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teeth by a person blind-fold and dumb-the first egg of
a young hen, baked into a cake, with one shellful of soot,
another of meal, and a third of salt, all properly mixed
together. This extraordinary cake must be dressed by a
fire made of straw taken from the cradle of a woman's
first son.
Besides, I have heard of some other charms,
which I forbear even to mention, as not worthy of your
notice. I suspect that I have tired you sufficiently
already, and must crave your forgiveness. Yet, however
ridiculous these may appear to us, they certainly were
instituted with very serious intentions at first, and were
invented from the keen desire that mankind have of pry-
ing into futurity. And I do think that they are just as
good, and were certainly as useful, as Virgil's Charm of
knots and colours: Necte tribus nodis ternos, Amarylli,
colores.'

"In the Highlands of Perthshire, and no doubt in many other inland parts of the country, these practices prevailed much even since the middle of this century; but they are now wearing out of use.

"I forget how much or how little of this corresponds with the hasty note I left at Drummond Castle, or whether any or all of it be the same. All I recollect about it is, that it related to Ballteen, which is the Fire of Ball, and to Hallow-Evening; and that I took notice of some of the allusions practised in the Highlands to the sacrifices of the one, and to the divinations of the other, of these two great Druidical festivals.--I have the honour to be, &c.,

"JAMES ROBERTSON."

1818, Dr Jamieson published the first part of the second
volume of the Society's Transactions. In 1819, Mr Skene
of Rubislaw was requested to become curator of the
museum, and undertake its arrangement.
This duty
cost him six months of daily attendance. By his inde-
fatigable exertions, a degree of interest was excited in
the members. Still the literary communications to the
Society were comparatively few and uninteresting. In
1822, the late Mr Thomas Kinnear was appointed secre-
tary, to whom Dr Hibbert was soon after associated in
office. The doctor's duties were limited to the charge of
finding a supply of papers for every evening that the
members sat. For two years this was no sinecure, but
at last the contagion of his example, and his judicious
encouragement, encouraged some of the younger mem..
bers to lend their aid. From that time no dearth of
papers has been experienced, nor is it likely that, under
its present active and intelligent management, the So-
ciety will be allowed again to degenerate. Considerable
advantage has been derived to the Institution from the
transference of its museum and meetings to the elegant
and commodious apartments it now occupies in the build-
ing on the Mound.

While on the subject of the Antiquarian Society, the mind is led by an easy transition to the state of our Edinburgh literary and scientific societies in general, and to the suggestion of the enquiry whether their union as classes of one great National Institute, might not be productive of the best consequences? The Antiquarian Society is, as we have seen, highly active and efficacious.

The Wer

The historical sketch of the condition of the Societynerian is, we know, about to take a fresh start. The Royfrom the year 1784 to 1830, compiled, in conformity to an injunction of the council, by Dr Hibbert and Mr D. Laing, reads an important lesson to literary Societies of all kinds. In 1781, the prospects of the society were so promising, that the members thought themselves warranted to purchase a house. The old post-office in the Cowgate was accordingly bought for the sum of L. 1000. So dilatory and reluctant, however, were the members to come forward with their subscriptions, that after struggling for some years, the house was resold, as being the cause of incurring expenses beyond what the Society's funds could bear, and the aspiring body was forced to retire to comparative obscurity in a land in the Canongate.

From this period down to the year 1814, the Society's proceedings are a blank, or worse. A number of mem

bers had been admitted who were either unable or unwilling to take part in the literary business of the Institution, and who gave no other indications of their connexion with the Society, than by ebullitions of a trifling and factious spirit in all discussions of its financial arrangements. The museum of the society was also allowed to languish in neglect. There was not sufficient room for its arrangement in their hired apartments, and many articles were relegated to the abode of the Society's secretary, himself a collector. At his death, in 1793, it was found impossible to identify much of the Society's property. Under the joint influence of languor and faction little was to be expected. Meetings were seldom held, donations sparingly made,-papers or communications rarely produced. From December 10th, 1810, to December 14th, 1811, only five meetings were held, at four of which the only business transacted was the reading of the minutes, and a motion for adjournment in consequence of the small attendance of members, diversified on one occasion by the notification of the resignation of an ordinary member. At the other meeting, the secretary certified that no individual save himself had appeared. Amid all this inactivity, the anniversary meetings for the election of members and office-bearers continued to be tolerably well attended.

