vastly in merit. This, if not laboured with much care, is written with liveliness and spirit; and though neither the most brilliant nor powerful of books, is of the number which impart more pleasure of a safe and gentle kind And than more ambitious performances. is it nothing to be presented with views of life, exact portraits of MAN, in his indoor easy undress, and in his costumes of ceremony, from "Indus to the Pole." In the Life of Eliot we have the American Indian, the Stoic of the Woods;" in that of the apostle Swartz, the mild and polished Hindoo; and in the interesting history of the northern Moravian mission, the rude Greenlander. And these are not the passing sketches of the traveller, hasty and often illinformed, but of the patient, indefatigable, of those respectable productions which wellpious missionary, narrating the observations of half a lifetime spent in constant intercourse with the natives and in anxious inspection More volumes of lives of of their manners. missionaries are to follow the present; and if as interesting as this, which is, we think, likely to become very popular, there cannot be too many. most successful one, though the subject of his poem is not calculated for extensive popufarity. It is a piece of religious and philosophie musing and retrospection, extending from the creation of the world to the Christian era, and touching upon all the momentous events of this success on of ages, — the On these lofty Flood, and the rise and decay of the mighty empires of the old world. themes, the self-educated poet descants in a We take leave of Mr Millhouse, lofty tone. with great respect for his talents, and affectionate wishes for his success. BIBLIOPHOBIA, or Remarks on the present languid and depressed state of Literature and the Book Trade. In a Letter, addressed to the author of Bibliomania. Bohn: London.-This same bibliophobia is the very distemper we are groaning under. Heaven forfend that it prove chronic, though the recent symptoms are alarming. "Fear," says our author," is the order of the day. To those very natural and long established fears of bailiffs and tax-gatherers, must now be added the fear of reform, of cholera, and of BOOKS." One evil is conquered the second is about to disappear and for the third, surely time, if nothing else, will find a remedy. This pamphlet is written with great humour and liveliness, and felicity of allusion, by one who, if not a genuine brother of the craft, or the great Dibdin himself, is deep in the mysteries of the Row, He makes a tour of the booksellers and print shops-most graphic and picturesque in its progress, but frightful and melancholy in the results. Our inquirer has coursed through the Row and Chancery Lane; and then we have him just out of Mr Bohn's, who is in as awful a plight as his neighbours, and next popping in to Mr Sharpe's, every place worse than the last. His account of Magazine and Almanack days is curious as a matter of commercial economy. Mercurius Rusticus, the author of Bibliophobia, tries to encourage the traders in book merchandise, before he takes leave of them, with the assurance that better days are at hand. So be it. THE DESTINIES OF MAN. By ROBERT MILLHOUSE. Simpkin and Marshall, London. Another self-educated poet of the kind that may put universities to the blush. Mr Millhouse is, we understand, an artizan in Nottingham. This is not his first public appearance; but we hope it may prove his BECKET: :AN HISTORICAL TRAGEDY, THE MEN OF ENGLAND, and other Poems. Moxon, London. This is after the manner educated English gentlemen, professional or Some The action is often languid, the characters, in general, feeble; and though history has made the attendant circumstances highly picturesque, and susceptible of high poetic embellishment, the author has but scantily availed himself of these resources. The opening is languid - the closing scenes attenuated to a mere thread of interest; and, with singular unskilfulness, the writer has expended his strength before it is required to concentrate all his power for the final thrust. The third act is full of bustle and interest. The character of Becket, the The king's is more haughty, domineering priest, is better conceived than executed. successful, and perhaps the best drawn character in the play. Of Queen Eleanor, a character of that passionate and mixed kind which nature has laid, ready made, before the dramatist, nothing is made. Prince Henry, and Idonea, the sister of Becket, with her lover Reginald, are personages more within the range of the writer's spells. With this much of blame, there is a good deal to praise in Becket. The choice of the subject is high merit; the moral tone is unexceptionable; and, if the language never rises to poetry, it is often pleasing, nervous, and always correct. The spirit of the MEN OF ENGLAND is excellent. FOREIGN QUARTERLY REVIEW, No. XIX. -This work was started under the auspices of as many screech-owl prophecies of failure, as could well be imagined. It had to contend, during its early career, with the competition of a Sosia, brought forward for public acceptance, by deserters from its own corps. Yet still it keeps the onward