ART. XXIII.:

1. Plain Instructions to Executors and Administrators, &c. &c. By John H. Brady, late of the Legacy Duty Office, Somerset House. Third Edition. 8vo, pp. 205. London: Longman, Rees and Co. 1830.

2. The Exécutor's Account Book: exhibiting a safe and easy method of keeping Executorship Accounts. By John H. Brady, late of the Legacy Duty Office. 4to.

THE public is greatly indebted to Mr. Brady for being the first to make the complicated laws relating to some of the most necessary and ordinary transactions of life, familiarly intelligible to the most moderate capacity, insomuch that no one in these realms can now plead an ignorance of them. The work, of which we are happy to find a third edition has been already called for, is eminently calculated to enable all persons fully to appreciate the nature of the duties, and the extent of the responsibility which they contract, when appointed to the office either of executor or administrator. The present edition is enriched by a supplement which contains the words of a supposed will, so arranged as to present the forms of bequeathing forty different legacies, as contemplated by the Legacy Act. These various bequests are next analysed, in immediate reference to the corresponding clauses of the Legacy Act; and a series of forms, most valuable, we think, to all executors, is subjoined, by which they are enabled at once to go to Somerset House for the payment of the duty, without that risk of losing time, and that certainty almost of doing something wrong, to which this class of persons is so much exposed.

As a very useful, and after seeing it, what we now deem to be an indispensable, adjunct to the first of these works, Mr. Brady has produced the Account Book. We know of no obligation which involves men in more embarrassment than that of an executor. Persons who undertake that office, very commonly enter upon it with a very inadequate notion of the trouble and responsibility which are entailed upon them; and it is but too often their practice to neglect the accounts connected with this duty, until either themselves, or their own executors are awakened into alarm by some perplexity arising from that neglect. We need not say how essential are the qualities of assiduity and precision to an executor, who has to manage any extent of property; and as, in almost all cases, the individual acting in that capacity is selected for his integrity and friendship to the family of the testator, perhaps he will feel it much more incumbent on him than ever to observe the minutest accuracy in his accounts. We do not think that it would be possible to prescribe a plan more simple and practicable, for attaining this desirable end, than this here laid down. We have not a mo ment's hesitation in saying, that were we intrusted with the sacred office of executor to-morrow, we should repose most confidently and exclusively on the assistance which is afforded in these works.

ART. XXIV.-Why and Because: being a Collection of Questions and Answers on subjects relating to Air, Water, Light, and Fire. Altered from the French. By W. S. Kenny. 12mo. pp. 60. THE French are the happiest nation in the world at striking out new and expeditious modes of doing what other people are very long and lazy about

executing. Nothing seems more obvious now that the plan of this work is explained, than the advantage which must be derived from it. We all know very well that every moment of our lives we are witnesses of the performance of wonders, which from custom we do not admire, but which, if we were called upon to account for, we would be totally unable to explain. The present little work takes up a number of these familiar subjects of daily contemplation, and by asking questions upon them, it at once arrests our attention, and by its answers gratifies our curiosity. The effect of this book will be far more important, we should hope, than that of giving a mere smat tering of information on a variety of subjects. We greatly mistake if it do not carry conviction to the minds of the majority who read it, that a knowledge of science is equally accessible, as it is ornamental to every man.

ART. XXV.-Leigh's New Picture of London.-New Edition. This work approximates with a surprising degree of rapidity to the goal of perfection; and as it is, contains an almost incredible quantity of in= formation, both useful and curious, touching this modern Babylon of ours. We shall not be doing any injury, we trust, if by pointing out an error, we give the opportunity for its removal in succeeding editions. The only one we think it necessary to remark on, is that which is to be found at p. 318, under the title of Medical Lectures. The various schools of surgery are accurately enumerated, but the lectures at each are made to vary much. The fact is, that at each school, lectures on the same subjects are given, and the branches which are here divided amongst several establishments, are, in reality, attended to equally in all.

ART. XXVI.-A Call on Women of All Ranks, in the British Empire, on the subject of the National Debt. 8vo. pp. 62. London: Smith and Elder. 1830.

