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Garden. Jones will not appear at either house this season, and the when and where of Mr Young's return is extremely doubtful at present. The Times has officially denied Mr Wade being the author of the "Jew of Arragon," and that, too, after it had been published with his name in capitals on the title-page, and a dedication to his countrymen, the Jews of England," also duly authenticated with the signature of "THOMAS WADE:" upon which the Literary Gazette, in its remarks thereupon, as sagaciously gives the authorship of the defunct tragedy to Miss Fanny Kemble; kindly adding, that had that circumstance been known earlier, the editor's criticism would have been much more lenient!!!-The licenses of all the Minors were renewed, sans opposition, last week; Mr Adolphus, who held the briefs of their gigantic opponents, merely remarking, like Fadladeen in "Lalla Rookh," that "the merits of the case must be tried by a much higher tribunal;" which in other words signified, that "Drury Lane and Covent Garden versus Tottenham Street," is now before the Court of King's Bench.

Mr Dimond's new three-act musical play of the "Carnival at Naples," produced at Covent Garden on Saturday last, was decidedly and worthily successful; though a Miss Taylor, from Bath, who made her first appearance in London as the heroine, played so admirably, and so won upon the audience, as to have a very fair claim to more than half the honours of the triumph, not withstanding the surpassing splendours of the scenery and appointments, and the excellence of Warde, Abbott, and particularly Power, in the other leading characters. The story is any thing but new, but it is extremely well told, interesting, and effective; and though the entire piece is most essentially melo-dramatic, yet the writing is far superior to that of any other play from the same author, whose grandiloquence and bombast in the "Foundling of the Forest," the " Royal Oak," and divers others of the same class, made us not a little sceptical as to his capabilities of improvement. The music, by Barnett, was much applauded, and the remarkably noisy overture, to our very unqualified annoyance, encored; in Mr Barnett's own opinion, indeed, it must have been surpassingly excellent, since it was all advertised as ready for delivery, and "highly successful" and "popular," in the Saturday edition of a weekly newspaper, published some hours before the curtain rose for its performance! Thus, in our present march of intellect, the science of puffing advances like a steam-carriage on a railroad, and improves hourly. Mr Wilson was the singing gentleman lover; and if he could but learn, and then remember, what to do with his arms and legs, which are at present always grievously in his way, it would be a very great advantage both to himself and his audience. The other parts, excepting Harriet Cawse, as a musical soubrette, though they were very numerous, are scarcely worth enumeration; and we return, therefore, to Miss Taylor, again to eulogize one of the most popular first appearances within our dramatic recollection, and to congratulate both the theatre and the public upon her transplantation to the metropolis. Miss Taylor has been but three years on the stage, is yet very young, and is a protegée of Mrs Bartley, whose ability to guide her, both to private and professional excellence, is confessedly unquestionable. She has something to unlearn, certainly; but her exuberance of action, and perhaps too studied attitudes, will very speedily be tamed down by practice on a London stage. The "Blue Anchor" having been judiciously curtailed, has now some chance of being temporarily popular; and the "Wreck Ashore," having nightly improved at the Adelphi, has been also brought out, under the title of the "Bittern's Swamp," at the Surrey. Fanny Kemble's next new character is to be Mrs Haller, in the "Stranger."

SOMERSET.

ORIGINAL POETRY.

NIGHT.

WHEN not a star is smiling

In midnight's awful sky, And Fancy's forms, beguiling, Arrest the sleep-chain'd eye; When mournfully is singing

The spirit-laden breeze, And gloomily are swinging The tall, old forest trees; When foaming rolls the river On to the sounding sea,

Like captive warrior dashing Forth from his prison free;

Then to thy lattice take thee,

And, gazing on the scene, Night's mystery will make thee What thou hast never been.

The Majesty of darkness
That rules the realms of space,
And veils in solemn shadow
Creation's varied face;

The poetry of silence,
Which no far echo breaks,
The loftiness of music
When Nature wildly speaks;

These these to thy young spirit
Emotions will impart,
Which only they can waken,
Which never all depart.

A stream of holy feeling

Will overflow thy mind,
As sudden sunshine on the bark
Tost by the rushing wind.

The storm and strife of passion,
Ambition's fiery reign,
No more will swell thy bosom
To folly and to pain.

Far higher, better visions

Will sway thee in that hour, And flood with light thy spirit, As dewdrops gem the flower. Or if thy heart should wander

To earth and earthly years, Then memory will subdue thee To penitence and tears.

