo- dating Englishman."

His mental qualities were inferior to his practical ones. Of the higher order of sentiment he had none ; of imagination very little; he could not soar beyond "the visible diurnal sphere." He looked at the past for proof, and (in a liberal sense) for profit : the ennobling or melancholy associations which a survey of the wrecks of empires creates in the more sensitive mind, found no place in his. An inscription would es- tablish a fact or a date; an antique was valuable to a speculator or a museum ; the discovery of a site or a city was a step towards his darling fame. Some of these narrow notions extended to places more immediately related to modern tittles. The cities of Italy, which "die daily," conjured up little beyond lamentations for his creature comforts. Nothing connected with Padua and Ferrara struck hint save the badness of the roads between the two cities. Venice was " uncomfortable; " her waters stagnant; her arabesques in a bad style. Yet this worldly cast of intellect

saved him from bombast or sickly sentimentalism. His compel& tion is not of the highest order, but it is strong and nervous ; his remarks those of a man wise in big generation; his reasoning to

the point. Of learning he possessed but little; his acquaintance with languages extended to French, Italian, Arabic, Latin, Greek, and perhaps to Ethiopic ; but his knowledge was useful, not nice or profound ; his readieg was extensive, but desultory. Had life and health been spared him, he would without doubt have thrown a very much stronger light upon Egyptian antiquities : whether he could have acquired the immortality for which he thirsted, is more doubtful. So far as he could, however, he trusted nothing to

chance; exacting a promise from his amiable friend, Mr. HALLS, that if he survived him he would write his life : and the two oc- tavos before us are the result of the pledge.

HENRY SALT was born at Lichfield, in 1780. His father was a surgeon,—a man of some ability and shrewdness; but, it would

appear, of great oddity, and what is popularly termed a character. That he was deeply attached to his son, there is no doubt; but he barely discharged what custom has established as the average duties as a parent. Young IlEnay was sent about front school to school, without reaping the usual advantages which boys receive even from our defective system of education. Having at his last

