MR. FORSTER'S LIFE OF OLIVER CROMWELL.

THIS volume forms one of the series of the "Lives of Eminent British Statesmen," in Dr. LARDNER'S Cyclopwdia; and brings down the career of Caomwste to the battle of Worcester. The remainder of his history is to be embraced in another volume, which is also to contain sketches of his principal officers. The faults and merits of this work closely resemble those of the compiler's previous volumes in the series; though perhaps more fully developed. The Life of Cromwell not only exhibits much reading amongst the historians and the fugitive publications of the day, but research amid the MSS. at the British Museum. Lord NUGENT has also placed at Mr. FORSTER'S disposal a bundle of contemporary letters, which abound in characteristics of the time, if they do not throw any very strong light upon the subject of the work. The materials thus collected are worked up with a knack of making things readable, and giving full effect to the salient points they contain. On the other hand, there are strong marks of haste and ready writing, little appearance of thought, and an evident determination to use up all available matter that the author has had the trouble of collecting ; so that the reader has sometimes to peruse a thrice-told tale, Mr. FORSTER and one authority figuring in the text, whilst the others are rele- gated to the tbot-notes. It is true that these extracts are cleverly set, and amusing in themselves; but they are certainly not bio- graphy, and as certainly destroy the continuity and march of the narrative. Another hindrance to cotnpleteness, is the circum- stance of Mr. FORSTER having narrated SDIlle of the events with whieli CROMWELL was connected in previous Lives, to which the reader has to be referred,—a thing, by the by, that could never take place in biography proper, which tells the life of the man, and not the histoiy oi his times.

These seem detects of haste, and writing " to order." There are other faults, partly native, partly originating in the former- named causes. The tendency of the writer's mind is to ex- tremes in judgment and fustian in style ; lie rarely hits the due medium between puff and falling foul : and in order to produce a " fine effect," he resorts to exaggeration, expansion, and forced vivacity. For example, OLIVF.R CROMWELL'S ancestors were originally Welsh, their name WILLIAMS; but one or theta having married a sister of Tnom ts CROMWELL, Earl of Essex, his son went to Court, got a good share of Church property at the Reformation, and assumed hi* uncle's mum!. He appears to have been a personal favourite of HENRY the Eighth ; and once at a tournament, having succeeded against all corners, the King jest- ingly gave him a ring, bidding him licticeferth add it to his crest. This plain tale is set forth showman-wise, as follows, (omitting some page of closely printed fout-notes)— The noble and illustrious race here pointed at Was that of Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Eases, a man of humble birth, lout who had risen to he Henry the Eighth's Prime Minister, and Vicar.Gerieral of England, and whosa sister had married into the family of Oliver's ancestors. Time latter were Welsh, and bore the name of Williams' until Sir Richard Williams—the issue of this marriage

between the sister of Essex and Mr. Morgan " of Llanishen in the county of Glamorgan''—having risen into favour and knighthood at Henry the Eighth's coot t, by his own gallant prowess and tile influence of his uncle, and having olitaintal, among other extensive grants of nutinesies and umuoruasteries at that time dissolved, the nunnery of Iliocaiehroula and the abbey of Ramsey, in the county of Huntingdon, fi,d his se it ht the loviner place, and assumed thenceforward the name of Cromwell, in hotiour of the chief architect of his princely fortuues.

Thus, from the chivalious son of a Glainorganshire squire, the worldly power and splendour of the family of the Cioniwells took its rise, as from the tarmer

son uf a (newer of Huntingdon it aftm wards dated its immortality. This Richard Cromwell was wie of the few ilvourites and servants of Henry the Eighth whom he did not scud to the seagWil ; and when, in the old Chronicles of Stow, we catch the dawn of his loyal fortunes, it is as though it gleamed re- proachfully down upon the terrible act which laid the foundation of the mightier fortunes of his great-grandson Oliver. Out M iy-day l0, a lo illiant tourna- ment at Westminster opens its lists before us, in which Richard Cromwell and (alters had proclaimed themselves to France, Flanders, and Scotland, the de-

fenders of the honour and rights of their English king. Henry the Eighth looks on ; and when Sir Richard Cromwell has struck down challenger after challenger with undaunted cam, forth front his deep broad cheat rolls out the royal laugh of lienry—t• Formeriy thou tract itly Dick, hut hereafter thou shalt be my diamond." Then from the finger of majesty drops a diamond-ring, which Sir Richard picks tip, and again pa escata to Henry ; who laughingly places it 0:1 his finger, and bids him ever after I.ear suelt au one in the fore gamb of the derni.lion hi his crest: and such a tioa did Oliver Cromwell wear there when he left his farm at Ely to bear more formidable alms at the challenge of a king !