If e'er thy lips have utter'd

The words of causeless wrath ;
If thou didst ever plant a thorn
Across a loved one's path;

Then will thyself condemn thee,
And in thy bosom's core
A high resolve will rule thee
To yield to sin no more.
Oh! to thy lattice take thee

When night has wrapt the scene, Its mystery will make thee

What thou hast never been.
Look forth alone and silent-
Till earth and all its care
Is lost in mute devotion,
Or the murmur of a prayer.

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LITERARY CRITICISM.

PRICE 6d.

The

disquisitions—the former consisting of an application of the rules of philosophical investigation to medical science; the latter presenting a view of the qualities and acquireEnquiries concerning the Intellectual Powers and the Inves-ments which constitute a well-regulated mind. tigation of Truth. By John Abercrombie, M. D. 8vo. former shows the author to be an acute, judicious, and Pp. 435. Edinburgh. Waugh and Innes. 1830. wary observer; the latter impresses us with a high reTHE object of this work cannot be better expressed spect for his pious, amiable, and well-balanced mind. It than in the author's own words: is, however, to the third part of the book that we would more especially direct the attention of the reader, as the most generally interesting, and most fully discussed of the whole.

"Mental manifestations are greatly modified by the condition of those bodily organs by which the mind holds intercourse with external things, especially the brain. It becomes therefore a matter of the greatest interest, to ascertain the manner in which the manifestations of mind are affected by diseases of these organs, as well as to observe their condition in that remarkable class of affections commonly called diseases of the mind. Besides, in the affections which are referable to both these classes, we often meet with manifestations of the most interesting kind, and such as are calculated to illustrate in a very striking manner, important points in the philosophy of the mental powers. It is thus in the power of the observing physician to contribute valuable facts to the science of mind; and it is almost unnecessary to add, that the study may be turned to purposes of immediate importance to his own enquiries. From the deep interest which the philosophy of mind thus presents to the medical enquirer, I have been induced to attempt a slight outline of this important subject. In doing so, I do not profess to offer any thing new or original. My object is to present to the younger part of the profession some leading facts, which may serve to direct their farther enquiries on a subject of great and general interest."

The book is, therefore, rather a manual for the young physician, than a treatise for common use. It will, however, be found full of interest even for the general reader. Its essentially practical character, if it prevent the author occasionally from exhausting the most difficult mental problems, keeps the subject from being prosecuted beyond those limits which all minds can attain; while the numerous and important observations, many of them such 'as could only come under the notice of a physician, preserve the attention continually on the alert.

Independent of an introduction, containing some preliminary observations on the general objects of science, and the difference between the certain and uncertain sciences, the contents of the book are arranged under five principal topics. Part I. treats of the nature and extent of our knowledge of mind-in other words, it discusses the grounds of our belief that the soul is immaterial and immortal. Part II. is devoted to the consideration of the origin of our knowledge of facts, relating both to matter and mind. Dr Abercrombie lays it down as a first principle, that we derive our knowledge of matter exclusively by means of sensation and perception; and of mind, by means of consciousness. To these sources of knowledge he adds testimony, which enables a mind already possessed of a certain number of facts, to add to its store by the verbal communication of others. Under this head, therefore, he discusses, in addition to the mental phenomena above alluded to, the "metaphysical chokepear" of testimony. Part III. treats of the intellectual operations. Parts IV. and V. are practical applications of the views sought to be established in the preceding

Dr Abercrombie enters upon the topic of intellectual operations by premising :

"The next part of our enquiry refers to the operations (to use a figurative expression) which the mind performs upon the facts thus acquired. The term functions, or powers of mind, has often been applied to these operations; but as we are not entitled to assume, that they are in fact separate functions in the usual acceptation of that expression, it is perhaps more correct, and accords better with our limited knowledge of mind, to speak simply of the operations it is capable of performing upon a given series of facts." And again:-"I do not say that the mind possesses distinct faculties, which we call memory, abstraction, imagination, and judgment-for this at once leads into hypothesis; but simply that, in point of fact, the mind remembers, abstracts, and judges. These processes appear to constitute distinct mental acts, which every one is conscious of who attends to the phenomena of his own mind. But be yond the simple facts we know nothing, and no human ingenuity can lead us one step farther. Some of the followers of Dr Reid appear to have erred in this respect, by ascribing to the mind distinct faculties or functions, somewhat in the manner in which we ascribe to the body distinct senses. Dr Brown, on the other hand, has shown much ingenuity in his attempts to simplify the arrangement of mental processes, by referring them all to his principles of simple and relative suggestion, But without enquiring what has been gained to the science by this new phraseology, and avoiding entirely any system which seems to suppose distinct functions of mind, I confine myself to facts respecting the actual mental operations and it appears to answer best the purposes of practical utility to speak of these operations in the arrangement and by the names which are commonly used by the generality of mankind."