tenor of its and if its success at all equal its merit, with way; high acceptation. The Foreign Quarterly gives, in its periodical appearances, full and able descriptions of all the most interesting and important literary phenomena of the Continent. It has, at the same time, done more to extend the field of statistical knowledge, and of the application of economical science, than any of its contemporaries. The work, instead of being characterized by any meretricious glare or splendour, has been always marked by the subdued tone of true taste. Its leaning is liberal, notwithstanding a strange blunder in the present number respecting the liberal press of Germany. We are inclined to look upon the Foreign Quarterly as one of the most useful of our periodicals; and we know it to be one of the most interesting. THE YOUNG STUDENT'S PRECEPTOR; OR, INTRODUCTORY COLLECTION. By A. Weir, Master of the English Departinent, Kilmarnock Academy. Edinburgh; Stirling and Kenney.-The Young Student's Preceptor is one of the best selected and best arranged introductions to English reading we have met with. WITH ON CIRCULATING CREDIT, HINTS FOR IMPROVING THE BANKING SYSTEM OF BRITAIN, &c. By a ScotTISH BANKER.*-An admirable book, written by a man whose head is well furnished, and "all compact." Here is the true science of Banking-a key to all the mysteries of the questions of Currency and Credit, and withal an important introduction to the whole subject of Political Economy. What is most singular, too, in these days, when men are doing little but hammering and toiling at the work of Macadamizing the beaten track, our bank. er has taken a path of his own, explored it thoroughly, rooted out every gnarled stump, and made it a king's highway! The name at the bottom of his title-page should make us sparing of the language of eulogy. This Magazine is no bookseller's hack, and shall never be suspected of being so; but we cannot sacrifice truth, even to delicacy. Kidd's Guide to Dover, 12mo. 1s. 6d. Colonel Napier's History of the Peninsu- Goodridge's Narrative of a Voyage to the De Porquet's French Dictionary, 5s. 6d. Bishop Hall's Three Centuries of Medita- The Book of the Constitution, fc. 8vo. 6s. 5s. Lyrical Offering, 10s. 6d. 256 Memoir and Correspondence of the late Bransby Cooper's Lectures on Anatomy, Poole's Family Account Book, 1833, 3s. Crewen Derby, 2 vols. post 8vo. 17. Is. Infant Annual for 1833, with Illustra- A Mother's First Thought, 18mo. 3s. Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia, Volume Goldsmith's Statistics, 8vo. 12s. A Key to the French Genders, 18mo. Is. Geraldine Hamilton; or, Self Guidance, Wild Sports of the West, 2 vols. demy Refugee in America, 3 vols. post 8vo. Illustrations to Keepsake for 1833, 21. 2s. 17. 11s. 6d. Sermons on Important Subjects, 8vo. 10s. Observations on Southey's Life of Wesley, &c. 3s. 6d. Crutwell's House-Keeper's Account Book, Our Island, 3 vols. post 8vo. 17. 11s. 6d. Schomberg, on Ship Building, 8vo. 4s. East India Sketch Book, 2 vols. post 8vo. 17. 1s. The Works of the Rev. John Howe, imperial 8vo. 17. 1s. The Works of Calculator, 12mo. 5s. 6d. Rankin's Present State of the Representation of England and Wales, 12mo. 5s. Taylor's Records of My Life, 2 vols. 8vo. 11. 8s. Theological Library, Vol. III. 6s. proofs. Illustrations to Stanfield's Picturesque Ellis's British Tariff, 1833, 12mo. 7s. 6d. Copland's Dictionary of Fractical Medi- Illustrations before Letters, 21. 10s. Samuel Frey's Hebrew Grammar in the Hansard's Debates, Third Series, Vol. XI. English Language, 8vo. 7s. Worthies of Yorkshire, Part I. 5s. 17. 10s. THE FINE ARTS. FINDEN'S LANDSCAPE ILLUSTRATIONS OF BYRON. The Seventh Part has appeared, and puts in an equal claim to admiration with the former numbers, if, taken as a whole, it does not exceed them. The Plain of Troy during a storm, a poetically conceived vignette by TURNER, scarcely equals some of his former sketches. The Gate of Theseus, another vignette, is also harder than the favourite productions of his etherial pencil; but to atone for this, he sticks closer than usual to his text. The Temple of Jupiter Olympus, STANFIELD, is one of this artist's best contributions to this series. Every part of the view is treated with the same care as if each were the first in importance; while all are subordinate to those majestic pillars which fill, and, without overawing, subdue the mind to homage of the grandeur of ANCIENT ART.