Yet never again shall thy proud wing Be seen o'er the forests hovering! And never again shalt thou return And never again shall thy bosom burn With the meteor fires of song; · Though the birds will sing, and the breezes blow, And the gardens smile, and the streamlets flow. The ungrateful sun is shining still, Though thy songs have left the sky, When the light hath gone from your minstrel's brow. Its strength has left thy radiant wing, And the pulse of thy heart is o'er; And the songs which the fainting clouds have heard, And thy mate will die in her grassy bed, I gaze on thy dim and filmy eye, That has flash'd with the light of song, And thy breast, that gleam'd in the golden sky, And rested the clouds among ; And, gazing and musing, I cannot but sigh, That a creature so beautiful ever should die. But thus it is;—the sovereign oak Lies dead, while the broom lives on ; And the owls still hoot, and the ravens croak, When the nightingale's song is done; And the bad and base still laugh and lie, While the great and good despair and die. LITERARY CHIT-CHAT AND VARIETIES. RECOLLECTIONS of a Six Years' Residence in the United States of America, by a Native of Glasgow, will be published in the course of this month. The work will contain, we understand, much useful information to emigrants in general, and will give a very minute account of the actual state of the cotton manufactures in America. Numerous original anecdotes are also interspersed throughout the narrative, illustrating the manners and customs of the Americans. A Popular Essay on the Creation of the Universe, and Evidences of the Existence of God, by Charles Doyne Sillery, author of " Vallery," "Eldred of Erin," &c., is in the press. The Essay will contain a Sketch of the Modern Astronomy and the Wonders of Creation, as displayed by the Telescope and Microscope-Theories of the Stars, Planets, Comets, &c., with Illustrations of the various celestial phenomena-proving that every body in the universe is a world teeming with life and vegetation-that every sun, and system, and cluster, is in rapid motion through space, and that the work of creation is still going on in the heavens. The various astronomical calculations and physical discussions which are introduced in most works of this description, will be excluded, with the view of rendering the Essay as popular as possible. We understand that No. 1. of the Juvenile Family Library is to appear in June. The subjects which this work will embrace are to be treated in a style adapted to that portion of the rising generation for which the other publications are not altogether calculated. Sylva Britannica, complete in one volume royal 8vo, enriched with several additional subjects, comprising, in the whole, sixty plates of the most celebrated specimens of the various descriptions of Forest Trees, in England and Scotlard, by Mr Strutt, is announced. The Templars,-Tales of a Tar,-Sir Ethelbert, and other new novels, are in the press. A new edition of Dr Ure's Dictionary of Chemistry, nearly all rewritten, is in preparation. most interesting productions of Britain and the surrounding sea, is in the press. Mr Southey, the indefatigable, is preparing Select Works of the British Poets, from Chaucer to Withers, uniform with Aikm's Poets There is in the press, a fifth and sixth volume of Lord Byron's Works, containing English Bards, Heaven and Earth, Deformed Transformed, The Island, &c. &c., forming that portion of the works recently purchased by Mr Murray, and rendering this the first and only complete edition, with the exception of Don Juan. An edition of the standard British Novelists, uniform with the Waverley Novels, is announced. Among other literary novelties immediately fortheoming are:-1, Paul Clifford, by the author of Pelham-2. Notes on the Bedouin and Wahabys, by the celebrated Traveller Burckhardt-3. Wedded Life in the Upper Ranks, a Novel, said to be founded on a recent event of deep interest in high life-1. Travels through the Crimea, Turkey, and Egypt, by the late James Webster, Esq. of the Inner Temple-5. The English at Home, by the author of the English in Italy, the English in France, &c.-5. The third and fourth volumes of Mr D'Israeli's interesting Commentaries on the Life and Reign of Charles I. of England-7. The Oxonians, or a New Glance at Saciety, by the author of the Roué-and 8. The Denounced, by the author of Tales by the O'Hara Family, &c. PAUL CLIFFORD.-The main design of Paul Clifford," (the forthcoming new work by the author of Pelham,) we understand to be a general satire upon the hypocrisy of society, and the various methods of rising in the world. The hollowness and pretensions in literature, polities, fashion, professions, and callings, are the great materiel of irony and satire throughout the work. A new and cheap edition of Sir Walter Scott's Works is about to be published at Naples. Several editions have already been printed in the kingdom of the two Sicilies, but this will be the most beauti ful in its typography and embellishments. MILITARY EXQUISITES IN INDIA. -We observe, by the Ariafie Journal, that a general order has been issued by the Commander-inChief, prohibiting the officers in the East India Company's service "the use of combs in the hair, and curls, as being feminine and effe minate." An army of officers, with combs in their hair, would ce tainly not be a spectacle much to be dreaded by an enemy. Theatrical Gossip.