The operations of mind, according to our author, are four in number. First, Memory: In treating of this power, he seeks to establish the existence of shades of difference between involuntary memory, recollection, and conception. With regard to recollection, we suspect it differs from memory only in this that the will is brought into play. Our memory is at first weak and confused, and we set to work to brighten it up. As to conception, which the doctor defines to be "the memory of a perception," we think we can see the fallacy which has led him to view it as differing from mere ordinary memory. man were a solitary being, conversant only with selforiginated thoughts, his memory would be exclusively conception. But two-thirds (we speak within compass) of our knowledge are acquired by conversation and reading, which awake comparatively faint images in the mind the remembrance of words, with a conviction that a little exertion would enable us to connect them with images.

If

The difference between conception and memory, is not rel, which ended in a duel; and, when the parties were caused by any difference in the retentive power, but in supposed to be met, a pistol was put into his hand, which the mode of reception. Secondly, Abstraction, the power he fired, and was awakened by the report. "On another by which "we separate facts from the relation in which occasion, they found him asleep on the top of a locker, or bunker, in the cabin, when they made him believe be had they are originally presented to us, and contemplate some fallen overboard, and exhorted him to save himself by of them apart from the rest." Thirdly, Imagination, by swimming. They then told him that a shark was pursuing which, having separated scenes or classes of facts into him, and entreated him to dive for his life. He instantly their constituent elements, we "form these elements into did so, with such force as to throw himself entirely from new combinations, so as to represent to ourselves scenes, the locker upon the cabin floor, by which he was much or combinations of events, which have no real existence." bruised, and awakened of course. After the landing of the Lastly, Reason or Judgment, by means of which we ob- army at Louisburg, his friends found him one day asleep in his tent, and evidently much annoyed by the cannonserve relations and connexions, trace results, and deduce ading. They then made him believe that he was engaged, general principles. Under this head the author takes when he expressed great fear, and showed an evident disoccasion to discuss those states of mind in which the use position to run away. Against this they remonstrate i, of reason is for a while suspended-Dreaming, Somnam- but, at the same time, increased his fears, by imitating thebulism, Insanity, and Spectral Illusion. We esteem his groans of the wounded and the dying; and when he asked, dissertations on these subjects, taken in connexion with as he often did, who was down, they named his particular his chapter on memory, the most valuable part of his self in the line had falleri, when he instantly sprung from bis At last they told him that the man next himbook. His numerous and interesting illustrations, col-bed, rushed out of the tent, and was roused from his danger lected in the course of his professional reading or practice, and his dream together by falling over the tent ropes. A render it as amusing as any novel, while at the same time remarkable circumstance in this case was, that, after these they are continually suggesting new views of intellect. experiments, he had no distinct recollection of his dreams, With a few interesting specimens we conclude this very but only a confused feeling of oppression or fatigue, and used to tell his friend that he was sure that he was playing imperfect attempt to analyze Dr Abercrombie's work: some trick upon him. A case entirely similar is related in Smellie's Natural History, the subject of which was a medical student at the University of Edinburgh..

CONNEXION OF THE BRAIN WITH THE THINKING PRINCIPLE.

