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Review.—Irving's Life of Buchanan.

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George Buchanan is an instance of more various excellence than belongs to any man of his time. He was, in Latin, a lyric and dramatic poet,—an historian,—and the most rational and accomplished writer on politics of that age;—and all this with a spirit of freedom, which Milton and Sydney, a century afterwards, did not excel, and with a grammatical accuracy of which Quintilian himself might have approved. As a practical politician, he was firm, moderate, and judicious;—too high-minded to adopt all the fervour of vulgar prejudice—while he was essentially bound in mind and heart to the popular cause,—and too independent to make common interest with an ignorant and selfish nobility,—or to flatter the weaknesses of a pedantic monarch; though in the one body he could see a part more worthy than the rest, and, in the other, something that was to be supported as belonging to the chief magistrate of the nation. It is pleasing to speak of such a man in the language of Milton.

As an officer of the government, he was disinterested, and as useful and intelligent as we can imagine of one who had a large previous acquaintance with mankindgreat natural acuteness,—and an intimate friendship and connexion with the wisest statesmen of his day. His noble generosity, and contempt of all pecuniary advantages, may be inferred from the fact, that though he had been preceptor to the king, and enjoyed some of the most honourable and lucrative appointments, along with a pension of five hundred pounds,—yet all he died possessed of was a part of the half-yearly payment of that pension. As for the finer shades of his personal character, we have no materials on which to ground a fair account of them,—and mere presumption, in this case, is neither honest nor useful. But we think that the opening of his "Admonitioun" is clearly illustrative of a genteel modesty of demeanour, and an arch suavity of manner, nearly allied to generosity and vigour of mind, and lar removed from pedantry or bigotry. The passage would do honour to the adroit politeness of a modern adviser.

For his vigorous determination of mind, and strong sense of independence, the story related by James Melvin, among other instances, may suffice. A year before the death of the historian, while his health was declining, Andrew Melvin and his nephew, James, paid him a visit; and finding, that in the latter part of his history, which was then at press, he had spoken rather freely of the conduct of Queen Mary in the affair of Rizzio, ventured to express their fears that the king would issue a prohibition against the work. "Tell me, man," said Buchanan, "if I have told the truth?"—"Yes, sir," replied his cousin, "I think so."—"Then," rejoined the dying historian, "I will abide his feud, and all his kin's. Pray to God for me, and let him direct all."

As an historian, he is remarkable for the classical purity and richness of his diction,—and commendable, in so far as regards events that approach his own times, for the spirit and "sooth-fastness" of his narration,—as well as for a high-minded regard to the liberties and happiness of mankind.—Of his dialogue, "De Jure Regni," we can only say, that it brings him far beyond his age,and that coupling its invaluable principles, which are those of our English revolution, with its exquisite Latinity, it is the finest prose composition by any modern in the language of ancient Rome.

In this work, as well as in his history, the maxims of free government, though they be too frequently and carefully sanctioned, as was the practice of his time, by references to classical story, and though they attach too much to the ancient problem of tyrannicide, are wonder fully distinct. To their exclusive honour, however, it must be said, that they bear not the least evi-