A reaction began to take place about the year 1814. The chief agents were, Sir Henry Jardine, Sir George Mackenzie, Dr Jamieson, and Mr Thomas Allan. In

al Society, although its literary class has been allowed to
fall into utter abeyance, and although the whole of its
proceedings have for some time back been characterised
by a degree of torpor and want of interest, includes among
its members a strong host of talent. The Board of Trus-
tees, there is every reason to hope, will soon cease to ex-
ist; but its collection of statues would, we have no doubt,
under necessary restrictions, be confided to the charge of
the gentlemen of the Royal Institution, who might, by in-
corporating them with their young picture gallery, ren-
der the Academy yet more important. All these differ-
ent bodies united, upon some plan kindred in spirit, but
not servilely copied from the Institute of France-insti-
gating each other at once by co-operation and emulation,
might achieve much for science and literature.
who is acquainted with the history of literature and sci-
ence in Edinburgh, can be ignorant of the impulse given
to them by the Royal Society when first instituted. The
rising talent of the country. would catch fresh vigour
from this wider reunion. The fresh spring of mind

No one

which the whole land is taking, would display itself also
in the departments of art, science, and literature. This
is a matter of no common concern at the present moment.
There can be no more unhealthy and feverish temper of
the public mind than that in which its attention is ex-
clusively concentrated upon political discussion. The free
conflict of opinion in such questions is necessary to the
strengthening and invigorating of the public mind, but it
is highly deleterious when administered alone.
a crisis as the present, it is more than ever necessary
that every encouragement should be given to the apostles
of science, and the national reward will be as its liberality
towards them in a tenfold proportion.

At such

Returning to the more immediate subject of this article, we have only to add that a reprint of the second part of the second volume of the Society's Transactions accom

panies the present publication, and that the illustrations of the work are highly creditable.

Atherton; a Tale of the Last Century. By the Author of "Rank and Talent," &c. In three volumes. London. Simpkin and Marshall. 1831.

THIS is a story of the days of Wilkes and liberty. The author does not show much either of power or depth

At

of mind, but there is an elegance and justice of thought throughout his work which renders its perusal extremely pleasing. The story is that of a young man, who finds himself, when he first begins to reflect, apprentice to a stationer in the city, with not one human being who claims kindred to him. His prepossessing character and appearance win him friends, and he is about to sail, under their patronage, for the West Indies, when he is crimped and shipped off, as a common soldier, to the East. the island of Madeira, by a desperate effort of resolution, he makes his escape, and the ship sails without him. He is hospitably received by an English family, and is on the eve of returning to England when he again falls into the toils of a mysterious person, who was the principal agent in his first violent seizure. He proceeds to India, distinguishes himself by his bravery, makes friends, and returns to England. Here he again encounters his persecutor, who acknowledges that he is his father. Circumstances, however, occur to render this man's claims doubtful in the eyes of our hero, who eventually proves to be the son of a wealthy baronet, upon whom his pretended father had palmed off a son of his own. The story is skilfully managed, except at the conclusion, which is abrupt and rather unsatisfactory. We are not made to see clearly by what means the hero's parentage was at length clearly established. The characters are well conceived; in particular, the real and pretended fathers of the subject of the story, his sturdy old master, and a scoundrel attorney. They seem, however, to be delineated by one more conversant with his own imaginings, than the rough outside of humanity, and have, in consequence, a somewhat unsubstantial appearance. Opportunity is taken to introduce two of the lions of the dayWilkes and Dr Johnson. As the author's success in portraying two persons of such general notoriety seems to afford the fairest test of his powers, we lay before our readers some of the scenes in which they are made to appear. The first extract introduces us to Wilkes on a canvassing expedition.

