Page images
PDF
EPUB

The Principles of Ophthalmic Surgery, by
Walker, 12mo. 5s. 6d.

De la Macy, a Tale of Real Life, 2 vols. 20s.
Cuvier's Animal Kingdom, translated and
ridged by H. M‘Murtrie, M.D., 8vo. 12s.
Will Watch, by the Author of "Cavendish,"
vols. 17. 11s. 6d.

Bagster on the Management of Bees, with
engravings, fcap. 8vo. 68. 6d.

Meadows' Italian Dictionary, 18mo. 78.
The Comic Almanac, 12 plates, by Cruik-
hank, 12mo. 2s. 6d.

The Biblical Keepsake for 1835, 21s.
Lunar Tables, by Mrs. Taylor, royal 8vo. 16s.

Francesca Carrara, by the Author of "Ro-
mance and Reality," &c., 3 vols. 17. 11s. 6d.
Analytical Digest of all Reported Cases, by
S. B. Harrison, Esq., 3 vols. 8vo. 3. 12s.
Sacred Minstrelsy, Vol. I., folio, 21s.
The New Year's Gift, 1835, 8s.
Journey throughout Ireland in 1834, by H.
D. Inglis, 2 vols. 21s.

Cabinet of Friendship; a Tribute to the
Memory of John Aitkin, post 8vo. 10s. 6d.

Rev. Richard Watson's Works, Vol. V., con-
taining Life of Wesley, &c., 8vo. 8s. 6d.
The Northern Tourist, 1835, containing 73
Views, 4to. 21s. cloth.

FINE ARTS.

Leaves from the Memorandum Book of Alfred Crowquil, No. 1. This is a clever book of caricatures, beginning with Tea-leaves for reakfast. We have Strong Black, represented by a sturdy negro carryng a heavy basket; Hyson, a tall thin boy, with a diminutive father; ine Dust, a housemaid shaking a hall-mat and blinding herself and the Passengers; Gunpowder, the explosion of a cockney's fowling piece, to the reat damage of a passenger's head; and Mixed, a curious group of masueraders of all characters. For dinner we have Mustard, a group ollected round the family board; Pepper, unfortunate passengers on the ox of a stage-coach in a hail-storm; Salt, the assault of a town; Catsup, boatswain's mate with his nine tails elevated; and, as Castors to hold hese pungent condiments, we have a variety of beaver hats on appropriate hysiognomies. These and others are all very well and droll in their lace, but we have one more still better and droller, because more original. This is a personification of the vowels. A is a chap with his hands behind is back, listening to the story of E, who points out I as the subject of it. Poor I is the picture of astonishment at such a charge, while O expands is hands and mouth that such things should be. U, however, directs imself to another object, who expostulates as Y with a cockney aspiration. The story is well and briefly told, as far as vowels representing the proouns and interjections-Ah, Eh, I, Oh, You, and Why-can tell a story. We are promised a Second Number, and we shall be glad to see it.

Zincography. It is but a few years past that we had to record an advance in the fine arts in the invention of lithography, which afforded ncreased facilities in the art of engraving. Lithography is now, however, ikely to be displaced, at any rate to a great degree, by the invention of an ngenious Frenchman, M. Breugnot, who has succeeded in preparing a composition of metal, the basis of which is zinc, upon which drawing and writing can be effected with equal, if not with greater facility than upon stone, and as easily applied to paper with the same machinery. The art of zincography has several advantages over that of lithography; amongst others, in the portability and comparative cheapness of the plates, over the necessary bulkiness and cost of stone. These plates can be adapted to a lady's portfolio, to any thickness, and to any size, a desideratum much wanted in lithography. The invention of zincography has received the sanction of the Royal Academy of Paris, and the Parisians have already Succeeded in printing large window blinds with one plate, and we believe experiments have been made on silk and cotton, which warrant the supposition that zincography will soon be applied in our silk and cotton rinting establishments.

THE DRAMA.

DRURY-LANE AND COVENT-GARDEN.