-There is nothing new stirring in the theatrical world in London. The season at the principal theatres is drawing towards a close.-Malibran, Lalande, and La Blache, are having good houses at the Italian Opera.-Mathews's new entertainment, of which an account was given in our last, fills the Adelphi-Hum mel has been delighting the musical world at his concert.-Yates and the Siamese Elephant are to make their debut în Dublin upon Monday. We perceive by the Belfast papers, that Miss Jarman has been delighting the inhabitants of that town.-Mackay, Montague Stanley, Reynoldson, and Edmunds, have been performing with Alexander in Glasgow. Pritchard has been playing at Berwick-Our theatre re-opens on Tuesday with Miss Clarke, a young lady of this city, who made her debut here some time ago as a vocalist, and has been since starring it in provincial places. She will be succeeded in a week by Miss 1. Paton and Wilson. We understand that Mr Cummins, of the Caledonian Theatre, has agreed to lead the orchestra at the Theatre-Royal next winter, and a misunderstanding has, in consequence, taken place between him and Mr Bass.-Mr Jones, late of the Theatre Royal, and the present lessee of the Perth Theatre, is about to resume the management of it for the season, in consequence of Mr Bass, the sub-lessee, being prevented by peculiar circumstances from opening it. We have not heard whether it is Mr Jones's intention to perform.-Mr Murray has not yet returned from Loudon, The report is, that he does not intend to come back alone. SATURDAY'S PERFORMANCES. The Brigand, Lo Studio, & Black eyed Susan. (Theatre closed.) TO OUR CORRESPONDENTS. On a second, perusal we think it as well not to publish the em munication of "Senex."-The communication of “* Lorma” sa have a place, if possible, next Saturday.-We hope ** Clarens" Wil still bear with us for another week. The parody on "Alice Gr "" is not "odiously bad," but it is not good enough.-We think St Walter Scott's Lines on John Kemble's leaving the stage are to be found in the first series of the "Poetical Album.”—“ Justicies" accuses the Literary Journal of a fault it never committed. We shall take it as a particular favour if "Justiciam" will write grammar when he next addresses us. The verses by the author of "Poetical Aspirations" shall have a place. The Desert Spring" will appear soon-"The Wounded Cushat Dove" indicates poetical feeling, but scarcely comes up to our standard.-The" Lines sacred to the Memory of a favomin A second volume of the British Naturalist, or Sketches of the Lap-Dog," will not suit us. The consequences of this want of a practical business education are evident to every one who has had his attention called to the proceedings in our church courts. To The Practice in the several Judicatories of the Church of ignorance or neglect of the forms necessary for carrying THIS is a practical and useful work, and one which the inexcusable ignorance of forms, or inattention to them, among our Scottish clergy, imperiously called for. There are two duties equally incumbent upon a clergyman in the discharge of his important office-that of teaching, and that of enforcing discipline-that of rightly expounding the doctrines of religion, and that of maintaining the constitution of the church. In regard to the performance of the former, we may challenge the world for a body of clergymen equally competent and zealous with our own ;—in what regards the latter, they manage matters after a more slovenly fashion. The root of this evil lies deep in the church; it is to be sought in the earliest of her records; its consequences have been most pernicious; and the exposition of both is a matter of sufficient importance to justify our devoting a brief space to the attempt. on judicial business in a regular manner we are to attri- Our The excessive zeal of our earliest reformers was more intent upon rooting out what was evil in the church, than upon preserving what was indispensable to the maintenance of her integrity. They seem almost to have acted upon the principle, that their only duty was to tear away what was rotten, and that Providence would interfere to prevent the purer materials from falling asunder under their energetic tugs. The line of conduct necessarily emanating from such views was actively seconded by the interested spirit of the barons. An impression came in a short time to prevail, that to inculcate the doctrines of Christianity was the whole duty of the minister, and that the regular conduct of the church courts, according to How these imperfections are to be corrected, is a quescustom and statute, was a matter of very subordinate im- tion of considerable difficulty. There is a just suspicion portance. The spirit infused into the adherents of the entertained on the part of the clerical members of our Presbyterian church by the successive attempts of the go- ecclesiastical courts when any lay member of a legal provernment to introduce Episcopacy, added to the inve- fession speaks to a point of form. They say, truly, that teracy of this feeling. A deep, practical conviction of their forms differ from those of the civil courts. religion was all that was looked for either in the clergy-only grief is, that they do not habitually maintain their man or in the layman-either in the ruler in Israel, or in his disciples. It is to this circumstance that we owe the omission of even the most superficial instruction in the constitutional theory and law of the church, in a system of education so extensive