of the King, the trumpets
sounded, and the whole audience cried out "God save the King." All the
Peers and Peeresses put on their coronets, and the blaze of splendour
through the Abbey seemed to be doubled. The King was then conducted to
the raised throne, where the Peers successively did him homage, each
of them kissing his cheek, and touching the crown. Some of them were
cheered, which I thought indecorous in such a place, and on such an
occasion. The Tories cheered the Duke of Wellington; and our people, in
revenge, cheered Lord Grey and Brougham.

You will think this a very dull letter for so great a subject; but I
have only had time to scrawl these lines in order to catch the post.
I have not a minute to read them over. I lost yesterday, and have been
forced to work to-day. Half my article on Boswell went to Edinburgh the
day before yesterday. I have, though I say it who should not say it,
beaten Croker black and blue. Impudent as he is, I think he must be
ashamed of the pickle in which I leave him. [Mr. Carlyle reviewed
Croker's book in "Fraser's Magazine" a few months after the appearance
of Macaulay's article in the "Edinburgh." The two Critics seem to have
arrived at much the same conclusion as to the merits of the work.
"In fine," writes Mr. Carlyle, "what ideas Mr. Croker entertains of
a literary _whole_, and the thing called _Book_, and how the very
Printer's Devils did not rise in mutiny against such a conglomeration as
this, and refuse to print it, may remain a problem.... It is our painful
duty to declare, aloud, if that be necessary, that his gift, as weighed
against the hard money which the booksellers demand for giving it you,
is (in our judgment) very much the lighter. No portion, accordingly, of
our small floating capital has been embarked in the business, or ever
shall be. Indeed, were we in the market for such a thing, there is
simply no edition of Boswell to which this last would seem preferable,"]

Ever yours

T. B. M.

To Hannah M. Macaulay.

London: September 13, 1831.

My dear Sister,--I am in high spirits at the thought of soon seeing you
all in London, and being again one of a family, and of a family which I
love so much. It is well that one has something to love in private life;
for the aspect of public affairs is very menacing;--fearful, I think,
beyond what people in general imagine. Three weeks, however, will
probably settle the whole, and bring to an issue the question, Reform