6

"Mr Bryant's harangue was cut short by the noisy shouting of a tumultuous rabble, who ran roaring up Holborn, Wilkes and Liberty for ever! Hurrah for number Forty-five! Presently the loyal stationer's shop was more than half filled by a small detachment from the crowd, in advance of which were three well-dressed gentlemen. One of the three wore a gold-laced hat, a coat of foreign cut, a tamboured waistcoat, and a steelhilted sword. The other two were of less fashionable aspect. From his back parlour Mr Bryant discerned the invasion, and he hastened to meet it in no very good humour. He put on his hat, which he always wore in the shop, as token that he was master, and he encountered the democratic candidate for Middlesex with as much unbending firmness, as Dr Busby is reported to have received Charles the Second, when he made his unexpected appearance in the schoolroom at Westminster.

"Give me leave,' said one of the supporters of the patriot, to introduce to you, my friend, Mr Wilkes.'

"The courteous patriot bowed most gracefully to the inflexible stationer, who, with his hands in his waistcoat pockets, stood immovably behind the counter, frowning an awful negative, and disdaining, as a matter of principle, to return the candidate's bow. The contrast between the gaily-dressed and accomplished champion of liberty, and the plain, blunt, loyal stationer, was curious and striking. A stranger, who had known nothing of Mr Wilkes but from newspapers, dead walls, and window shutters, would scarcely have been able to recognise the champion of popular rights, in the smart, trim, bowing gentleman who stood at Mr Bryant's counter. The sturdy stationer, with his blunt bluffness, looked most like a republican, while Mr Wilkes, in the French elasticity of his politeness, might have passed for a complete courtier.

"I have taken the liberty,' said Mr Wilkes, to wait

upon you, Mr Bryant, to solicit the honour of your vote and interest at the ensuing election for Middlesex.'

666

"Mr Wilkes,' replied the stationer, 'I'll be plain with you. I will give you neither my vote nor my interest. I shall vote against you, and use my interest against you. I voted against you in the city; I shall vote against you at Brentford; and I shall vote against you everywhere.' "I thank you for your candour,' said the patriot, smiling, but perhaps you will reconsider the matter. I have had a promise from your worthy brother, Mr Robert Bryant.'

"Then my worthy brother is a great fool for his pains; he would do much better to mind his own business,' answered the stationer, he will get no good by voting for you.'

"He will serve the cause of his country's liberty,' replied the candidate.

"Serve the cause of a fiddlestick,' replied the stationer; he had better stay at home and serve himself. His country won't thank him.'

"I am afraid, Mr Bryant,' said the patriot, that there is too much truth in your observation. There is a sad want of public spirit. People think only of themselves.'

"And who else, in the name of wonder, should they think of?' asked Mr Bryant.

"The bluntness of the loyal citizen was not unamusing to the patriotic candidate, who, in spite of indications of impatience on the part of his supporters, was inclined to entertain himself with the scene a little longer. Replying again to Mr Bryant, he said: "They should think of their country, Mr Bryant.'

"So should you, Mr Wilkes,' replied the loyal man, and have kept out of it when you were out.'

"But I returned,' said the patriot, with most exemplary patience, that I might more effectually serve my country.'

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"Your country is much better served without you.' "Come, Mr Wilkes,' said one of his impatient supporters, you are only wasting your precious time.' "And wasting mine too,' added Mr Bryant, and keeping customers out of the shop.'

"I feel inclined,' said the patriot, to be a customer myself.'

