No better place on earth, I swear, is giv'n But what avails its outward form and grace? Pities as much as he had felt them all, 1 'E. B. of his tutor A. S.' (Written in margin.) 2 The poem on Ballitore is classified by Prior as lost. CHAPTER IV THE REFORMER E now arrive at the period when Burke in the first month of Whis eighteenth year began his public literary career. On the 28th January, 1747-8, was published the first number of the Reformer. The Reformer has been long lost. It was believed to be irretrievably lost; Prior catalogues it among the writings of Burke which could no longer be traced; no copy of it is to be found in any of the Public Libraries. Fortunately it has been now recovered1 and is among the collection of Mr E. R. McC. Dix, M.R.I.A., deposited at present in the Brunswick Street Branch Municipal Library, Dublin. It was a little Miscellany issued every Thursday from the 28th January, 1747-8, to 21st April, 1748, thirteen numbers in all. It was managed, edited, and almost entirely written by Edmund Burke. It was printed for and sold by J. Cotter under Dick's Coffee House, Skinner's Row, Dublin. The articles contributed by Burke are printed in the Appendix to this volume. Burke was anxious to preserve anonymity, and what he wrote is signed “B."; or "Æ."(probably the initials of the Gaelic Æmon (Edmond)); or "U."—the second letter in Burke. Dennis, writing in January, 1748, to Shackleton, mentions having sent him a Reformer and asks "What is your opinion of it? Who do you think the author?" Again "Ned is busy about the next Reformer, or he would write to you." Burke says himself, writing in May, after the publication had ceased: Your father mentioned to me the Reformer, and said it had not, he believed success, I with four or five members being a little surprised at it: as I did not think he knew the author: but I am satisfied he does and it is in good hands2. 1 The manner of its recovery was this: following up some notes left by my son, Captain Arthur P. I. Samuels, in relation to the Reformer, and referring to assistance he had received from Mr E. R. McC. Dix in tracing matter printed in Dublin in the middle of the eighteenth century, I was led to enquire from Mr Dix (whose knowledge, as the compilers of the catalogue of the Bradshaw Collection in Cambridge University justly say, seems inexhaustible on this subject") whether he had ever seen a copy of the Reformer. After a short search he produced to me a complete set of the thirteen numbers, which he had preserved and bound together. This is one of the many instances where Mr Dix has rescued important materials from oblivion for the historian, and proves the value of the advice he has so often insisted upon that every scrap of broadsheet and forgotten newspapers, however seemingly insignificant, should be collected for Public Library purposes. [A.W.S.] 2 Prior, 5th ed., p. 21. The Reformer is a daring production-an anticipation—not unworthy of the marvellous boy, then shaping to become one of the marvels of the age. Its appeal may have sounded "wild and chimerical to the profane herd of the vulgar and mechanical," but it compels admiration for the loftiness of aim with which, already conscious of inborn genius, confident in his critical judgment and sound perception, jealous for what was noble, and detesting what was base, Edmund Burke, infused with patriotism and glowing with zeal to fill his place as became his inspiration and himself, auspicates his public proceedings, as in after years he bid the nation do, "with the old warning of the Church Sursum corda," and elevating his mind to the greatness of the trust to which the order of Providence was calling him, adverted to the dignity of this high calling and lifted up his heart and voice to denounce what was vitiated and vindicate what was good1. It was a magnanimous adventure when, at the initiation of his career, he penned these his first published words: THERE is a certain period when dulness being arrived to its full growth; and spreading over a Nation becomes so insolent that it forces men of genius and spirit to rise up, in spite of their natural modesty, and work that destruction it is ripe for. If we may judge of the Empire of Dulness by other great ones, whose unwieldiness brought on their ruin; this is certainly its time; for the depravation of taste is as great as that of morals, and tho' the correcting the latter may seem a more laudable design, and more consistent with public spirit, yet there is so strong a connection between them, and the morals of a nation have so great dependance on their taste and writings, that the fixing the latter, seems the first and surest method of establishing the former. The design therefore of these papers is carefully and impartially to examine, not only those writings which may be produced among ourselves, or imported from abroad, but also our theatrical amusements. Plays are the favourite diversion of people of fashion, and everyone sensible how much they influence their taste and manners; if the source then be corrupted; what a depravation must we expect of both; the People copy from the Gentry, and bad authors from the people, thus vice and folly, like Milton's Sin and Death, go round the nation hand in hand, and doubtless