- Cape Colonna is commonplace, but very pleasing; and, any where save in this series, would be admired.Cagliari Sardinia, a matter-of-fact view of the kind that ought to be for use, since such views cannot be rendered beautiful.Patrass by COTTERMOLE, is our favourite view of those in this number. It is charmingly grouped, and full of life and spirit. The portrait, of which each number has one, is that of Margarita Cogni, one of the Venetian favourites of Byron. He has described her by the attractive name of the "Tigress," which, by his own shewing, was very appropriate to the cattish character of the lady. HARLOWE has made the most possible of the feline beauty. MAJOR'S CABINET GALLERY. NO. II. This Number is a decided improvement on Number I. The subjects are, we think, infinitely better selected. A Landscape and Marriage Festival, by CLAUDE, to which a scriptural name is given for want of a truer, deserved more careful engraving; but the grouping the character is there; and there also is Allan Cunningham's vivid description, which makes out what is obscure or wanting otherwise. The other two pictures are masterpieces of REYNOLDS-A HOLY FAMILY, full of English affection and imagination. Holy Family is, however, a misnomer. It is a charming English group, and, though not a holy family, a delightful picture of a grandsire with his daughter and her infants. The back-ground is rich and beautiful. Puck is the flower of this number. He is the antipodes of all pre-conceived notions of the tricksy, elvish, merry sprite of Shakespeare; yet we receive him at once as the true Puck-the realization of a hundred vagrant fancies. There he sits, in guise of a chubby boy, on a mushroom top; his fragile mimic throne, which his light buoyant humours prevent him from either crushing or bending. The whole character is expressed in the attitude, and concentrated in the merry roguish twinkle of the eyes. This picture also is enriched with one of Sir Joshua Reynolds's favourite back-grounds an entanglement of wood and luxuriant trailing plants. The tasteful and critical remarks of Cunningham give great additional value to this work. THE BYRON GALLERY. NO. III. This historical accompaniment to the new edition of Byron's works differs in design from FINDEN'S. The BYRON GALLERY is the more ambitious attempt of illustrating the writings of the poet by imaginative pictures. Here we have the Invocation of Manfred to the Witch of the Alps, and her appearance, Son of Earth, what wouldst thou with me! A pair of pretty juveniles from the Hours of Idleness, and a scene from the Dream, a Maiden and a Youth," are sweet pictures. The sketch from Parisina is deficient in the grand point, the expression of the passion of the scene. In this important requisite, the picture from Beppo is happier. This is a cheap pleasing publication of its kind; and if so great a proportion of the public prefer having five pretty pictures for less than five shillings, instead of one of real lasting worth and beauty, neither we nor the print publishers of the nineteenth century can help this prevailing taste. may wish it mended. We LANDSCAPE ILLUSTRATIONS of the Prose and Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott, with Portraits of the Principal Female Characters. BYRON and SCOTT have half the artists in England at present enlisted in their service. Parts V. and VI. are before us. The landscapes, if not first rate specimens of art, are pleasing pictures, and have besides the merit of being exact portraits of scenes which Scott has described and animated, and which most of us have opportunity of comparing with the original. Each number contains four landscapes and a portrait, for one half-crown! Among the landscapes, we would distinguish the Solway Frith, Loch Ard, North Queen's Ferry, and Inch Cailleach. The portraits are the Flora Macivor of Finden's series, which gives us at least a female face of great beauty, and Isabelle de Croye, whom we cannot admire. No true jockey ever thinks of putting his bit of blood to the top of her speed on starting, and no manager adventures his maximum strength in the commencement of the season. The first month is usually characterised by fugitive representations, the lowly bow of two or three second-rate debutants, the occasional appearance of one of the mighty great, (just to keep the drowsy head of the town from nodding quite,) and, better still, certain goodly announcements of fine things to come, the very hint at which were sufficient to spur a grateful public into anticipatory patronage. Bottling up our choicest powers, therefore, like shrewd and thrifty worldlings, for fittest use on fittest occasion, our remarks on the events of the past three weeks will necessarily be of a general character, reserving detailed criticism for those brilliances which are in store for us by-and-by. Our notice, too, of those first appearances which have occurred, shall NO. VIII.-VOL. II. purposely be of a cursory nature; for the two-fold reason that the capabilities of an actor are not to be truly ascertained from initiatory exhibitions; and that we are not over-solicitous to indulge in any prophetic antics, which might mislead some, injure others, and make ourselves look immensely silly, if Time, the only safe interpreter of prophecy, were not in a concurrent mood. DRURY LANE.