"Mine is a ready-money business,' said Mr Bryant; and so saying he retreated to his little back parlour, leaving the courteous democrat to proceed on his canvass to more auspicious quarters. The people who had accompanied Mr Wilkes into the shop were very much entertained by the unceremonious rudeness of Mr Bryant, at which they laughed most heartily; for though they were all Wilkites, by virtue of their mobility, and did most cordially sympathize with Mr Wilkes in his opposition to the king and the ministers, yet they could not but enjoy the blunt and sturdy independence with which the shopkeeper addressed the gentleman.''

Our next gives a view of the same character in a somewhat different situation.

"Mr Wilkes took his seat in the coach as quietly as a lamb, between the two officers who accompanied him, and when the word of command was given to the coach. man to drive to the King's Bench, a groan of indignation rose from those who heard it not. And there was a general cry of Shame,'' Shame!'-' To the city,' 'To the city!' Frank, who in the impetuosity of his zeal had taken a prominent part in the great outcry, now considered himself, and was considered by those about him, as one of the ringleaders; and the extemporary homage which was thus paid to him, did at once flatter and stimulate him. He forgot his promise and intention of speedy return to the stationer's counter, and as he ambled by the side of the slowly moving coach, he was the first to raise the rebellious cry of Rescue!' There was contagion in the word, and it flew like wildfire; and by the

time that the coach had reached the centre of Westminster Bridge, the mob was so much increased, that it was no easy matter to drive through it. In the twinkling of an eye, the horses, which had not the slightest objection to make to that process, were detached from the carriage, and the sovereign people, from whom all power emanates, yoked themselves to the coach, and, by the emanation of a two-horse power, drew the vehicle back again from Westminster Bridge through Parliament Street and the Strand towards the city. And while sober and loyal people were turning up their sober and loyal eyes at the abominations of these coach-horse democrats, Frank Atherton and his companions were exulting in the success of their heroic efforts, and delighting themselves in the thought that they were too much for the higher powers at Westminster.

"Frank had not yoked himself to the patriot's triumphal car, for such the hackney coach had become by a kind of popular apotheosis, but he had mounted the box to direct the movements of the draughtsmen, and he felt as many a man feels when he makes a speech at a tavern dinner and says, 'This is the proudest day of my life.' He felt as though he were doing his country an actual and essential service in rescuing the champion of its liberties, and the dauntless advocate of its rights, from the iron grasp of despotism; and he had his reward in the gazings of the myriads of eyes that saluted the procession, and the myriads of voices that greeted or cheered its conductors, as it passed along through the then narrow Strand. From side to side he turned his animated eyes and bent his graceful bows, as a successful candidate chaired through the place of election; and at every pause he waved his hat with vigorous glee, and led the glorious shout of 'Wilkes and Liberty!'

"When they arrived opposite the Mansion House, they made a rather longer pause, and gave three hearty cheers, and then, after a slight deliberation, they drew the carriage to Spitalfields, where they caused the patriot and his guards to alight; the latter were sent quietly away, and the former was conducted into a tavern. Some few of the multitude entered the tavern with him, among them of course was Frank Atherton as leader of the rescue.

“And now, gentlemen,' said Mr Wilkes,that you have brought me thus far, may I take the liberty to ask, what is your object?'

"Our object,' said Frank, is to restore you to that liberty of which your enemies and the enemies of your country had so unjustly deprived you.'

"But I am not yet,' replied the patriot, out of the power of my enemies.'

"We will protect you, sir, against them to the very utmost of our power,' answered Atherton, with an energy and seriousness which made the patriot smile, and at which he oftentimes in after life did smile himself; for in the sounder judgment of his maturer years he never blushed at the ebullitions of his youthful impetuosity.

666

Now, will you excuse me,' said Wilkes, laying his hand on Atherton's shoulder, if I tell you, that your present proceeding has not at all contributed to my liberty, and is not very likely to contribute to the liberty of the country. If you take me for a ringleader of rebellion, or for a patron of sedition, you quite mistake my character. My opposition to the ministry is not an opposition to the law, but to those who violate the law. wish to be of any real service to me or to your country, you will try to persuade these people who are below to disperse and go quietly to their homes.'