will continue to do so, unless some people are found publicspirited enough to oppose them; for these reasons we shall have a watchful eye over the Theatre, to prevent, if possible, such prodigies of dulness and immorality as we have been entertained with this winter, or to put them in their proper light, when represented. Our countrymen are esteemed in a neighbouring Isle the dullest of mankind, and there is scarce a scribbler among them who has any other 1 See speech on Conciliation with America. name for this nation than Boeotia1; I don't know for what we deserve the appellation more than the senseless encouragement we give their wretched productions; so plentifully do they supply, and so greedily do we swallow that tide of fulsom plays, novels, and poems which they pour on us, that they seem to make stupidity their science, and to have associated for the destruction of wit and sense, and that we were bound to support them, while they despised us in return. It is not more our intention to expose dulness, than to relieve from the vitiated relish of pert and ignorant coxcombs, such productions of our own as promise a genius. Merit in perfection may be easily seen; but it will require a taste and penetration extraordinary to discover it in the bud.... Where Science flourishes vice flies before it; who then is so audacious as to affirm knowledge begets vice? what opinion can be more senseless? if so, its opposite quality-ignorance should be the parent of virtue. But so false is this assertion, that we may venture to say, where ignorance sways, there can scarce be any true virtue. But men who look with an envious eye on talents they can never hope to equal are willing to bring every thing to their own level, and thus many decry the Arts, not that they think them hurtful, but that they despair of ever coming to any excellence in them. The poverty of this kingdom can be no excuse for not encouraging men of genius, one tenth of what is expended on fiddlers, singers, dancers and players, would be able to sustain the whole circle of arts and sciences. In the mean time we'll continue this paper every Thursday till we have cleared ourselves of an indispensible debt we owe to our country; namely the restoring taste to its long usurped rights, and to discountenance domestic petulance, and all foreign immorality and dulness. And since more than Gothick barbarism can please at the other side of the Channel; we intreat the Clergy of all denominations to pray for our fallen brethren in England; and as we are resolved, if possible, to prevent the like calamity on this side, we publish the following proclamation: O yes! O yes! if any man can tell Where Wit or Sense are fled, or where they dwell; Let him stand forth, and if he love Mankind, Say where th' illustrious fugitives to find. And without either make a shift to write; Ye lawn-sleeved Levites! Deans! and Parsons sleek, Ye Quacks! who poison with your murth'ring pen 1 See poem on Ballitore-"Boetia's scornful name," ante p. 157. Ye Courtiers gay! who more to Poets owe Who speak the Words, but can't the Meaning hit; And prove yourselves, tho' dull, yet cunning fools; Not to learn Wit or Wisdom, but to shun; Say! if by clubbing each his blockhead's head, For a Reward, he who resolveth best This doubt, shall have the Brains of all the rest. B. The Reformer caused some stir in Dublin. Five days after the first number appeared, Burke, in the hurry of the preparation for the next issue and amid the clatter of Cotter's printing house, writes: To Mr Richd. Shackleton in Cotter's Shop, Feb. 2d, 1748. (1747-48). Dr Shackleton-I should have run out the penalty had I delayed any longer to write to you, but by being so long silent I have contracted such a barrenness that I have little to say. Correspondence is to me what a flow is to water, while it runs it is clear and plentiful but whenever it is stopped it stagnates and stinks-I doubt whether I should have wrote now as not yet being at perfect leisure (by means of the Reformer etc.), had not you in a manner forced me by your many expressions of kindness in your letter and the poem on your Mistresses, which it was impossible for me to read and forbear telling you how much I am obliged to you for such an excellent entertainment. I confess tho' I had an excellent opinion (founded on experience) of my friend's capacity, I could not believe so much of it, we shall call you the Anacreon of our Society, as you have all his ease and perhaps a strength of thought superior. Particularly I like the comparison of the ladies to the shade and hours, 'tis highly poetical and with all the warmth of Eastern poetry has a French bienséance and exactness. I shall more in another letter. We have nothing to complain of the sale of the Reformer, few things have sold better, but we will soon be able to judge whether it was not the novelty that sold it by the reception the Town gives our next. We talk in a manner that surprises some and you see by the enclosed that the scribblers do us the honour to take notice of us1. We desire-nay we command you to send us some Essays on useful subjects or bare hints or whatever you please. I have no news but that Sheridan 1 A copy of the Tickler, in which Dr Paul Hiffernan criticised the Reformer. |