Слике страница
PDF
ePub

by the elders; and, in the month of August, 1822, the new minister took possession of his pulpit.

Early in the following year, the Duke of York having attended, as patron of the charity, to hear the anniversary sermon of the London Caledonian School, preached at the chapel in Cross-street, he was so struck with the peculiarities of Mr. Irving, that he mentioned him to many persons of rank as being a most extraordinary man. The chapel, consequently, soon became the resort of great numbers of the nobility; his fame rapidly increased; and the greatest orators and statesmen of the day hurried to hear him. At length, it became necessary to exclude the public from the chapel, and to admit only such persons as had previously, by letter, applied for, and received, per post, tickets of admission. During the hours of divine service, the chapel was constantly thronged, and such crowds were assembled round the doors, that the ticket-holders could not, without considerable difficulty, obtain an entrance. Curiosity was excited to the utmost; and, to use the words of a cotemporary writer, "a most feverish anxiety prevailed to hear and see the astonishing preacher at Cross-street chapel; who, in person, manner, and style, was said to be an admirable nondescript." The spectator, on effecting an entry, found himself in a chapel of moderate dimensions, surrounded by the gay, the noble, and the talented of both sexes. The character of the building informed him that he was in a place of worship; the looks and manners of the assembly were such as are displayed at a theatre, on the stage of which some extraordinary performer is about to enter. Soon after every part of the chapel had become densely and most oppressively crowded, the preacher appeared,-tall, athletic, and sallow; arrayed in the scanty robe of the Scotch divines; displaying a profusion of jetblack, glossy hair, reaching even to his shoulders, which were ample, but in strict proportion to his figure; with a singular obliquity in one of his eyes; and a stern, calm, solemnity of aspect, somewhat debased by an expression indicative of austere pride, and conscious sanctity. His strong northern accent added to his singularity; which

was still further increased by the violent, yet energetic, the ungraceful, but impressive, style of his gesticulation. His diction had an imitative affinity to that of Milton and Jeremy Taylor; it was unusual and startling. He embellished his discourse with the language of poets and philosophers; he added to the interest of his sermons by indulging in personalities, and spoke such homely truths to his noble and talented auditors, as they had but rarely been accustomed to hear. His various peculiarities increased his popularity; his name constantly filled the public ear; his portrait appeared in various periodicals; he was gazed at, as a wonder, in the streets; and the curiosity of all classes to hear him preach appeared to be insatiable.

His immediate followers, proud of his success, now began to erect for him a capacious church at the back of Brunswick-square; but, by the time it was finished, he had ceased to be attractive. Like other novelties, after having "had his day," he had gone out of fashion. His eccentricities had become familiar, and lost their charm. He had published a work, entitled, For the Oracles of God, Four Orations; For Judgment to Come, an Argument in nine parts; which had been reviewed with just severity by the periodical writers. The book was fatal to his already fast-waning reputation. It abounded in obsolete epithets, bombastic metaphors, and illogical conclusions;-a singular want of taste and judgment prevailed throughout its pages. The style was a grotesque imitation of that of the old divines, of whom, however, he had imbibed none of the eloquence, or argumentative power. His compositions were evidently of a character that would not bear the ordeal of critical examination. By submitting them to the press, their author gave the death-blow to his fame. It became evident, that his mode of delivery, his strong northern accent, his peculiar action, and, above all, the imposing singularity of his appearance, had, in combination with fortuitous circumstances, raised him to an elevation, which, by his talents, he could never have attained. A violent re-action ensued; and, in a few months, his hearers, an average, scarcely equalled in number those of his predecessor.

on

In 1827, he contributed a preliminary discourse to a work, translated from the Spanish, entitled, The Coming of the Messiah in Glory and Majesty, by Juan Josafat Ben Ezra, a converted Jew; which exposed him to an attack from a writer of the name of Cole, for having supported "the awful doctrine of the sinfulness, mortality, and corruptibility of the body of the Messiah." A controversy ensued on the subject, which, at length, attracted the serious notice of the Presbytery, to whom the tenets of Mr. Irving appear to have been, in a high degree, offensive. In 1828, he printed A Letter to the King, on the Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, a measure which he strenuously opposed: during the same year, appeared his Last Days, and Discourses on the Evil Character of these our Times; also, three volumes of his sermons, lectures, and occasional discourses; and, in 1829, he published his Church and State responsible to Christ and to one another, a series of discourses on Daniel's vision of the beasts.