666

If you

"Shall I speak to the multitude,' exclaimed Frank, quite delighted with the thought of becoming so distinguished a personage. And hastening to the window, he threw up the sash, and the multitude, thinking that it was Mr Wilkes, cheered him most vociferously. Atherton attempted to make a speech, but did not succeed quite

so well as he expected. The sum and substance, for he could never recollect the words, amounted to this, that Mr Wilkes was very much obliged to them for bringing him there, and would be quite as much obliged, if they would have the goodness to let him go back again; and he concluded by earnestly imploring each and every of them to retire quietly to their own homes, and keep the king's peace. But they did not care a straw for the king's peace; it would have suited their humour much better to be recommended to break a few windows, or to return to Westminster to kick up a row for the good of their country. The multitude called aloud for their idol, who, at their bidding, readily appeared at the window and addressed them. His eloquence, seconded by a fine mizzling rain, which had been sopping them for the last half hour, and which tickled their upturned eyes as they lifted their countenances to gaze upon the dimly visible figure of the patriot, had the effect of persuading them to disperse, and they betook themselves to the various gin shops in Spitalfields and Norton Falgate, where they amused themselves and their auditors, severally, by valorous narratives of the day's exploits, by serious prophecy of national ruin, and by tremendous invectives against Lord Bute, Lord North, and certain unnameable individuals in high place."

The great moralist is thus introduced:

"It was tolerably manifest during dinner time that Mr Boswell was very much afraid that the doctor was not in a humour to show off. Mr Robert Bryant, who knew the lexicographer's feeling on such occasions, was most anxiously fearful lest there should be to the doctor's eye any appearance of a wish to show him to the company, and he was also very careful to avoid all political allusions, or any mention of the name of Wilkes. Very few words were spoken during dinner, and those few were merely words of business, and not addressed to the doctor. The whole party seemed to be dining with a tame lion, who would not eat them all up, if they behaved themselves properly. At length there appeared symptoms of an oracle. Dr Johnson laid down his knife and fork. Mr Boswell pricked up his ears, and looked round to the company, as much as to say Attention!''Mrs Bryant,' said the learned doctor, your apple-pies are excellent.'

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"After dinner, the whole attention of the company was directed to the great man, who did not seem inclined to open his mouth, and none of the party seemed to have wit or courage to open it for him. Nobody dared to speak, but in an under tone of voice, and the doctor himself, as if imagining that there was no antagonist present, over whom victory would be glorious, sat long in solemn silence. Mr Boswell fidgeted in his seat, and twenty times was on the brink of making a speech, but as often his wits unfortunately failed him. The worthy draper and his guests were beginning to fear that the whole concern was a failure, and that they might as well, and perhaps better, have dined without Dr Johnson, when by accident Mr Boswell aroused the dormant energy of his friend.

"Mention was made, amidst the mutterings of their commonplace talk, of a Mr Vernon, a great West-India proprietor. Dr Johnson spoke highly of Mr Vernon. "But, sir,' said Mr Boswell, you do not approve of slavery?'

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66 No, sir,' roared the doctor, and the company were delighted to hear him roar; I do not approve of slavery; but I love Vernon.'

"And yet Mr Vernon is a great owner of slaves,' replied Mr Boswell.

"So much the better for them,' said the doctor; and if I were a slave, and could choose my master, Vernon should be the man.'

"Yes, sir,' answered Mr Boswell; for if you were Mr Vernon's slave, he would not set you to work in the

plantations; he would be too happy in the pleasure of
your conversation to drive you to bodily labour. You
would be his companion, rather than his slavegi a
"Sir,' said the doctor, there is as much slavery in
being compelled to talk, as in being compelled to work
"But Mr Vernon, replied Boswell, would not
compel you to talk.' # 900 7 979 9206) en
"Why, no, sir, answered Johnsony rather weari-
somely,' he might not use the whip, and compel me so;
but he might provoke me, by talking nonsense. U enou
"As I may do,' replied Mr Boswell. The doctor
ughed loudly and heartily, then answered, "Well said,
Bozzy; you have made a rod for your own back.”