THE new actor who has appeared here, Mr. Denvil, has not realized the promise he at first held out. We were among those who fancied we disc vered in him, on his first appearance a promise not very remote of cha racteristic feeling, true tenderness, and original thought. At each successive character, however, this promise has realized nothing but its remoteness, and when he played Othello the other night, we could see nothing, we confess, but a vulgar and very presuming person, struggling with effort and grimace, instead of ascending the heights of passion. It seemed to be, a struggle between this gentleman and Mr. Vandenhoff (who played lage) which would sink lowest in the degradation of Shakspeare. And the audi ence seconded them. One party applauded Mr. Denvil, and hissed Mr. Vandenhoff; another party hissed Mr. Denvil, and applauded Mr. Vandenhoff. Such was the performance of one of the sublimest tragedies of any country or time, in a great national theatre! It was like a vulgar election brawl, rather than an honouring tribute of genius on the one hand, and of reverent admiration on the other.

DUBLIN THEATRE.

It is grateful to turn from this, which we do in uncontrollable disgust, to a subject of greater hope for the lovers of the English drama. This the Irish theatre offers us. Mr. Macready has just produced there a very note alteration of Beaumont and Fletcher's Maid's Tragedy, with several ne scenes by himself and Mr. Knowles. The Examiner has published an interesting account of this, with some extracts, which seem to us to be a fine as the writing of the immortal brotherhood itself-of Fletcher, or of Beaumont. We have only room for the following:

"The first great addition is a scene in which the character of the King ( is very finely and variously touched. Aspatia comes to him to entreat the removal of the slur he had cast upon her name, that he might induce Amintor to desert her for Evadne. The sweet desolation of Aspatia, which is in the original so inexpressibly affecting, is all, we should say, retained; and there are a few touches of this also in the new scene that even heighten the picture. The ready lust of the King fancies she has come relenting, and that he may possess her

''Tis not her beauty, 'tis the chariness

With which she hoards it that I'd master!'

He starts when she enters to see the change that desolation has wrought. She bids him look to the sorrow in her eye

6 Deep, melancholy, clear, Wherein do lie a maiden's drowned hopes.'

He sees nothing but its beauty:

'How she persuades my vision! Sweetly doth
Affliction dress her! sweetly! It doth well
To take the gaudy rose away, and leave
Nought but the lily!'

"In a very ardent yet subtle speech, he proposes to her terms of shame, and, kneeling, presses them. She bursts in upon them with a fiery scorn

Art thou not a slave?

An abject, pitiful, and loathsome slave,

That to thy grov'ling passions stoop'st to kneel?

2

[ocr errors]

Nay, rise not yet;

Bring to its knee the sin that bent thy knee,

And then stand up a King!"

We cannot doubt but that this tragedy will be instantly produced at one of the great theatres. It may serve in some respects to redeem them from their late disgraces.

PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES.

ROYAL SOCIETY.

We notice with pleasure the commencement of the session. The abstracts of a number of papers, whose titles only were announced at the termination of last session, were now read. We select one," On the Nature and Origin of the Aurora-borealis," by the Rev. G. Fisher. The author deduces from his own observations, made during a residence of two winters in high northern latitudes, taken in conjunction with the concurring testimony of various navigators and travellers, the general fact that Aurora-borealis is developed chiefly at the edge of the Frozen Sea, or wherever there is a vast accumulation of ice; and he conceives that it is produced in situations where the vapours of a humid atmosphere are undergoing rapid congelation. Under these circumstances, when viewed from a distance, it is seen fringing the upper border of the dark clouds termed the "sea blink," which collect over these places; and it generally forms an arch a few degrees above the horizon, shooting out vertical columns of pale yellow light. He concludes that the Aurora-borealis is an electrical phenomenon, arising from the positive electricity of the atmosphere, developed by the rapid condensation of the vapour in the act of freezing, and the induced negative electricity of the surrounding portions of the atmosphere; and that it is the immediate consequence of the restoration of the electrical equilibrium by the intervention of the frozen particles, which, being imperfect conductors, become luminous while transmitting this electricity. In tropical and temperate climates this phenomenon does not occur, because the electric equilibrium is restored by means of aqueous vapours, -a process which often gives rise to thunder and lightning, but never to the Aurora-borealis : the latter being peculiar to clear, cold, and dry weather. Two astronomical papers, one by Mr. Lubbock, and another by Mr. Ivory, were partially read; and auditors were elected.-Literary Gazette.