WE have the most unfeigned respect for the ladies, and we have aceordingly paid the profoundest attention to this pamphlet, which purports. to come from one of them, who, to general claims on our courtesy, unites those that spring from the patriarchal age of seventy years. But ladies, we fear even at seventy, will do best by remaining at the knitting-needle; for it does not happen that they vary their occupations, either usefully to the world in general, or creditably to themselves, when they interfere with what are more properly the concerns of the other sex. The last time we met the ladies in public, was upon the occasion of a monument to the Duke of Wellington and to be sure they made sad work of it-téste Achille. As: to the proposition contained in this pamphlet, that ladies should leave off for a season their routs and recreations, in order to be able to make up a huge benevolence," to pay off the National Debt, we should expect them to do that, just as soon we should hope, that from the savings of their abstinence, the debt would be paid off at this side of the day of judgment.

MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE,

Connected with Literature, Science, and the Fine Arts.

THE number of the Edinburgh Review last published, contains an exposition of the pretensions of Robert Montgomery to the reputation of a poet, and of the arts to which that gentleman is indebted for his popularity, such as cannot fail to assist materially in putting an end to one of the most striking literary impostures, that has come within our knowledge. Our cotemporary has exceedingly gratified us by the promise of his assistance in abating the terrible nuisance of puffery, and we trust, that all respectable literary men will make an united effort to rescue our literature out of the hands of quacks and brokers. Speaking of the Poem called "Satan," the Edinburgh Review candidly says,"This poem was ushered into the world with the usual roar of accla mation. But the thing was now past a joke. Pretensions so unfounded, so impudent, and so successful, had aroused a spirit of resistance. In several magazines and reviews, accordingly, Satan has been handled somewhat roughly, and the arts of the puffers have been exposed with good sense and spirit."

On the 14th ultimo, a case of hydrophobia was treated in St. Thomas's Hospital, in the Borough. The patient was a boy of sixteen years of age, and the bite is supposed to have been inflicted several months ago. The plant called Guaco, of which we gave some account in our last, was tried in this case, but, although it effected a striking change for the moment, it produced no permanent benefit, as the boy died in less than thirty-six hours.

At page 209 of Mr. Moore's life of Lord Byron, vol. i., occurs an account of an affair which took place between Lord Byron and Col. Carey, at Malta, in the year 1809. Since the publication of the volume, Mr. Moore has been satisfied that he has fallen into an entire misconception of the circumstances connected with that affair; and having written a letter to that effect to Colonel Carey, he wishes that the utmost publicity should be given to his retraction."

The summer exhibition at the British Institution just opened, consists entirely of the works of the late president, Sir Thomas Lawrence; a distinction which is worthy of that great master's fame, as it is creditable to those who confer it.

The council of the University of London have come to the resolution of granting a diploma in medicine. This Diploma will enable the person who gains it, to put five capital letters after his name, signifying "Master of Medicine and Surgery in the University of London." We may state, also, that Mr. Hume, with that consistency of principle which covers a multitude of errors, has withdrawn from the council of this University. "The wide difference," the honourable member says, "of opinion between the majority of the council and myself, as to the expenses of the University, is the cause of my withdrawing, as I am unwilling to appear to sanction measures which, if persevered in, will, I fear, bring ruin upon the institution."

Mr. Godwin, the author of Cloudesley, began his career as a Dissenting Clergyman, and published a volume of sermons at an early age.

Stettin Wool Fair commences on the 14th instant, and that of Berlin on the 19th.

The lovers of good fires need not be apprehensive that those capital materials, the northern coals, for preserving the temperature of the animal frame, will soon be exhausted. The Durham and Northumberland coal fields alone, it is calculated, contain no less than six thousand millions of tons of coals! or about as much as will do, according to the present average consumption, for the next seventeen hundred and twenty-seven

years,

A paper of great importance and interest was read on Thursday night last before the Royal Society, Somerset House, `at one of the most crowded meetings of the season. The paper was on the subject of Lithotrity, the new and singularly humane substitute which modern science has invented for one of the most terrific operations of surgery. Mr. Costello, the author of the paper, gave a history and description of Lithotrity, which had the advantage of being illustrated by facts from his own experience and that of the celebrated master whom he so long assisted in Paris, Dr. Civiale.

A weekly journal in the French language has just made its appearance in London. It is entitled, "L' Independant," and comprehends every. subject which properly belongs to a newspaper.

A premium of from twenty, to one hundred sovereigns, has been offered by the Oriental Translation Committee, to any person who can point out a translation in the Arabic or any other Oriental language of a "lost Greek or Latin Work, which the Committee may be able to obtain for a translation.