These volumes are well fitted to beguile a weary hour, and leave an agreeable impression on the mind.

A Treatise on Optics. By David Brewster, LL. D., &c. (Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia, Vol. XX. London. Longman and Co. 1831. tft 38 90tuloz atit THE author or editor has prefixed to this work, by way of motto, the following passage from the Quarterly Review for February 1831: It is not easy to devise a cure for such a state of things (the declining taste for science ;) but the most obvious remedy is to provide the educated classes with a series of works on popular and practical science, freed from mathematical symbols and technical terms, written in simple and perspicuous language, and illustrated by facts and experiments," which are level to the capacity of ordinary minds." And in illustration of the principle here laid down, the book is filled from beginning to end with diagrams and demonstrations. We do not, however, object to this, because we believe pictorial representations and technical terms to be the only means of communicating" to science that accuracy which is the essence of its being and the source of its beauty. We are only amused to see how effectually the tact of a man of genius guards him against the seductions of his own erroneous theories for we believe that Dr Brewster is, in the present instance, like Sir Walter Scott, the author of his own motto. The treatise on optics is a perspicuous and exhaustive compendium of that interesting branch of science, beautifully arranged. The following passage may serve as a specimen of the more popular parts of the work. It is the account of a phenomenon which has often been described, but without losing by repetition any of its interest,o

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refraction. On the 28th of June, 1820, he saw from the mast-head eighteen sail of ships at the distance of about twelve miles. One of them was drawn out, or lengthened, in a vertical direction; another was contracted in the same direction; one had an inverted image immediately above it; and other two had two distinct inverted images above them; accompanied with two images of the strata of ice. In 1822, Captain Scoresby recognised his father's ship, the Fame, by its inverted image in the air, although the ship itself was below the horizon. He afterwards found that the ship was seventeen miles beyond the horizon, and its distance thirty miles. In all these cases, the image was directly above the object; but on the 17th of September, 1818, MM. Jurine and Soret observed a case of unusual refraction, where the image was on one side of the object. A bark about 4000 toises distant was seen approaching Geneva by the left bank of the lake, and at the same moment there was seen above the water an image of the sails, which, in place of following the direction of the bark, receded from it, and seemed to approach Geneva by the right bank of the lake; the image sailing from east to west, while the bark was sailing from north to south. The image was of the same size as the object when it first receded from the bark, but it grew less and less as it receded, and was only one half that of the bark when the phenomenon ceased.

"While the French army was marching through the sandy deserts of Lower Egypt, they saw various phenomena of unusual refraction, to which they gave the name of mirage. When the surface of the sand was heated by the sun, the land seemed to be terminated at a certain distance by a general inundation. The villages situated upon eminences appeared to be so many islands in the middle of a great lake, and under each village there was an inverted image of it. As the army approached the boundary of the apparent inundation, the imaginary lake withdrew, and the same illusion appeared round the next village. M. Monge, who has described these appearances in the Mémoires sur l'Egypte, ascribes them to reflection from a reflecting surface, which he supposes to take place between two strata of air of different density.

"One of the most remarkable cases of mirage was observed by Dr Vince. A spectator at Ramsgate sees the tops of the four turrets of Dover Castle over a hill between Ramsgate and Dover. Dr Vince, however, on the 6th of August, 1806, at seven P.M., saw the whole of Dover Castle, as if it had been brought over and placed on the Ramsgate side of the hill. The image of it was so strong, that the hill itself was not seen through the image.

and his face to the sea, and when the rising sun shines from that point whence its incident ray forms an angle of about 45° on the sea of Reggio, sees upon the water numberless series of pilasters, arches, castles well de