master's taken some lessons in drawite5 and made some advances in the accomplishment, his friends and family—it would seem without consulting his own feelings, and certainly without inquiring into the prospects of success, or the proper modes of endeavouring to attain it—determined that he should become a portrait-painter ; sent him up to London, and placed hint under Mr. FARINGTON, who practised landscape. Having, as regarded his immediate ob- ject, wasted some time under that gentleman, he was placed with Mr. HOPPNER; but the want of due preparation in the elementary studies rendered him incauable of fully profiting by the artist's instructions. During this period of his life, he appears to have suffered anxieties, such as those only who have been thrown upon the world, and had almost hopelessly to struggle with the diflicul- ties of an arduous pursuit and with themselves, can conceive. Mr. HALLS describes hint as subject at this time to occasional fits of the deepest depression, during which he was unable to exert himself: his mind was always harassed with the prospect of the future, and he took a strong dislike to the profession of painting— ostensibly from the small degree of estimation in which it was held, and the little prospect of acquiring fame, but more probably front his own ill success in the pursuit. Nor were these all the evils which the rashness of his friends created. Cast upon the London world at the early age of seventeen, without any one to guide or control him, he was, says his biographer, " continually falling a prey to indiscretions, for which his better feelings uni- formly reproached him." Over these fillings the affection of his friend has in some measure drawn a veil; but we gather, that they consisted in a love of wine and company, and a "devotion to the gentler sex." His irregularities induced pecuniary embarrass- ment; the absence of any regular course of employment, a habit of procrastination greater than Mr. HALLS ever met with. His debts were paid by his father, who discovered his embarrassment during a severe illness with which he was afflicted on the death of his mother. His habit of delay was never entirely overcome upon matters which could be postponed. After quitting Mr. HOPPNER, he took " some very humble rooms in Panton Square, Haymarket," and started in life as a por trait-painter. But though his natural ability was good, his skill was small, his craft nothing, and his gains insufficient for his support. Taking the most favourable view, a life of drudgery and obscurity was apparently before him ; when Lord VALENTIA (who was acquainted with his family), starting on his travels, ap- pointed him his draughtsman and companion. This was the Iood which led to fortune. Hereafter, the events of his life were more important, and, individually, perhaps less interesting. He accompanied Lord VALENTIA to India and Arabia; proceeded on a demi-official mission to the Ras of Tigre, a nominal dependent on the King of Abyssinnia, but in reality the King-maker; and returning with his Lordship, published an account of his journey, and in another volume some twenty-four views in India. He was next appointed as an accredited agent to the King of Abyssinnia; but, owing to the disturbed state of the country, failed in reach- ing him, having proceeded no further than on his first journey. The next act exhibits him a London lion, engaged in a round of visits, and procrastinating the composition of his travels till a fit of sickness confined him to the house. After his return from a provincial tour, the Consul-General of Egypt died, and SALT strained every nerve to procure the appointment. He was, how- ever, too much a man of the world to urge his former acquaintance with the country, some knowledge of the language, experience of the Turko-Africans, and in short mere fitness. He depended upon interest.; applied to some powerful friends for their recommen- dations, procured them, and the office. During the twelve years he resided in Egypt, his exertions in bringing to light the buried antiquities of the country, his connexions and difference with BELZONI, his splendid collections of antiquities, his somewhat shabby treatment by the Museum, the munificent purchase of his second collection by the French, and his death, are all known in their outlines to the public. But Mr. HALLS has presented them in a connected form, illustrated them with ample details, and, by means of SALT'S private letters, exhibited the man in his indivi- dual character, his loves, his marriage, his happiness, and his do mastic miseries. The governiag event of' SALT'S life was undoubtedly his con- nexion with Lord VALENTIA, now the Earl of MOUNTNORRIS. Their first introduction was singular In the month of Jane 1799, Lord Valentia was in London. The Reverend Thomas Simon Butt, who has been before mentioned, was also there upon his own concerns ; Snd as he and his Lordship were on intimate terms, they were a good deal together, and in company went to many exhibitions, with which the Isletropolis at that season of the year abounds. Among others, on the 4th of June, ti ey visited Fuseli's Gallery, in Pall Mall. It so happened, that when they first entered there was only one other person in the room, a young man, who inune- diately came up and spoke to Mr. Butt in a very cordial mariner, hut was received with so much coolness that be directly retired. Lord Valentia thought tt is singular, and asked Mr. Butt who the young man was? He replied he (lid not know, but had supposed he was an acquailitance of his Lordship. Lord Valentia assured him that he was not, and that from his manner he conceived it was some one who knew him, 3Ir. Butt, well. On hearing this, 31 r. Butt immediately quitted Lord Valentia and joined the stranger, with whom he soon appeared on the most familiar terms, and directly introduced him to his Lord- ship, exclaiming, " Why it is my nephew, Henry Salt !" The fact was, Mr. Butt had not seen Salt for many years, and the latter was so grown and altered that his uncle had not the most distant recollection (if him when he first spoke to him ; and Henry, shocked at the coldness of his reception, had turned away in anger and disgust from a relative %rho he fancied was ashamed to acknowledge him in the company of an individual who evidently bore tile appearance of a man of rank and fashion.

Independently of Lord Valentia's long attachment to the Butt family. be had formed, as has been before observed, a most intimate friendship with IV. Salt (henry's brother), when they were fellow pupils at Dr. Butt's, and that friend- ship bad continued unabated. His Lordship therefore felt anxians to show every attention in his power to Henry Salt. He introduced him to Ida family and friends, and from that period, whenever his Lordship was in London, he saw a good deal of him during the two or three following years.