In a work, entitled The Trial of the Rev. Edward Irving, he has been copiously abused; in other cotemporary productions, he has met with but little more favour; and, it is probable, that to posterity his reputation will be the reverse of enviable. "The peculiar characteristic of Mr. Irving's style," says Flavel," is a straining after originality of ideas, and the expressing them in the language of the time of Milton, Jeremy Taylor, and other wonderful divines of those days; but what in them was allowed ornamental, in him is perfect absurdity. They were consummate reasoners; and the strange and beautiful metaphors, which we meet with in the perusal of their writings, are admired and dwelt on, because they spring up naturally on the paths of the argument; besides, it was the custom of the age to employ such language. Had he shewn himself as good a logician as his great prototypes, we could have borne with his overstrained, inflated diction; but, as it is, his arguments and orations remind us of those wooden figures, in which dress-makers are accustomed to exhibit their newest and most splendid paraphernalia." "He came to London,"

observes a periodical writer, of the year 1824," with the idea, that he was destined to convert the fashionable world from the error of their ways; a being raised up on purpose to evangelize the aristocracy of Britain. But we should be glad to hear," the writer adds, “that one convert has been brought over to practical Christianity; that one Sunday evening conversazione has been dropped

that one pack of cards the less has been soiled at the Sunday card-tablethat one duke the less has travelled on the Sabbath-that one shilling the more has been given to the poor. He has been called another Paul preaching at Athens; but where is the Agrippa whom he has convinced, or the Felix whom he has made to tremble, except at the elevated tone of his vociferation? He has preached, to be sure,-preached much, and vehemently; but his language has been full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,'-'vox, et præterea nihil.' He had better have adhered closely to Dr. Chalmers and the good men of Glasgow, and have made himself a light to enlighten the poor, instead of setting himself up as a beacon, in the world of wealth, for weak men to flock to, and witty men to laugh at. It is within Mr. Irving's grasp, ,"continues the writer, "to become one of the lights of the age, and to acquire a character amongst the worthies of his time, which it will be the pleasure of future generations to admire, and their pride to imitate. This, we affirm, is within his reach; but if he perseveres in his present eccentricities, he will be as easily forgotten as he has been elevated."

He has distinguished himself as a warm supporter, to the utmost extent of his power, of various charitable and religious institutions. At a meeting of the society for the conversion of the Jews, he is said to have placed his watch in the hands of the chairman, exclaiming, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have, I give unto thee;" adding, "that he wished the bauble to be retained, until, the profits of a work, which he intended to publish, should enable him to redeem it."

In October, 1823, Mr. Irving married, at Kirkaldy, in Scotland, a young lady named Martin, to whom, it is said, he had long been attached.

APPENDIX.

THE ROYAL FAMILY.

GEORGE WILLIAM, (PRINCE,) second son of George the Second, was born on the 2nd of November, 1777, and died when only three months old.

ELIZABETH CAROLINE, (PRINCESS,) daughter of Frederick, Prince of Wales, born on the 30th of December, 1740, is described as having been deformed in person, but superior in mind to either of her brothers or sisters. She died, on the 4th of September, 1759.

FREDERICK WILLIAM (PRINCE) son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, was born on the 30th of May, 1750. He is represented as having been singularly graceful in person, amiable in temper, and remarkably eager for the acquirement of knowledge. He died on the 29th of December, 1765.

ELIZABETH, (PRINCESS, Landgravine of Hesse Homberg,) third daughter of George the Third, was born on the 22nd of May, 1770. In her childhood, she was lively, intelligent, and remarkably beautiful; and, on reaching maturity, she is said to have been elegant, agreeable, and accomplished. On the 7th of April, 1818, she was married to the Landgrave of Hesse Homberg, whom she accompanied to Germany, where he died, without issue by the princess, early in 1829.

SOPHIA MATILDA, (PRINCESS,) daughter of William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was born in May, 1773. Although no splendid qualities have been publicly displayed by this princess, her private character is said to be not only above impeachment, but decidedly commendable.

CAROLINE AUGUSTA, (PRINCESS,) daughter of William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, was born on the 24th of June, 1774, and died in her infancy.

SOPHIA, (PRINCESS,) fifth daughter of George the Third, was born on the 3rd of November, 1777. Her demeanour is said to be agreeable, and her disposition beneficent.

OCTAVIUS, (PRINCE,) eighth son of George the Third, was born on the 28th of February, 1779; and died, rather suddenly, on the 3rd of May, 1783.

ALFRED, (PRINCE,) ninth son of King George the Third, was born on the 22nd of September, 1780, and died on the 20th of August, 1782.

ELIZABETH ADELAIDE, (PRINCESS,) daughter of the Duke of Clarence, was born on the 4th of March, 1819, and lived only a few hours.

GEORGE WILLIAM, (PRINCE,) son of the Duke of Cambridge, was born on the 26th of March, 1819. He is said to possess an excellent temper, and rather superior talents.

only

VICTORIA, (PRINCESS,) daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, was born on the 23rd of May, 1819. She is described as being amiable, lively, and intelligent.

GEORGE FREDERICK, (PRINCE) son of Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, was born on the 27th of May, 1819. His abilities appear to be good, and his moral qualities, so far as they have been developed, unexceptionable.

ELIZABETH, (PRINCESS,) daughter of the Duke of Clarence, was born, prematurely, on the 2nd of December, 1820, and died on the 4th of March, 1821.

CAROLINE, (PRINCESS,) daughter of the Duke of Cambridge, was born on the 19th of July, 1822, and christened Caroline Charlotte Elizabeth Maria Sophia Louisa.

[blocks in formation]
« ПретходнаНастави »