as that prescribed for the clergymen of the Scottish persuasion; and we may hence account for the slovenly manner in which the business of our ecclesiastical judicatories is almost uniformly carried on. In the General Assembly, we commonly find One or two who (like Dr Inglis, or the late Sir Henry Moncrieff) are masters of the forms of business; but in presbyteries we seldom meet with more than one who as even a smattering of this indispensable knowledge, and that one is uniformly found discharging the duties of resbytery clerk-an officer who, unavowedly and withbut responsibility, arbitrarily controls and directs the proceedings of the whole court. own forms in opposition to those of civilians, but exhibit rather an entire laxity and remissness. In order to bring about a better state of things, it ought to be deeply impressed on the minds of candidates for the clerical officeas it always was impressed upon them by one of the brightest ornaments of the church, who has, not long ago, gone down to his grave, full of years and full of honour, Sir Henry Moncrieff-that they are not only called upon to perform the duties of preaching and visitation, but the more arduous, and not less important, ones, of acting in presbyteries, synods, and in the General Assembly, as judges and legislators. Instead of wasting so much time in the Church History class, it would be of the highest importance that every divinity student should go through a course of ecclesiastical law. This is required in the Catholic church from every one who aspires to become a ruling priest (and with us every ordained minister is such); and it is also required from every candidate for honours in the Lutheran church. To the applicant for a license to preach the Gospel there ought to be added to the trials which he has at present to undergo, a series of questions in ecclesiastical law and discipline. More than one-half of the questions put to the candidate after the Presbytery have decided that his gifts and acquirements fit him for the office of a preacher, bear upon his acquiescence in, and attachment to, the Presbyterian form of church government ;-might it not be as well to ascertain, beforehand, whether he have any very precise or definite ideas of the nature of that form of church government? The only other measure that occurs to us as likely to be of advantage in this point of view, is a strict exclusion of all unfledged barristers from the office of elder in the General Assembly. Care is taken that parochial elders shall be men of staid habits and experience; why is not the same care taken in the case of ruling elders, whose duties are so much more arduous? It is neither for profit nor for edification to see the benches of so venerable a senate filled with raw inexperienced boys, who, unable to get their mouths opened elsewhere, scramble in for the mere purpose of making a speech. An advocate cannot be appointed a sheriff until he has been five years practising (or attempting to practise) at the bar; and is he, who is unfit to act as a subordinate civil judge, fit to act as a supreme ecclesiastical judge? This is rather a disproportionately long introduction to a short notice of a small volume, but the topic interests us, and we felt particularly anxious to bring it be fore our clerical readers at this season. With regard to Dr Hill's book, it is brief, clear, and satisfactory. As an institutional work, it would not be easy to improve it. The perusal of it clearly shows, that the laxity in the observance of forms, of which we have complained, has not been occasioned by any defect in the structure of our church. A more practical and judicious constitutional theory we cannot imagine. Nothing is necessary for its perfection, but a little more activity and intelligence on the point of their public duties in its component members. Dr Hill has shown himself, in this excellent little manual, a worthy son of a worthy father. We hope ere long to receive from him a detailed and comprehensive system of our "ecclesiastical polity." His style is concise and elegant; and his sentiments in matters of discipline (taking the word in its most limited sense) duly tempered with gentleness. The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott, Bart. 11 vols. 18mo. New Edition. Edinburgh. Cadell and Co. 1830, (Unpublished.) In addition to the extracts we gave last week from the forthcoming new edition of Sir Walter Scott's Poetical Works, we now present our readers with the dramatic sketch entitled "Mac Duff's Cross," which, though it was published in 1823, in a volume of Miscellanies edited by Mrs Joanna Baillie, is still almost as good as manuscript, especially in Scotland, where only a very few copies of the volume in question were circulated." Mac Duff's Cross" is founded upon the history of the Cross and Law of Clan MacDuff, which is given at considerable length in the "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border." The Cross was a place of refuge to any person related to the Thane of Fife within the ninth degree, who, having committed homicide, sought shelter at this sanctuary. The Cross itself was destroyed at the Reformation; but the block of stone which served for its pedestal is still in existence, near the town of Newburgh. The Dramatic Sketch, without being entitled to any high praise, contains several interesting passages, and, on the whole, is creditable even to its author: MACDUFF'S Cross. PRELUDE. Nay, smile