VARIETIES.

The Franchise.-It appears that the number of houses in boroughs assessed at ten pounds per annum and upwards is, in England, 418,116; in Wales, 9644; in Scotland, 35,386; while the number of electors respectively was only 274,649, 11,309, 31,332. Here it is rather remarkable, that the number of votes registered in Wales is by 1665 greater than the number of ten-pound houses, while in England the voters are less in number than the houses by upwards of 140,000! The voters in English counties, enrolled previous to the election of 1832, are put down at 344,564-70,000 more than those in towns. The total number of electors in England, Wales, and Scotland, was then 720,784 (it is certainly not greater now). This gives one elector for every 25 of the county, and one for every 18 of the town population, and one in 54 to the whole male population of twenty years of age and upwards. This is the average proportion throughout Great Britain. The inequality of the expenses charged by the returning officers, in 1832, is great. In the Lindsey division of Lincoln, the number of electors being 9134, and the candidates three, the charge was 10657.; in North Lancashire, the electors being 10,039, the candidates also three, the charge was only 5437. In East Cornwall, where there was no contest, the returning officer charged 357.; and in Hereford, 2357. In Bristol the electors were 10,000, the candidates four, the charge 8747.; in London, the electors 18,583, the candidates six, the charge 5227.; and in Finsbury, where the candidates were five, and the electors the same as in Bristol, the returning officer charged 4637., or little more than half of what was paid in Bristol.

Public Petitions last Session-The last report of the committee, which is numbered 47, has been delivered. In the first division, Parliamentary, I we find that there were presented, during the session, 463 petitions, te which the signatures attached number 539,781, praying for the repeal of the union; the last was from the town of Kilmarnock, presented by Mr. O'Connell, with 803 signatures. In the ecclesiastical department 336 petitions have been presented, with 49,051 signatures, against the separation of church and state; while the number of petitions presented praying that separation was 63, with 72,274 signatures. The number presented in | support of the church of England generally is 1184, with 155,783 names attached; in support of the church of Scotland, 61 petitions and 21,839 names; in support of the established church in Ireland, 320 petitions with 51,909. In favour of some legislative enactment for a better observance of the Sabbath, the petitions numbered 722, and they bore attached 157,419 signatures. The number from Protestant Dissenters for relief was 434, with 352,910 signatures; against their claim, 495 petitions, with 35,212 signatures. On the subject of religious observances abroad, 20 petitions and 1121 signatures. Against the Irish Tithe Bill, 10 petitions, with 10,067 signatures. For the admission of Dissenters to the Universities 24 petitions, with 2564 signatures; against the measure, 445 petitions, having 41,810 signatures. In the colonial department we find there were presented four petitions, with 78,503 signatures, from Lower Canada, approving of the measures of the local legislature, and praying the attertion of the House thereto. Against the Church-rate Bill were presented 144 petitions, having attached 51,815 names; for repeal of the malt duty, 120 petitions, with 26,508 signatures; against the increase of duty on spirit licences, 17 petitions, with 946 signatures. The rest of the petitions are on miscellaneous subjects.

Before a late Committee of the House of Lords it was given in evidence by a London pavior, that a macadamized or broken-stone road requires for keeping in repair the first year and every year afterwards, two coats of three inches thick, to allow for wear; and the estimate of cost is 78. 6d. the first coat per superficial yard; two coatings at 1s. 9d. each per yard, for ten years, 17. 158.; cleansing, at 10d. per yard for ten years, 8s. 4d.; which is 27. 10s. 10d. per yard.

