days of royal terror had passed by. The crown was strong
enough to treat conspiracy with contempt, and the affair was suffered to
fall into oblivion. Yet it is now so notorious that many of the highest
persons in the state were tampering with the exiled family, that the plot
is rendered sufficiently probable. There seems to have been some political
infatuation connected with the name of the Stuarts. Though, excepting the
bravery of Charles I. and the pleasantry of Charles II., they all were
evidently the dullest, most mulish, and most repulsive of mankind; yet
many brave men periled their lives to restore them, and many men of great
distinction hazarded their safety to correspond with them. The "Stuart
Correspondence" was less a breach of loyalty than a libel on the national
understanding.

On the whole, these volumes are interesting, in many parts--very much so.
The editor has evidently done his best to illustrate and explain. But can
he not discover any remnant of the letters of Selwyn himself? he might
then remove the objection to his title, and please all readers together.

* * * * *

NEWS FROM AN EXILED CONTRIBUTOR.

MELBOURNE, PORT PHILIP,
NEW SOUTH WALES, _July_ 1, 1843.

BELOVED AND REV. CHRISTOPHER,

You have been pleased many times, in very decided terms, to express your
ever-to-be-respected conviction that I should eventually come to something;
haply to the woolsack--possibly to the gallows; from which prophetic
sentiment, I have naturally inferred that my genius was rare, and that
your eagle eye had discovered it.

Before my letter reaches your generous shores, twelve months will have
elapsed, most reverend Christopher, since we parted in the Hibernian city.
Then we were as near to one another as firmly grasped hands could render
us; now sixteen thousand miles effectually divide us; and whilst I sit
silently wishing you ages of health and mortal happiness, the mercury of
my thermometer stands lazily at freezing point, whereas your own sprightly
quicksilver rushes up to 92. All things tell me of our separation. We
sailed, as you will find by referring to your pocket-book--for you made a
memorandum at the time--on the 14th day of November last from Cork;
sighted Madeira--about thirty miles abreast--in eight days, and out of
sight of it on the 22d. A fine fair wind was sent to us, and we crossed
the Line, all well, on the 14th of December; then steering pre