reign power in the arrangement of all ecclesiastical affairs, all religious ceremonies. The world has now outgrown the necessity for them, but it is a great defect in modern philosophy, that for want of candid observation of simple phenomena, it remains totally in the dark respecting the great system of Providence as a whole, of which a just conception can be formed only by a calm and correct view of the means by which the characters of men and nations have been formed. I think I can give the world a peep behind the curtain of this Eleusinian mystery.

So much for the MODERN CRYPTOLOGIST and his theories on this, that, and the other. We shall devote the remainder of the paper to brief Reviews of the best Works that have reached us.

POETRY.

Fra Cipolla, and other Poems. By Sir John Hanmer, Bart.
London; Moxon. 1839.

There is a severity and classic power about this thin octavo, which recommends it to the critical mind. The writer need not apologize for inequalities of style-these are to be expected in poems composed at different periods of life. He possesses what we now seldom meet with in rhymed productions-wit. There is a sly vein of irony running through the couplets, which is extremely amusing. His descriptive poetry is exceedingly good. We only regret that our space will not, this month, permit quotation.

Mr. Moxon has likewise published the fourth and concluding volume of SHELLEY'S Poetical Works; which has been delayed, owing to Mrs. Shelley's illness, produced by the excited feelings natural to the task she had undertaken, in the editorship of the remains of one so near and dear to her. In her notes on the poems of 1821, Mrs. Shelley unfortunately tells us nothing of the subject of the Epipsychidion, and passes over the verses altogether in favour of the Adonais. Both poems are exquisitely beautiful, and silence is deserved by neither. The circumstances of Keat's death are interesting as connected with an artist whose poetic sentiment, in his compositions, we have more than once admired. Shelley was given to understand that the wound which Keat's sensitive spirit had received from the Quarterly criticism of Endymion was exasperated at the bitter sense of unrequited benefits; "the poor fellow," remarked the mourning poet, "seems to have been hooted from the stage of life, no less by those on whom he had wasted the promise of his genius, than those on whom he had lavished his fortune and his care. He was accompanied to Rome, and attended in his last illness by Mr. Severn, a young artist of the highest promise, who, I have been informed, almost risked his own life, and sacrificed every prospect to unwearied attendance upon his dying friend.' Had I known these circumstances before the completion of my poem," continues Shelley, "I should have been tempted to add my feeble tribute of applause to the more solid recompence which the virtuous man finds in the recollection of his own motives. Mr. Severn can dispense with a reward from such stuff as dreams are made of.' His con

duct is a golden augury of the success of his future career. May the extinguished spirit of his illustrious friend animate the creations of his pencil, and plead agatnst oblivion for his name!"

Adonais is a glorious tribute from one poet to the memory of another, only excelled by Milton's Lycidas. There is, however, as Mrs. Shelley remarks, much in it which seems now more applicable to Shelley himself, than to the young and gifted poet whom he mourned, and on whom we have been in several letters requested to write a paper, similar to the well-known article of ours, elsewhere, on Shelley himself. We shall probably attempt another article on Shelley's own poems, before proceeding to Keats'-having done which, we shall cherish no reluctance in obeying the wishes of our correspondents. Rightly says the Editor of the volumes before us, that the poetic view which Shelley takes in the Adonais of death, and the lofty scorn he displays towards his calumniators, are as a prophecy on his own destiny, when received among immortal names, and the poisonous breath of critics (?) has vanished into emptiness before the fame he inherits.

The Works of Mrs. Hemans, with a Memoir of her Life. By her Sister. In six volumes. Vol. I. William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh, 1 39.

When this Work is further advanced, we shall furnish an extended notice of it, together with an examination of the departed poet's genius. The Memoir is a very judicious piece of composition, and reflects much credit on the writer. We have great pleasure in these uniform editions of poets recently deceased. They testify too to the closing of a Cycle; thus prophesying of a new one, even now in the course of evolution. We find in Mrs. Hemans, a very moon of the poetic age in which she lived. Her taste, latterly, was much improved by her acquaintance with the German poets, whose examples prevailed to free her from the fetters of conventionalism, by which her talent was at one time trammelled over-much. Morals are higher than manners-as the source is higher than the stream. They are purer too; and to Genius it is given, to mount upwards to the living fountains, and drink at the spring-heads of inspiration. This was sometime a paradox, but is now a common place.-Thank heaven!