not, Lady, when I speak of witchcraft, Shall render back their terrors with their woes, And accents which, once heard, the ear forgets not, Yet since thou wilt an idle tale of mine, The summit of a Rocky Pass near to Newburgh, about two miles from the ancient Abbey of Lindores, in Fife. In the centre is MacDuff's Cross, an antique Monument, and, at a small distance, on one side, a Chapel, with a Lamp burning. Enter, as having ascended the Pass, NINIAN and WALDHAVE, Monks of Lindores. NINIAN crosses himself, and seems to recite his devotions-WALDHAVE stands gazing on the prospect, as if in deep contemplation. Ninian. Here stands the Cross, good brother, consecrated By the bold thane unto his patron saint Magridius, once a brother of our house. Canst thou not spare an ave or a creed? Or hath the steep ascent exhausted you? You trode it stoutly, though 'twas rough and toilsome. Waldhave. I have trod a rougher. Nin. Scarcely within our sea-girt province here, Nin. 'Tis good morality.-But yet forget not, From the bright heaven they aim at, even because Berk. I claim the privilege of Clan MacDuff. My name is Maurice Berkeley, and my lineage Allies me nearly with the Thane of Fife. Nin. Give us to know the cause of sanctuary? Nin. Peace, in the name of Saint Magridius! To sheathe thy sword, and stir no contest here. To lure the craven from the enchanted circle And change three blows,-even for so short a space So, Heaven be good to me! I will forgive thee Berk. Were not my right hand fetter'd by the thought In which to steep my soul, no bridegroom ever Lin. He quails, and shuns to look upon my weapon, Berk. Lindesay, and if there were no deeper cause Nin. I charge you both, and in the name of Heaven, Where Christian men must bear them peacefully, Your cause of difference; and, Lord Lindesay, thou Lin. Ask the blue welkin-ask the silver Tay, The northern Grampians-all things know my wrongs; Who wrought them, stands and listens with a smile. Since you refer us thus to general fame That Berkeley slew thy brother, the Lord Louis, Lin. Ay, in his halls— In his own halls, good father, that's the word- Berk. Thou say'st I came a guest!-I came a victim, A destined victim, train'd on to the doom His frantic jealousy prepared for me. He fix'd a quarrel on me, and we fought. Can I forget the form that came between us, And perish'd by his sword? 'Twas then I fought For vengeance,-until then I guarded life, Lin. "Wretch! thou didst first dishonour to thy victim, Berk. There is a busy fiend tugs at my heart, Forgive me that I caused your brother's death; With which thou taxest me. Lin. Take worse and blacker.-Murderer, adulterer! Berk. Stay but one second-answer but one question.- And by the memory of that murder'd innocent, Stern ghost of her destroyer!. Wald. (throws back his cowl.) He hears! he hears! Thy spell hath raised the dead. Lin. My brother! and alive! Wald. Alive, but yet, my Richard, dead to thee. Lin. I but sought To do the act and duty of a brother. God sends me here a brother in mine enemy, Berk. (gives his hand.) It is the will Go to his halls, Lord Richard, where a maiden, Heirs his broad lands;-If thou canst love her, Lindesay, The True Plan of a Living Temple; or, Man considered in his proper Relation to the Ordinary Occupations and Pursuits of Life. By the Author of the "Morning and Evening Sacrifice," &c. In 3 vols. Edinburgh. Oliver and Boyd. 1830. WERE we to wait till we had fully read and digested this book, before we recommended it to our readers, we should delay much too long to do our part to bring into notice what we distinctly perceive is one of the most important and best executed works of a religious kind which has been produced in our day. It is peculiarly well adapted, too, to meet the errors and illusions prevalent in these times, and which must ever be more or less prevalent, when so high a subject as that of religion intermingles with the weaknesses and infirmities of human nature. It has struck forcibly the eminent author before us, that these errors chiefly arise from men mistaking the object of religion—from fancying to themselves that it was designed to carry their thoughts into indistinct musings on a future state of existence, and not to be the great vivifying principle of all their thoughts and occupations connected with the present life. Men are willing enough, under its influence, to consider themselves as Temples to the Deity, but then they are not Living Temples; there is commonly more of meditation and abstraction, and direct spiritual communication, in their notion of the services to be rendered to God, than of a distinct view of the part now given them to act among his creatures; and the great object, accordingly, of this work, is to show the real sphere which religion occupies upon earth-as a system which is throughout practical, and which, while it opens into prospects of existence, of which the present scene is only the foretaste, yet confines all the strenuous efforts and exertions of the human mind to the theatre in which it is now called to be exercised. In accomplishing this important object, we know no author who has gone so deep into the actual condition of human nature, or who sees [They are going off. so distinctly what are its capacities, its defects, its obliga Berk. Father, forgive, and let me stand excused Berk. Make then obeisance to the blessed Cross, Wald. (rushing forward.) Madmen, stand!— tions. In other words, we may say, that we know of |