"The elevation of coasts, mountains, and ships, when seen over the surface of the sea, has long been observed and known by the name of looming, Mr Huddart described several cases of this kind, but particularly the "The celebrated fata morgana, which is seen in the very interesting one of an inverted image of a ship seen straits of Messina, and which for many centuries astobeneath the real ship. Dr Vince observed at Ramsgate nished the vulgar and perplexed philosophers, is oba ship, whose topmasts only were seen above the horizon; viously a phenomenon of this kind. A spectator on an but he at the same time observed, in the field of the tele-eminence in the city of Reggio, with his back to the sun scope through which he was looking, two images of the complete ship in the air, both directly above the ship, the uppermost of the two being erect, and the other inverted. He then directed his telescope to another ship whose hull was just in the horizon, and he observed a complete in-lineated, regular columns, lofty towers, superb palaces verted image of it; the mainmast of which just touched the mainmast of the ship itself. Upon looking at another ship, Dr Vince saw inverted images of some of its parts which suddenly appeared and vanished, first appearing,' says he, below, and running up very rapidly, showing more or less of the masts at different times as they broke out, resembling in the swiftness of their breaking out the shooting of a beam of the aurora borealis.' As the ship continued to descend, more of the image gradually appeared, till the image of the whole ship was at last completed, with the mainmasts in contact. When the ship descended still lower, the image receded from the ship, but no second image was seen.

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"Captain Scoresby, when navigating the Greenland seas, observed several very interesting cases of unusual

with balconies and windows, villages and trees, plains with herds and flocks, armies of men on foot and on horseback, all passing rapidly in succession on the surface of the sea. These same objects are, in particular states of the atmosphere, seen in the air, though less vividly; and when the air is hazy and dewy, they are seen on the surface of the sea, vividly coloured, or fringed with all the prismatic colours."

Standard Novels. No. 1V. Thaddeus of Warsaw.
By Miss Jane Porter. Complete in one volume.
London: Colburn and Bentley. Edinburgh: Bell
and Bradfute. 1831.

THE publication of novels and romances in this con

densed shape may probably now and then be as ad- | battle-fields. “The features of the country also,” we are vantageous to the original authors, as it must always be told, “were learned from persons who had trodden the steps agreeable to the economy and comfort of their readers. she describes.” Now this is the only point where we are For the alarm excited by three or four goodly volumes, forced to quarrel with Miss Porter, for want of honest is lulled into a feeling of comparative security at sight | candour. For a very superficial comparison of the first of one; which, though the matter be not a tittle the volume of Coxe's Travels in Russia, with this romance, less, and sometimes rather more, may yet be held in the must convince every one who will "believe the true hand at once, and taken in, as it were, at a single grasp. avouch of his own eyes,' that the passages alluded to in The mind, in general, winks very passively at the decep- the latter, are, if not a copy verbatim, at least a very contion. We do not say this in disparagement, but in a tinuous transcription from the other work. And though spirit of great benevolence, towards voluminous writers, Coxe has "trodden the steps she describes," it is scarcely and far less with the intention of insinuating any thing enough, while she is so lavish of gratitude to others, to against the book before us, or its author. make such an equivocal acknowledgment of her obligations in this quarter. Nor is there any need of being ashamed to do this; since Mrs Radcliffe has always readily allowed that her finest descriptions of the scenery of the Alps and Apennines are borrowed from this very