From this it will be guessed, and it may be seen more clearly from other passages, that Mr. FORSTER has been reading CARLYLE S French Revolution: where the forced and artificial style of per- sonification and unnatural woid-painting is carried to excess. But, bad as these peculiarities are in an original, they are worse in a copyist ; for they exhibit affectation, and show the writer more intent upon " effects" than truth. Such is this fancy piece of CROMWELL'S (I6bUI in the Commons. Having supposed "that he and Hampden entered! the House together," and given a minute sketch of the appearance of each, Mr. FORSTER thus proceeds—

Imagine, then, these two extraordinary men, now for the first time together,* passing slung the crowded lobbies of that most famous assenibly, Hampden greeting his friends as he passes, stopping now and then, perhaps, to introduce his country kinsman to the few whose cariosity had mastered the first emotion inspired by the singular stranger, but pushing directly fin ward towards a knot of active and eager faces that are clustered round a little spot near the bar of the House, on the right of the Speaker's chair, in the midst of which stand Sir John Eliot, Sir Hobert Philips, and Ppm The crowd make way for Hamp- den ; the central figures of that group receive him amongst them with defe- rence aud gladness; lie introduces his cousin Cromwell; awl, among the great spit its whom that little spot contains, the clownish figure, the awkward gait, the slovenly dress, pass utterly unheeded, for, in hi, first few words, they have discovered the fervour, and, pethaps, atempected the greatness of this secession to their cause. Pym is soon seen to draw the new Member for Huntingdon • Nothing is surely so probable, since Cromwell would most likely, in any case, have come up to bruit stilt, Hampden ; but, considering that this %%alibis first session, roust almost a ueceaaity lar‘e avaitcd himself of the present introduction of his in- fluential cousin.

aside, awl, with a forecast of his favourite sphere of action, initiates him into the case against Mainwating.

There are better things than this in the volume. The descrip- tions of Cemewess's different battles are often done with brevity and spirit ; and the account of his manner of forming the Iron- sides, though it imparts no new information, is characteristic of the man. Even these better parts, however, are constantly dashed with some affectation or bombast. By dint of extracts from other writers, the early life of CROMWELL is brought very fully before the reader, in parts; but here, as in every other stage, there is ito wholeness—no transition from one point to another—none of the ca'lida juncturo, which is as necessary in conception as in language.

Still, there is frequently entertainment, and information too, to be found in these disjointed sections. Such are these two accounts of CROMWELL'S youth; both, however, given by an enemy after his death, and that enemy a harkney writer aiming at currying favour with the party in power.

CROMWELL AT SCHOOL.

A biographer al,eady quoted, dew; ibes these schoohdave with characteristic force ; and, remembering the writer's prejudice, we have little difficulty in sepa- rating Use from true. " From A It C discipline," he site'," and the sliehted governance of a mistress, his father removed him to the tuition of Dr. Beard, behoolnia,.tr of the ftee-scheool of that town elltaittingdon); where his book began to pereecute loim, and learning to ceinnience his great and irreconcileable enemy ; for Lie toaster, honestly and severely observing that, :and whets hie faults

(which like weed. sprung out of his rank aid unruleivable nature), did, by cor- rectien, hope to butte hie mower.; and with a diligent hand and careful toet to loiselei the thick growth of those vices which were so predominant and visible in him. Ver, though het eito he trespassed upon that teepect and lenity due and word to children of his birth and quality, Ile prevailed nothing against hie obetihate and perverse inclieation. The learning and civility he had, comine upon him like tite Iii entlotsiasme, now a hard studeet for a week or two, and then a truant or otieeo fur twice ;us many monthe—uf no settled conet owes

" Amongst the test of those ill qualitiee," continues this impartial biogrepher, " which fo tient:teed in him at this age, he was vety notoritous for robhing of medlar& ; a puerile crime, and an ordinary trespess, but grown so scendaloue and iujutiuus by the frequent spoylee end damages of trees, hi caking of hedges and Meloeures, committed bv this applesdragon, that many solemn complaints were made, both to his father and einteter, tor redress thereof ; which missed not their setiefaction and expiation out of his hide ; on which so noucla pains were lost, that that very offence ripened in him afterwards to the throwing down of all 11011114M ies ut law or conscience. Flom this he past unto another nude manly theft, the robbiug. of doveshoneee, stealing the youtle pidecons, and eating end merchandiziug Of them, awl that publiquely, that he became dreadfully suspect to all the adjecent country."

TOCNG CROMWELL AT A CHRISTMAS PARTY.

Ih:1!11, in his " Flagellum," reletee it thus—" Ily tlwee lewd actions he hid PO alieneted the affectione of his uncle 811.1 godfather Sir Oliver Cromwell, that he could not endure the eight of him ; havieg, iii Ills own presenee in the great hall of his house, where he Inagndicently treated King James at Ins aseumptien to the crown of England, in a Claisnnas time, (which tea, always hioghly observed by him by feasting and keeping open houle,) p1 ived this tudemoleeme and unseemly hick or (relic. with the relation of which the reader will be pleased to indulge becauee I have seen it raccounted by a worthy and learrotel hand. It was sir Oliver's custome in that feetivel, to en- tertain in his house a Master of Allende, of the Revels, to make mirth for the guests, and to direct the dances and the music, and generally all matinee cf sports and gambols; this fellow Cromwell, having besmeared his own clothes and hands with sun everence, accosts in the inidet of a frolicking dance, and so grimed him and others upon eve: y turn, that such a stink was raised, that the spectators could hardly endure the room ; whereupon the said Master of 31.s. rule, perceiving the ntatter, caused him to be laiol hold on and by his command to be thrown into a pond :uljoyning to the house, and ;here to be solved over bead awl ears, and rineed of that filth and pollution sticking to him ; which was accordingly executed, Sir Oliver suffering his nephew to undergo the punish- ment of his umnannerly fully."