While we thus review the manner in which the manifestations of mind are affected, in certain cases, by diseases and injuries of the brain, it is necessary that we should refer briefly to the remarkable instances in which the brain has been extensively diseased without the phenomena of mind being impaired in any sensible degree. This holds true both in regard to the destruction of each individual part of the brain, and likewise to the extent to which the cerebral mass may be diseased or destroyed. In another work I have mentioned various cases which illustrate this fact in a very striking manner; particularly the case of a lady, in whom one-half of the brain was reduced to a mass of disease, but who retained all her faculties to the last, except that there was an imperfection of vision, and had been enjoying herself at a convivial party in the house of a friend, a few hours before her death. A man, mentioned by Dr Ferrier, who died of an affection of the brain, retain ed all his faculties entire till the very moment of his death, which was sudden. On examining his head, the whole right hemisphere, that is, one-half of his brain, was found destroyed by suppuration. In a similar case, recorded by Diemerbroeck, half a pound of matter was found in the brain; and in one by Dr Heberden, there was half a pound of water. A man mentioned by Mr O'Halloran suffered such an injury on the head, that a large portion of the bone was removed on the right side; and extensive suppuration having taken place, there was discharged at each dressing, through the opening, an immense quantity of matter mixed with large masses of the substance of the brain. This went on for seventeen days, and it appears that nearly one-half of the brain was thrown out mixed with the matter; yet the man retained all his intellectual faculties to the very moment of dissolution; and, through the whole course of the disease, his mind maintained uniform tranquillity. These remarkable histories might be greatly multiplied if it were required, but at present it seems only necessary to add the very interesting one related by Mr Marshall. It is that of a man who died with a pound of water in his brain, after having been long in a state of idiory, but who, a very short time before death, became perfectly rational.”

friends.

"A singular fact has often been observed in dreams which are excited by a noise, namely, that the same sound awakeus the person, and produces a dream, which appears to him to occupy a considerable time. The following example of this has been related to me:-A gentleman dreamt that he had enlisted as a soldier, joined his regiment, deserted, was apprehended, carried back, tried, condemned to be shot, and at last led out for execution. After all the usual preparations, a gun was fired; he awoke with the report, and found that a noise in an adjoining room had both produced the dream and awaked him. The same want of the notion of time is observed in dreams from other causes. Dr Gregory mentions a gentleman, who, after sleeping in a damp place, was for a long time liable to a feeling of suffocation whenever he slept in a lying posture, and this was always accomp panied by a dream of a skeleton, which grasped him vic lently by the throat. He could sleep in a sitting posture without any uneasy feeling; and, after trying various experiments, he at last had a sentinel placed beside him, with orders to awake him whenever he sunk down. On one occasion, he was attacked by the skeleton, and a severe and long struggle ensued before he awoke. On finding fault with his attendant for allowing him to lie so long. in such a state of suffering, he was assured that he had not lain an instant, but had been awakened the moment he began to sink. The gentleman, after a considerable time, recavered from the affection."

STRANGE COINCIDENCES IN DREAMS.

entirely authentic:-A lady dreamt that an aged female "The following anecdotes I am enabled to give as relative had been murdered by a black servant, and the dream occurred more than once. She was then so im

pressed by it, that she went to the house of the lady to whom it related, and prevailed upon a gentleman to watch in an adjoining room during the night. About three o'clock in the morning, the gentleman, hearing footsteps on the rying up a quantity of coals. Being questioned as to where stair, left his place of concealment, and met the servant carhe was going, he replied, in a confused and hurried manner, that he was going to mend his mistress's fire-which, at three o'clock in the morning, in the middle of summer, was evidently impossible; and, on farther investigation, a strong knife was found concealed beneath the coals. Annther lady dreamt that a boy, her nephew, had been drowned, along with some young companions, with whom he hat engaged to go on a sailing excursion in the Frith of Forth. She sent for him in the morning, and, with much difficulty, prevailed upon him to give up hisengagement-his com

BYSTANDER'S POWER OF REGULATING DREAMS. "To this part of the subject are to be referred some remarkable cases in which, in particular, individuals' dreams can be produced by whispering into their ears when they are asleep. One of the most curious as well as authentic examples of this kind has been referred to by several writers: I find the particulars in a paper by Dr Gregory, and they were related to him by a gentleman who witnessed them. The subject of it was an officer in the expedition to Louisburg in 1758, who had this peculiarity in so re-panions went, and were all drowned. markable a degree, that his companions in the transport were in the constant habit of amusing themselves at his expense. They could produce in him any kind of dream, by whispering into his ear, especially if this was done by a friend with whose voice he was familiar. At one time they conducted him through the whole progress of a quar

"Such coincidences derive their wonderful character from standing alone, and apart from those numerous instanes in which such dreams take place without any fulfilment An instance of a very singular kind is mentioned by Mr Joseph Taylor, and is given by him as an undoubted fact A young man, who was at an academya hundred miles from