"Thaddeus of Warsaw" is indeed one of the shortest -it is the first-and we are much inclined to add-the best of Miss J. Porter's performances. We need not, however, talk of its merits now; for the verdict of public judgment has long ago pronounced in its favour by a very considerable majority. The present edition, according to the reigning fashion, has undergone the careful revision of the author, of which the fruits are occasional notes of explanation-none of any importance-respecting the principal incidents and characters of the story. This is in avowed imitation of Sir Walter Scott, in the new edition of the Waverley Novels-a very dangerous experiment, in our opinion, and liable to the widest abuse. For it certainly requires the keenest local and native interest to support the elucidation of those points whose very dim uncertainty was before the chief source of pleasure, and, in common hands, it will, sooner or later, become an apology for the most tedious and disagreeably egotistical narration. In the present instance, however, we ought perhaps to forbear criticism, when we hear Miss Porter in propriâ personâ exclaiming, “I felt, indeed, particularly pleased to adopt, in my turn, a successful example from the once Great Unknown-now the not less great avowed author of the Waverley Novels, in the person of Sir Walter Scott; who did me the honour to adopt the style or class of novels, of which Thaddeus of Warsaw' was the first. Listen to this, Sir Walter, and make answer to the soft impeachment," though we fear it will consist of an assurance, that Waverley, and perhaps sundry others, had been written and stored by, long before "Thaddeus of Warsaw" had ever entered even the early imagination of Miss Jane Porter.

The introductory letter, or address, "from the author," as it is said, "to her friendly readers," from which we have just quoted, is in fact a preliminary note, informing us of the first inspiration of her “ Epic Muse in prose," and of the accidents which more particularly shaped its course of flight in the present direction. During a residence in London, when very young, she was in the habit of seeing many of the Polish and French refugees, who were seeking shelter either from slavery or "the weight of too much liberty;" and the miserable condition of these expatriated and oppressed, wanderers made a deep and lasting impression on her tender mind. She loved to brood over their fate, and awaken within her own breast a sympathy with their wrongs and sufferings. At length the arrival of Kosciuszko in England, and the description of the hero by a younger brother who was taken to visit him, fanned the secret flame into light, and suggested the idea of giving an outlet to her predominant feelings by a channel, "founded on the actual scenes of Kosciuszko's suffering, and moulded out of his virtues." There is a good deal of petit égoisme displayed in the manner of relating all this, and some notices of the success of the work on its first appearance might have reached her friendly readers with better grace by another con

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Independently of these considerations, the appearance of this volume at this moment is most opportune. It is a highly-coloured chronicle of events and characters, whose memory is now inciting thousands to enforce their repetition with all the prospect of a happier issue. And to the not altogether indifferent, but more distantly interested spectator, it presents a picture of the local scenery and manners of Poland, in a period of excitement very similar to the present, which is not always to be found drawn so pleasantly, and at the same time with such observance of truth.

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WE are, we confess, rather sceptical as to the possibility of what is called self-tuition in the matter of languages. We do not hold him to have mastered a language who is barely able to pick out the meaning of its books with more or less frequent reference to his dictionary. Until he has obtained such a command over it— has so far penetrated into its spirit, as to be able to give utterance to his own thoughts in it, he is but in the way of learning. This power, however, cannot be com municated by books, it must be acquired in the living interchange of words with those who speak the tongue. If, however, any thing could tend to remove our scepticism on this point, it would be Professor Klattowsky's judicious book. It contains a short introduction to the grammatical forms and pronunciation of the language; a tasteful selection of interesting specimens of its most popular authors; and a careful analysis of each in the form of an interlinear translation. We could have wished, indeed, that he had adopted the subdivision of declensions and conjugations established by Grimm and Becker, instead of adhering to the obsolete and perplexing method of Noëhden and others. With this one drawback, however, the book is a valuable acquisition to the student of German, whether he adventurously attempt to conquer its difficulties unaided, or employ a teacher like a rational being.

Pocket Bible Atlas, with a Plate of the Family Descent of Christ from Adam. By John Lothian. Third Edition. Edinburgh: J. Lothian. London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co. 1831.

veyance. Some having evinced surprise at the very vivid, book at its first appearance, we have only to say now, HAVING expressed a favourable opinion of this little

yet accurate, delineations of the principal actors and real scenes in which they were engaged, she explains her means of obtaining such information, from the frequent conversations she was enabled to hold with those who had dwelt in these very homes, and struggled on these

that we adhere to our first verdict.

The genealogy of

our Saviour is a new feature, and an interesting one.

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