-At this house the season commenced most busily; and, auguring from the activity and promptitude displayed by the management, in furnishing, at so early a period, something wherewithal to whet the appetite, great doings may be lookcd for. Macready, Braham, Farren, Power, Harley, Miss Philips, and Mrs. Glover-sounding names—have already appeared; and if the employment cut out for them hereafter be worthy of their efforts, matters may once more look cheerily in the S eyes of the lessee. The first night introduced Mrs. Nesbit, in her maidenly alias of Mordaunt, as the widow Cheerly, in the comedy of "The Soldier's Daughter," (about the most yawny thing in the language,) selected, we suppose, because being the character she originally supported, it was her fond show-task, and because, also, of divers expressions occurring in the play which appeared allusive to the peculiarity of her situation as a young and bereaved woman. This lady is prepossessing, and of good figure, and her light and agreeable acting appears not to have been impaired by her temporary secession from the stage. Our friend Power (what a name for an actor and a pun!) was rather hardly tasked on the first few nights, but his quiet humour and irresistible drol. lery gained for him a requital sufficient to subdue any little outbreaking murmurs in which he might have else felt disposed to indulge. In the second week, Mr. Serle's "House of Colberg" was brought out; but it met with equivocal greeting. With every disposition to urge the author to a cultivation of the talent he possesses as a writer, of whom we are inclined to predicate favourably, we confess this to be a production, which, lacking interest, and unmercifully monotonous, never could adapt itself to an audience, whatever its merits might do for it in the closet. Nothing but the spirited acting of Macready and Miss Phillips could have secured for it the few repetitions that were allowed. Mr. Macready, by the way, is now all that is left us of sound tragic talent; but high as he therefore stands, he must not pronounce himself faultless. He possesses many objectionable mannerisms, which if he study nature with a steady eye, and a humble mind, he will soon perceive how detractive they must be to his reputation. His violent and sudden transitions of voice, and his occasional rapid and inarticulate enunciation, though doubtless pleasing to those who are tickled at mountebank gambols, vocal or otherwise, are, to the man of true taste, a capital defect, and mars most wofully the excellence he does possess. Very different, indeed, is it with Miss Phillips, in this respect; her deep and deprecating tones almost pall upon the ear from very monotony, a misfortune which excites not censure but regret. The present position of Mr. Macready on the stage will, it is hoped, induce him to scrutinize his powers and peculiarities with the just discernment of one who is wisely jealous of honorably acquired fame. Of Miss Phillips, we think so highly that we have scarcely a word of advice to offer her; she has had some uphill work in her career, but she is all the better for it, she may be assured. A new piece called the "Factory Girl," by a Mr. Jerrold, was also produced; would that it had been conceived by Mr. Senator Sadler, for the author's sake. It failed. Three very beautiful scenes were wasted on the occasion. As works of art, they ought not to be allowed to perish. Mr. Serell (who has been engaged here) made his first appearance as the hero: it would be ungenerous to offer an opinion of his abilities under such circumstances. "Der Freischutz" has been again revived, and with a success that amply attests the deep impression its wild and witching music still continues to make on every ear. Braham, the ever-green, was the Rodolph; and sung with exquisite taste, and undiminished skill, the plaintive and beautiful melodies allotted to the character. We had a new Caspar in Mr. Bedford, who supported it with great credit; the drinking song well merited the encore it received. Mr. Seguin "did" the music of Bernhard, but his acting was villanously bad; as a concert singer, this gentleman is a valuable acquisition, but as an actor- whenever it is his humour to be humorous, he becomes ridiculous. Miss Betts is scarcely equal to the part of Linda; she essayed her utmost, and pleased. But the great lion of Drury, for this month, has been the grand Pageant, "in commemoration of Scotland's immortal bard," which, in conception, is truly very happy, and in execution admirable. There are those, it is known, who condemn such an exhibition as a mock solemnity, puerile in design, and dishonouring to the memory of the departed great one; as being nothing more, in fact, than an unholy trick, to put money in the treasury, by catering, to a corrupt taste, in an excited hour. We have nothing to do with motives, but we differ upon the inference; for, whatever tends to call into action those feelings of respect and veneration, which the god-like attribute of genius claims at the hands of all men, is praiseworthy in itself; a wholesome incentive to those in whom it presently exists, and encouraging to the less gifted, by forcing upon their attention its immeasurable value, and the importance of cultivating what they do possess. Such feelings, however keen at first, or just, or general, are too apt to melt into speedy oblivion, unless animated and promoted by some public token of acknowledgment, some stirring occasion, by which they may be kept rife and active; and whether the public mind isi mpressed by what the cynic would call pantomimic mummeries, unworthy of a "thinking people,” or by the solitary monument, admonishing, in its marble silence, the object and the act are alike |