Niebuhr, the celebrated historian of ancient Rome, has replaced the commencement of the second part of his great work, which had been destroyed in the conflagration of his study at Bonn. He promises that the whole of the volume in hand shall certainly appear before next winter.

The meetings of the Scientific Bodies of London, in June, are as follows:-Royal, 10-11; Antiquaries, 10-17; Linnean, 1-15; Zoological, 3; Horticultural, 1-15; Medico Botanical, 8; of Arts, 2-9; of Literature, 2-16; Geological, 4-18; Astronomical, 11; Royal Asiatic, 7-19; Royal Institution, 4-11..

A New Weekly Paper, to be called the Chat of the Week, is to appear shortly.

A Society, resembling that for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge in this country, has just been organized in Paris. We venture to predict the complete success of the Association, for it luckily happens in France, that when men set about doing good to their fellow creatures, they never think of their own interests, or the interests of their party.

In the Revue Encyclopædique," we observe a favourable notice of Cloudesly, no inconsiderable portion of which is a literal translation of our article on the same novel. Now, as we never gave out as our own, any translation from Madame Belloc, the contributor to the Revue who has paid us the compliment, we respectfully hope she will not again publish as hers what, in reality, is our property, at least without acknowledgment.

Charles Lamb, the author of Essays by Elia, is preparing a volume for publication, under the title of " Album Verses."

The President of the Royal Society of Literature, for the year commencing 29th April, is the Bishop of Salisbury. The Council is composed of the following personages :-Lord Clarendon-Sir T. Phillips-Messrs. Baber, Caley, Cattermole, Clissold, D'Oyley, Hamilton, Impey, Jacob, Jerdan, Leake, Petet, Pollock, Tooke, Vere.-Treasurer, A. E. Impey.Librarian, Rev. H. H. Baber.-Secretary, Rev. H. Cattermole.

A new Society, to be called "The London Geographical Institution," is forthwith to be established. Its object is to be the same with that of Paris:—namely, to collect and register all the useful facts, comprehended under the divisions-physical and political geography. How is it that all societies in London begin in jobbing, continue in jobbing, and end in jobbing? We hope this new Association will be an exception to the rest.

The Paris Geographical Society has offered a gold medal, of the value of nearly one hundred pounds, for the most faithful description of the ruins of Santo Domingo Palanque, near the river Micol, in the ancient kingdom of Guatemala, in Latin if possible, but articles written in English, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, will be accepted.

Proposals are now before the public for editing, by subscription, the Wycliffite Versions of the Old Testament, which are said to contain copious and satisfactory illustrations of the formation and progress of the language of our forefathers.

On the 12th ult. the Anniversary Dinner of the Literary Fund Charity was held, when above 5007. was announced as the amount of the subscription. In the seven years preceding 1822, 239 persons were relieved at an expense of 2,2947.; in the seven years subsequent to 1822, 408 were relieved at an expense of 6,1607.

On the 25th ult. a motion was made in the House of Commons, by Mr. Lennard, the object of which was to do away with the office of Licenser of the Drama. The honourable gentleman mentioned several ridiculous instances of the Licenser's (Mr. Colman's) interference. In one case he objects to the character of a Captain Rakeall, because of its tendency to bring an honourable profession into contempt-in another, he prohibits the expression" merciful power," because he says, if the words do not allude to a different power from that of God, they ought to be omitted! Into the mouth of a chambermaid, in a farce, these words were proposed to be put by the author," my mistress' dressing-case is likely to join in wedlock with my master's arm chair." This was too shocking, and Mr. Colman struck it out. A play was sent in to the Licenser, in which a regent was made to complain of the " tediousness of Royalty." The loyalty of the Inquisitor was instantly up in arms against such a republican insinuation, and he put his oblivious pen on the obnoxious words. The recital of these imbecilities of the Licenser provoked the grave assembly to indescribable laughter. The motion was not persevered in, as it seemed to be the general impression, that the office of Licenser was the chief cause why our stage was so completely disconnected, as it certainly is, with party and political feeling. Still it is a significant commentary on the manner in which that office has, of late, been administered, that the only time it was ever thought to be a nuisance, was that during which it was occupied by Mr. Colman.

A statue of the late Lord Erskine, from the chisel of Westmacott, has been lately placed in Lincoln's Inn Hall, at the expense of the Benchers.