The Sunyassee, an Eastern Tale, and other Poems. By James Hutchinson, Esq., &c. &c. Calcutta: 1836.

This is a poem written by a resident of the Cape of Good Hope. Indian manners and scenery are described with sufficient accuracy. The plan of the poem is natural, and the versification spirited. It will scarcely, however, find many readers, not only on account of its subject, but the style. The school of Sir Walter Scott has now no votaries. The master is dead, and a new one is looked for; not a pupil, however able, who shall tread in steps so often trodden, that the first traces are almost obliterated. Put your new wine into new bottles.

N. 8.-VOL. II.

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ILLUSTRATED BOOKS.

Next to Poetry, commend us to Biography. The Messrs. Longmans have issued a Life of Wellington, by Major Basil Jackson, and Captain C. Rochefort Scott, well and correctly written. The History of Napoleon, edited by R. H. Horne, Esq., author of "Cosmo de Medici," published by Tyas of Cheapside, is a fair and impartial piece of writing, done with considerable elegance. The accompanying illustrations, after designs by Raffet, Horace Vernet, Jacque and others, are full of interest. When the work shall have further advanced, it will probably induce us to devote an article to Napoleon Buonaparte. Mr. Horne's candid mode of treating the subject, will enable us to do this with much facility.

The publisher himself deserves great credit for his popular publications in numbers. His Illustrated Shakspeare, is beautifully printed and embellished, and ought to be successful. Kenny Meadows and Orrin Smith, are the artists employed upon it. The Play of The Tempest, has twenty Engravings, with remarks and notes, all for the price of Nine-pence. We wish the spirited publisher success, and, accordingly, bid him God speed!

Mr. Tilt, of Fleet Street, likewise, deserves our commendations for his illustrated books. His "Library Edition of Fables," is indeed a splendid work.

In the List of Cheap Books, we know of none that better deserve commendation, than "Ward's Library of Standard Divinity." The number before us, contains Robert Hall's "Help to Zion's Travellers." Besides this, there are five others, containing Archbishop Leighton's "Theological Lectures," Howe's "Redeemer's Tears," Brooks's "Unsearchable Riches of Christ," Porter's "Lectures on Preaching," Mayhew's "Death of Death, in the Death of Christ." These are all great and good Works in their different styles, and are now to be had at the cheapest rate.

We are desirous of acknowledging the receipt of parts CIVCV-CVI-and CVII-of the seventh edition of "the Encyclopædia Britannica," edited by PROFESSOR NAPIER. This impression is greatly improved, incorporating the supplement to the former editions, and illustrated by an entirely new set of steelengravings: we are much pleased, in particular, with the article on Alexander Pope, and especially with the concluding remarks as to his popularly assumed correctness. The writer well demands, "Correctness in what? In developing the thought? In correcting it, or effecting the transitions? In the use of words? In the grammar? In the metre? Under every one of these limitations of the idea, we maintain that Pope is not distinguished by correctness; nay, that as compared with Shakspere, he is eminently incorrect. Produce us from any drama of Shakspere one of those leading passages that all men have by heart, and shew us any eminent defect in the very sinews of the thought. It is impossible; defects there may be, but they will always be found irrelevant to the main central thought, or to its expression. Now turn to Pope;

the first striking passage which offers itself to our memory, is the famous character of Addison, ending thus:

"Who would not laugh, if such a man there be?

Who but must weep if Atticus were he ?"