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home, dreamt that he went to his father's house in the with the difference which exists among different individuals night, tried the front door, but found it locked; got in by in this respect, and even in the same individual at different a back-door, and finding nobody out of bed, went directly times, we trace the influence of the principle in the imto the bed-room of his parents. He then said to his mother, pression which is made by events coming upon us suddenly whom he found awake, Mother, I am going a long jour-and unexpectedly; and the manner in which the emotion ney, and am come to bid you good bye.' On this she answered, under much agitation, Oh, dear me, thou art dead! He instantly awoke, and thought no more of his dream, until, a few days after, he received a letter from bis father, enquiring very anxiously after his health, in consequence of a frightful dream his mother had on the same night in which the dream now mentioned occurred to him. She dreamt that she heard some one attempt to open the front door, then go to the back-door, and at last come into her bed-room. She then saw it was her son, who came to the side of her bed, and said, Mother, I am going a long journey, and am come to bid you good bye' on which she exclaimed, 'Oh, dear me, thou art dead! But nothing unusual happened to any of the parties;-the singular dream must have arisen from some strong mental impression which had been made on both the individuals about the same time; and to have traced the source of it, would have been a matter of great interest."

THE PLEASURES OF MADNESS.

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“A remarkable peculiarity in many cases of insanity, is a great rapidity of mind and activity of conception, tendency to seize rapidly apor incidental or practical relations of things-and often a fertility of imagination, which changes the character of the mind, sometimes without remarkably distorting it! The memory, in such cases, is entire, and even appears more ready than in health; and old associations are called up with a rapidity quite unknown to the individual in his sound state of mind. A gentleman, mentioned by Dr Willis, who was liable to periodical attacks of insanity, said that he expected the paroxysins with im patience, because he enjoyed, during them, a high degree of pleasure. Every thing appeared easy to me no obstacles presented themselves, either in theory or practice. My memory acquired all of a sudden a singular degree of perfection. Long passages of Latin authors occurred to my mind. In general, I have great difficulty in finding rhythmical terminations, but then I could write verses with as great facility as prose. I have often,' says Penil, 'stopt at the chamber door of a literary gentleman, who, during his paroxysms, appeared to soar above the mediocrity of intellect that was peculiar to him, solely to admire his newly-acquired powers of eloquence. He declaimed upon the subject of the revolution with all the force. the dignity, and the purity of language, that this very interesting subjeet could admit of. At other times, he was a man of very ordinary abilities.'"

PERSONS MOST LIABLE TO INSANITY.

Insanity is in a large proportion of cases, to be traced to hereditary predisposition, and this is often so strong, that no prominent moral cause is necessary for the production of the disease, and probably no moral treatment would have any effect in preventing it. We must, however, suppose, that where a tendency to insanity exists, there may be, in many cases, circumstances in mental habits, or mental discipline, calculated either to favour, or to counteract the tendency. Insanity frequently commences with a state, in which particular impressions fix themselves upon the mind, in a manner entirely disproportioned to their true relations, and in which these false impressions fail to be corrected by the judgment comparing them with other impressions, or with external things. In so far as mental habits may be supposed to favour or promote such a coudition, this may be likely to result from allowing the mind to wander away from the proper duties of life, or to luxuriate amid scenes of the imagination, and permitting 'mental, emotions, of whatever kind, to be excited in a manner disproportioned to the true relations of the objects which give rise to them;-in short, from allow ing the mind to ramble among imaginary events, or to be led away, by slight and casual relations, instead of steadily exercising the judgment in the investigation of truth We might refer to the same head, habits of distorting events, and of founding upon them conclusions which they do not warrant. These, and other propensities and habits of a similar kind, constitute what is called an ill-regulated mind. Opposed to it is that habit of cool and sand exercise of the understanding, by which events are contemplated in their true relations and consequences; and mental emotions arise out of them such as they are really calculated to produce. Every one must be familiar

is gradually brought to its proper bearings, as the mind: accommodates itself to the event, by contemplating it in its true relations. In such a mental process as this, we observe the most remarkable diversities among various individuals. In some, the mind rapidly contemplates the event' in all its relations, and speedily arrives at the precise impression or emotion which it is in truth fitted to produce. In others, this is done more slowly, perhaps more imperfectly, and probably not without the aid of suggestions from other minds; while, in some, the first impression is so, strong and so permanent, and resists in such a manner those considerations which might remove or moderate it, that we find difficulty in drawing the line between it and that kind of false impression which constitutes the lower degree of insanity. Habits of mental application must also exert a great influence; and we certainly remark a striking difference between those who are accustomed merely to works of imagination and taste, and those whose minds bave been rigidly exercised to habits of calm and severe enquiry. A fact is mentioned by Dr Connolly, which, if it shall be confirmed by farther observation, would lead to some most important, reflections. He states, that it appears, from the registers of the Bicetre, that maniacs of the more educated classes consist almost entirely of priests, artists, painters, sculptors, poets, and musicians; while no instance, it is said, occurs of the disease in naturalists, physicians, geometricians, or

chemists."

