LEVER, CHARLES JAMES, novelist, was born in Dublin, in 1E08, and educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where be graduated, subsequently taking a degree at Gottingen. As a physician, Mr. Lever was attached to the legation at Brussels, and practised three years; but resigned for the more genial employment of the editorship of the 'Dublin University Magazine.' Then commenced that enormous list of novels which opened with 'Harry Lorrequer,' and for years bore no other name. ' Charles O'Malley," Tom Burke,' and others suc ceeded; and a new vein of literature—the literature of animal spirits —was found to have been opened. The hairbreadth adventures, and wonderful escapes, which were never complete unless on horseback, proved very attractive ; and were, it is only fair to add, well aided by the earlier sketches of Mr. Hablot Browne. After some few years Mr. Lever became fatigued by the angry political strife which his periodical involved, and he retired to tho Continent, first occupying an old castle in the Tyrol, and subsequently settling at Florence, where ho remains. From the period of his retirement from active magazine life, his writings have been marked by very considerable improvement in tone and matter. They are more artistic—more thoughtful—and
depend less upon broad incident. ' The Knight of Gwynne' is espe cially remarkable for this,—and contains capital pictures of Irish life in the stirring times of the Union. But period of life, as well as change of occupation, may have induced this. Mr. Lever's anonymous writings are only less numerous than thou acknowledged amongst them being ' Con Cregan,' an Irish Gil Blas,,and the 'Diary of Horace Templeton.' To a certain extent Mr. Lever ie known to have been the hero of his adventurous stories. Ile passed his earlier years in breaking horses, and what time could be spared from horses was com monly devoted to boating. So late as the present autumn he has suffered shipwreck in the climbs Gulf of Spezia, and with a youthful daughter was only rescued after battling for au hour with the waves, in which thirty-four years since Shelley lost his life. A cheap edition of all the writings of this popular author is announced as in preparation.