DELIVERED AT THE REQUEST OF THE WORKING MEN'S SCHOOL ROOM, CARLISLE. Clark BY JOHN C. FERGUSON, ESQ. Published by Desire. Carlisle": PRINTED BY I. F. WHITRIDGE, 34, SCOTCH STREET. A LECTURE ON BULWER. It may not be amiss for us at the commencement of this lecture upon the writings of Bulwer, to enquire what is the mission of the novelist? I answer, simply to pourtray human nature and life, together with the manners and customs of society in their true colours. To depict the habits and manners of mankind in past ages with a vividness and truth which brings them to the minds' eye as if they were living before us at the present day. To describe the world now around us truly and faithfully, not only under the phases with which we are nearly all familiar, but under circumstances the most removed from the ordinary eye; the gaming table, and haunt of infamy, as well as the polished conventionalities of the drawing room. Lastly, to unfold the human heart, and show its wonderful workings with exactness and faithfulness to nature; to take the veil from that which is a mystery to itself, and show the often terrible conflict of the master-passions which rend it. Such a writer as that which I have described is Bulwer, a novelist of equal power with Scott himself, and whose great and extensive renown has caused his works to be translated into many Continental languages. I know of no writer who has shown a greater acquaintance with life in all its varied appearances than Bulwer has done, life in all its different grades from Belgrave Square down to Billingsgate, and if you would wish a writer who more than another is a thorough man of the world, and perfect gentleman, that writer is our Author. Should you wish to read a work that peculiarly bears me out in what I say, that work is " Pelham, or the adventures of a Gentleman." It is the book on which Bulwer first founded his fame, and I may add that I do not know of any other novel in the language which gives so good a description of the career of a young scion of the Aristocracy, who is what is called "fast". One of the most dazzling peculiarities of Bulwer is his command of language; I know of no writer who more nearly resembles Byron in this particular than he does, and how truly may it be said of him, as Macaulay said of the former, that "the strokes are few and masterly!" Blair, in his work on rhetoric, divides style into two classes, the concise, and the diffuse, the former he designates is the best for |