About the end of the year 1801, or the beginning of 180-2, Lord Valentia formed the design of visiting India, and communicated his intention to Salt ; when the latter, seeing the opportunity favourable, lost no time in soliciting his Lordship to allow him to embark with him in the double capacity of secretary and draftsman. Lord Valentia, not baying had the most distant notion of ask- ing him to accompany him, felt a good deal surprised at the proposal, as he had considered Salt as just settled in his profession, and had no idea of making an offer which appeared likely to interfere with his progress as an artist ; but -Salt mentioning the melancholy state of his prospects., and his wish to quit the. pur- suit in which he was then engaged, his Lordship at length acquiesced m his views, and agreed to his going out with him if he could obtain his father's con- sent to the proposition. In a novel, this circumstance would have been pronounced absurd: let us endeavour to trace the dffibrence between the strangeness of truth and the strangeness of fiction. It will perhaps be found chiefly toconsist in the relation which the other circumstances of real life bear to the apparently leading event. The introduction of itself would have availed him nothing. But Lord Va LENTIA was acquainted with our hero's family; he was indeed closely attached to two of lsis relations, and hence disposed to serve him; whilst SALT was in tho oxact position to profit by his friendship. He had no prospects in life ; he was disgusted with his pursuit, and waiting for an op- portunity to quit it; and the circumstance which barred his ad- vancement in portrait-painting—an early training for landscape— was the accomplishment which qualified him for draughtsman to a traveller.

We have alluded to his general " devotion" to the fair. Be- sides this universal affection, he was thrice in love, and only once successful. His first love adventure took place so early in life that his friends used to treat his attachment as a capital joke, and "deal out their advice and ridicule in no very measured terms." This lady died early, and SALT . . . . felt her loss so severely, as to shut himself up in his room for some days' refusing all nourishment and consolation. In this melancholy state, it was with the utmost difficulty that his friends could arouse him to exertion; and when at length he partially recovered from the shock his feelings had sustained, his first care was to paint a portrait of the lady from memory. It must have been an extraordinary likeness, though coarsely executed ; as, after the lapse of nearly one-and-thirty years, 1 accidentally and for the first time, fell into the com- pany of one of her brothers, who bears a strong resemblance to her, and instantly recognized him from his striking similarity to his sister's picture,—the original of which I had never seen.

Though time and the sanguineness of youth enabled Salt in some measure to overcome this heavy affliction, yet he never ceased to speak of the object of Iii, early affection with expressions of deep regret and sorrow. It is, perhaps, rather an affecting circumstance, that only a few months back, in looking over some papers and letters which he had consigned to my care, I met with a sealed paper, and on opening it, found it contained a lock of her hair, with a request, in lus own handwriting, that I would burn the contents in case of his death.

His next attachment was formed shortly before his appointment to the Consulship: but the lady was an only child, her father dreaded to part with her, she dreaded Egypt, and SALT was re- jected. At the age of nine-and-thirty, he married a young girl of sixteen. But his connexions with the fair sex were not fortunate. The union was one of unmixed happiness; but Mrs. SALT died within five years of their marriage, under melancholy circum- stances. This blow SALT never thoroughly recovered ; and, coupled with over exertion in his official duties, it probably hastened his end.

Had the various demands upon our space been less, we should have gladly quoted some letters of SALT, illustrative of these passages in his life,—especially the grave, cool, reasoning letter, to his friend RICHARDS on his rejection ; and contrasted it with the abrupt, obscure, and passionate epistle to his sister, written long afterwards. But for these matters, as well as for some in- sight into the way our foreign diplomatic business is attended to

by the Downing Street people, and the length of time those wor- thies take to answer business letters—if indeed they answer them at all—we must refer to the volumes. In their planning, Mr.

HALLS has been impressed with too exalted a notion of his hero's importance, which has extended his work to an undue length ; and the abridged narrative of the two journies to Abyssinnia was scarcely needed, since SALT had long since given them to the world at large. In other respects, the biography is plain and unpretending ; and Mr. HALLS, when it is possible, judiciously allows SALT to tell his own tale.