Why must we laugh? Because we find a grotesque assembly of noble and ignoble qualities. Very well; but why then must we weep? Because this assemblage is found actually existing in an eminent man of genius. Well, that is a good reason for weeping; we weep for the degradation of human nature. But then revolves the question, Why must we laugh? Because, if the belonging to a man of genius were a sufficient reason for weeping, so much we know from the very first. The very first line says,

'Peace to all such. But were there one whose fires

True genius kindles and fair fame inspires."

Thus falls to the ground the whole antithesis of this famous character. We are to change our mood from laughter to tears upon a sudden discovery, that the character belonged to a man of genius; and this we had already known from the beginning. Match us this prodigious oversight in Shakspere. Again, take the Essay on Criticism' it is a collection of independent maxims, tied together into a fasciculus by the printer, but having no natural order or logical dependency; generally so vague as to mean nothing; like the general rules of justice &c., in ethics, to which every man assents; but when the question comes about any practical case, is it just? the opinions y asunder far as the poles. And, what is remarkable, many of the rules are violated by no man so often as by Pope, and by Pope no where so often as in this very poem. As a single instance, he proscribes monosyllabic lines; and in no English poem of any pretensions are there so many lines of that class as in this. We have counted above a score, and the last line of all is monosyllabic."

The Popular Encyclopedia; being a general dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature, Biography, History, and Political Economy. Glasgow-Blackie and Son. Vol. VI. Part II.

This work is, in part, a reprint from the American edition of the "Conversations Lexicon," with corrections and additions, so as to render it suitable to this country and bring it down to the present time. Such labours as these are of national importance; and we are glad to find, that the proprietors have determined on extending the limits of the plan. The publication will be continued to a Seventh volume, containing the conclusion of the Cyclopedia, together with a Supplement and Index. Opportunity will thus be afforded for correcting occasional errors or mis-statements, and for supplying omissions. To every such effort, we are friends-prosper all and every laudable endeavour to meet the rising intelligence of the age!

The Family Sanctuary; a Form of Domestic Devotion for every Sabbath in the year :-Containing the Collect of the day;

a portion of Scripture; an original Prayer and Sermon; and the Benediction. London: Smith, Elder, & Co.

Such a work carries its own recommendation in the title. The style of its production does infinite credit to the proprietors.

The History of Egypt under the Ptolemies. By Samuel Sharpe. London: Moxon. 1838.

We are not so qualified as we might have been to review this work, from the circumstance of our not being in possession of the author's former productions. It is needful to study his early History of Egypt,"-as also his publications on the "Inscriptions and Hieroglyphics," before we can give a decided opinion on the nature, extent and value of our author's labours. We confess to having been not a little impressed with Mr. Beke's Biblica Origines, as to the Hebraic period of Egyptian history, and should also have to compare the work before us, with Mr. Cory's enquiriesall of which would impose upon us the elaboration of an extensive article. We are much pleased with the style of the production before us-and when we come to treat the subject in extenso, shall make much use of its contents. In the mean time, we can honestly recommend it to the purchaser of books.

Having mentioned the name of Mr. Cory above, it may not be out of place to notice here his last volume.

"A Practical Treatise on Accounts, mercantile, partnership, solicitor's, private, stewards, receivers, executor's, trustee's &c. &c., exhibiting a view of the discrepancies between the practice of the Law and of Merchants; with a plan for the amendment of the Law of Partnership, by which such discrepancies may be reconciled, and partnership disputes and accounts settled. By Issac Preston Cory, Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge, Barrister at Law. London: Pickering. 1839.

A book which should be in the possession of every man of business.

LAW.

Chronicle of the Law Officers of Ireland. By Constantine J. Smyth, B. A. of Lincoln's Inn. London: Henry Butterworth, 1839.

This book, which is well compiled, contains Lists of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal, Master of the Rolls, Chief Justices and Judges of the courts of King's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer, Attorneys, and Solicitors General, with the Serjeants-at-Law, from the earliest period; dates and abstracts of their patents; fees and allowances from the Crown, Tenures of Offices, References to the Records, and patents of precedence; also, a Chronological Table of the Law Officers, with the promotions, deaths, or resignations, from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the present time. Judges' Salaries in 1690, and as fixed by the