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No literature is more rich in historical memoirs than the French, and yet a first-rate history of France has not hitherto appeared from the pen either of native or of foreigner. To what cause this may be ascribed, other than mere accident, it is perhaps unnecessary to enquire, The common solution appears to be sufficiently satisfactory: that the many works of merit on separate portions of that history, by making the existence of one connected comprehensive work less absolutely necessary, have acted as a discouragement to men of genius undertaking to supply a deficiency so little felt as to entitle their labours to a very slight share of gratitude. An additional reason, and, we think, a strong one, for the non-existence of a complete work such as we desiderate, will be found in the circumstance, that it was only at a comparatively late period of her history that France began to assume a very important station among the kingdoms of Europe. For a long time, she was a kingdom only in name: her external relations were extremely limited; internally, she was a prey to disunion and disorder-each of the petty states into which the country was divided acting of and for itself, without regard to the rest. Indeed, for nearly seven hundred years, from the commencement of the Merovingian dynasty in the person of Clovis, down to the time of Philip Augustus, with one solitary exception in the splendid reign of Charlemagne, the history of France is rather that of a number of independent provinces, than of a powerful and consolidated monarchy. Even long after this latter period, the crown, limited in its real prerogative less by the constitution of the monarchy than by the actual and enormous power of its greater vassals, could confer little more than nominal superiority upon its possessor. Louis XI. was the first King of France who can be said to have transmitted to his successor the proper authority, of a sovereign. To consolidate the power of the crown, and to exalt the political im

portance of France, by converting nominal suzerainship into absolute sovereignty, was the great object of that crafty monarch's reign. The opportune death of Charles the Bold of Burgundy happily enabled Louis to complete this scheme by the acquisition of that important duchy, which he wrested, partly by force of arms, partly by treaty, out of the feeble hands of Charles's daughter, and annexed inseparably to the monarchy.

:

We certainly do not affect to consider the work now presented to the public under the auspices of Dr Lardner, as supplying the desideratum to which we have just been alluding. Elegant correctness, general views, and a popular style, rather than depth of observation or profound research, seem proper to such publications as the Cabinet Cyclopædia. This, at least, judging by the portion of it now before us, is the character of Mr Crowe's work; and we take it for granted, that the author communicated to his volume that character on system. It is properly a synopsis of French history, more than a regular history of France. The author has added little to what was already generally known his work throws no new light upon the more interesting events of history, or upon the political springs by which they were secretly influenced; and Mr Crowe seems not to have availed himself of any save the more common authorities which are accessible to the general reader. Notwithstanding all this, however,—which, after all, regards rather the author's claim to originality, than the real value of his book,—we have little hesitation in saying, that this is the best history of France, within a moderate compass, with which we are acquainted. We cannot at this present moment recollect, nor do we believe that there exists, any work upon France which presents a clearer view of the original institutions of that country-of the progress of society-and the various changes which affected its government in the course of a civilisation, which appears to have proceeded with great rapidity, in spite of foreign invasion and the still greater evils of internal disunion.

With some it will be an objection to this work, that it partakes more of the nature of an historical essay than of a history. Its narrative of facts is meagre in proportion to its general disquisitions. It contains, perhaps, rather too much of the philosophy of history, and too little of its gossip, for the taste of those who take pleasure in detail, while this very circumstance will make the work more acceptable to those who either are already acquainted with the facts, or who, without knowing the facts, limit their curiosity to the obtaining a general connected philosophi'cal and just view of French history. In short, the author has here done what every intelligent reader of a history more strictly narrative would have done for himself, but which common readers are not, perhaps, always 'qualified to do, viz. extracted from the details of history, that for which principally history is valuable.

gether with the best knights of Burgundy, perished; and victory was completely in the hands of the Swiss : they were merciless in their triumph; they took no prisoners, vanquishers being now provided with cavalry, the flight and spared not an enemy. All were massacred; and the was more destructive than the action. Many sought refuge in the lake; and even thither they were pursued by their merciless enemies. The Swiss were resolved that the Burgundians should not rally a second time, to attempt a third invasion. Cruel as at Morat,' was for a long while a Swiss proverb. When time had decomposed the bodies of the of Morat, which for ages remained as a trophy to Swiss slain, the bones were collected in a chapel, called the Ossuary valour and independence. The French revolutionary army destroyed it in 1798."