Summary of Savings Banks, &c., in England and Wales.-(From Mr. Tidd Pratt's Pamphlet.)-In England, Wales, and Ireland, (the popula tion being 21,661,975), there were, on the 20th of November, 1833, 484 Savings Banks. Two have made no return. The remaining Banks

contain

Depositors.

Increase or Decrease
since 1831.

Average of
each Dep.

[ocr errors]

Amount.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]

The increase in amount invested since November, 1831, is 1,403,464/.

FOREIGN VARIETIES.

American Episcopal Statistics.-From the numerous and very complete statistical tables in the Churchman's Almanac, we take the following pariculars respecting the Episcopal Church in the United States :-Since the evolution there have been 30 bishops, 14 have died, 16 are now living; hree were consecrated in England, one in Scotland, one by Bishop Proost, and 25 by Bishop White. Students in the General Theological Seninary, 65. The Missionary Society has eight missionaries in this country, and two in Greece. A mission is soon to be established in China. The number of clergy increased during 40 years, between 1792 and 1832, from 192 to upwards of 600. In Connecticut, 22 to 57; New York, 19 to 163; Pennsylvania 14 to 60; South Carolina, 15 to 34. Virginia decreased 61 o 56; Connecticut and South Carolina increased two-fold; Massachusetts and Pennsylvania fourfold, and New York sevenfold. Diocese of New York-The total number of clergy in this diocese is 183, and the total umber of congregations 190. Reports were received from 162 organized barishes, under the care of 129 officiating ministers, of whom 66 are recors, seven assistant ministers, and 56 missionaries. There were reported 1842 baptisms, 10,300 communicants, 1101 confirmed, 22 deacons, and nine priests ordained, 1043 marriages, 1419 burials; there are 34 candidates for orders, 10 new congregations were organized, 20 churches consecrated, and he following sums collected:-For the Episcopal Fund, 797 dol. 88 cents; Missionary and Education Society General Fund, 553 dol. 27 cents; Missionary Fund, 3405 dol. 67 cents; Education Fund, 1274 dols. 59 cents; Diocesan Fund, 744 dol. 29 cents; General Theological Seminary, 1849 lol. 26 cents.-New York paper.

Diamonds at Algiers.-Three diamonds were lately purchased at Algiers rom a native, which were found in the golden sands of the Sumel, in the province of Constantine. One of the diamonds was obtained by M. Durenez, and the other two by M. Brogniart, for the Museum and for the collection of M. Dree. Hitherto diamonds have not been known to exist in Africa. It is remarkable that here, as in the Brazils and Siberia, they are ound in washing for gold. At present the opinion is that diamonds, like umber, may be formed, and are of very modern growth. It is not seldom hat diamonds contain in the middle hard soft hollows, precisely of the ame character as those of amber.-German paper.

The "Journal de Genève" states, that in the Canton of Uri the glaciers have been so much perforated and melted by the hot weather of the sumner, that their shapes have been completely changed, and considerable pprehension is entertained of accidents when the rainy season arrives. One of the peaks, called the Huffirm, has presented a strange and wonlerful spectacle, that of the body of a young hunter, who perished in that place thirteen years ago. By the side of the skeleton were found his watch (of silver), his knife, and the iron of his gun.

A gigantic undertaking is about to be executed in the southern part of Savoy. It is to connect, by a suspension-bridge of a single arch, two points in the road between Annecy and Geneva, several hundred feet distant from each other, and rising 250 feet above the bed of a torrent.

From official tables just published by the Custom-house, it appears that, in 1833, the imports into France by sea were 467,117,179f., and by land, 226,158,573f.; total imports, 693,275,752f. The exports were-by sea, 550,408,559f.; by land, 215,907,753f.; total, 766,316,312f. The vessels that arrived were-French, 3561; tons, 358,157; foreign, 5115; tons, 522,735. These vessels brought merchandise, from French colonies, 54,095,215f.; and from foreign countries, 403,021,964f. The departures were-French vessels, 3075; tons, 318,840; foreign, 4580; tons, 464,028. They took goods, for French colonies, 42,629,864f.; for foreign countries,

« PreviousContinue »