Mr Crowe will have produced a very excellent work, if his two succeeding volumes are executed with the same judgment and elegance which distinguish that now before

us.

The Amulet: A Christian and Literary Remembrancer. Edited by S. C. Hall. London. Westley and Davis. 1831.

THE Amulet ranks deservedly high among the Annuals. The four best are the Keepsake, the Souvenir, the Friendship's Offering, and the Amulet. We might also mention the Landscape Annual, but it is a work on a different plan, and cannot be properly compared with the others. After these come the Forget-Me-Not, and a good many more. We are not quite sure that the embellishments of the Amulet are so splendid this season as they were last, but the literary contents are fully superior.

The engravings are as follows:-1st. The Countess Gower and her Child, painted by Lawrence, and engraved by W. Finden ; a very beautiful work of art, and a fine companion to the Lady Georgiana Agar Ellis in the Souvenir. 2d. The Resurrection, engraved by Wallis, from a drawing by Martin. This has all the usual faults of Martin's style. The figures in the foreground are so disproportioned to the rest of the picture, that their introduction seems only to mar the general effect. If the drawing represents any thing, it is a view of Jerusalem, though the predominating architecture of the buildings appears to be Gothic, and consequently is not exactly the architecture of Jerusalem. The story of the resurrection is told in one corner of the picture, and has only the effect of distracting the attention, and destroying the unity of the production. 3d. The Orphans, painted by J. Wood, engraved by C. Rolls; a well-told story of youthful misery and desolation, which it maketh the heart sad to look upon. 4th. Cromwell at MarstonMoor, painted by A. Cooper, engraved by W. Greatbatch; a very spirited battle-piece, the grouping admirable, and the drawing no less so. 5th. The Florentine, painted by Pickersgill, engraved by E. Finden-a youthful mother, with her happy child riding on her shoulder; one of the most successful and pleasing embellishments in the volume. 6th. Sweet Anne Page, paint"The captains of Burgundy counselled Charles to send ed by Smirke, engraved by Portbury. This is not one his force into the plain, where his cavalry might act; but of Smirke's best things. It wants animation; it is too he was now impatient of dictation. Near the lake of Morat much like a picture, and too little like reality. The attihe stationed his left, chiefly composed of Italian mercena- tudes of the figures are stiff and laboured, and the exries; the centre was commanded by Crève-cour; he him- pression of their faces are not decided enough. 7th. The self kept the right, with a body of English, under the Duke Village Queen, painted by J. Boaden, engraved by C. of Somerset, and his archers on horseback. The Swiss, as was customary with them, knelt down in line, uttered a Marr. Why call that sweet and gentle creature, full of short prayer, and then rushed against their enemies. On all delicate feminity, the "Village Queen?" The Queen, this occasion, the redoubtable infantry of the mountains even of a village, must have more confidence in herself, were kept in check by the Burgundian knights, fighting and a greater thirst for popularity, than ever belonged to under cover of their artillery and camp intrenchments. that fair and fragile flower. We love her much, because The action was for a time doubtful; but the cavaliers of we are certain that, in the soft modesty of her nature, Burgundy having all dismounted to defend their intrench-she could love deeply in return. ments, the Lorraine horse swept the right wing; and a body however, but her neck is a little too long. 8th. Sunset, We are not quite sure, of Swiss, being thus enabled to turn it, attacked the camp engraved by J. Pye, from a drawing by G. Barrett; a in flank and rear, whilst it was vigorously assaulted in front. Cannon and intrenchments here became useless; the very Claude-like picture. 9th. Florence, drawn by struggle was hand to hand. Somerset and his English, to- Turner, engraved by E. Goodall; as fair a scene as one

A short extract will serve to give relief to our remarks, and, at the same time, will afford the reader a specimen of Mr Crowe's sketchy, but spirited, style of narrative :

BATTLE OF MORAT.

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