Oi; MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 



however the worst pang. For some weeks after the marriage he was 

 exceedingly dejected, until Melancthon, who had but little moral force, 

 began to pity him, and to palliate, nay, even to represent as laudable, 

 what he had so strongly condemned. For this criminal indulgence, the 

 disciple's memory must be severely reprehended by every unbiassed 

 mind, since his guilt is only inferior to that of the master/' 



In fact, the personal character of Luther, as well as that of other emi- 

 nent Reformers, has not yet been fairly chronicled. God forbid that 

 we should with irreverent and scornful hand lift aside the veil which 

 hides their human frailties ! But, nevertheless, a full exposition would not 

 be without its use : it would teach a lesson of humility, strangely at 

 variance with many of our preconceived notions, for religious pride is 

 one of the most dangerous stimulants to man's passions. 



Mr. Dunham's history comes down to the year 1792, the commence- 

 ment of a new epoch. He traces the gradual settling of religious and 

 social disputes, and throughout displays considerable knowledge of his 

 subjects, an impartial judgment, and a degree of minute detail evi- 

 dencing great industry. We do not think that as a History, this of the 

 Germanic Empire can rank very high as a philosophical one; there is 

 occasionally displayed in it a want of grasp of thought, of compre- 

 hensive judgment, of general and sound views of national polity, and an, 

 unnecessary dwelling upon minutite, which weaken its general force, and 

 which show a mind stored with facts, but wanting in observation and the 

 power of generalization. These are defects, doubtless : they remove 

 Mr. Dunham's name from the list of the very few historians who have 

 graced our literature with its brightest and noblest trophies. He must 

 however have acceded to him no mean rank, and has within him the 

 capabilities for reaching one still more elevated. 



The Life of Edmund Kean. 2 vols. Edward Aloxon, London. 



The writer of this work has approached his task with acheeiful and 

 lightsome temper, which, greatly as we admire, we cannot participate 

 in. To us Kean has always been a subject of painful contemplation. 

 No man had a higher esteem for his histrionic talents than ourselves, 

 neither can any man be less disposed tlian we are to detract from it, now 

 that he has finished his career ; but, nevertheless, his life must be viewed 

 as the life of a thoughtless, an imprudent, and a profligate man. With 

 the exception of the one grand purpose of his ambition the theatre, 

 there is nothing to interest us, unless his follies can be supposed to do 

 so. Mr Cornwall has indeed glanced over these lightly, and properly ; 

 but they stand out in too strong relief to be hidden. No posthumous 

 reminiscences can aid him at the tribunal of morals ; for, like the Grecian 

 Bard, he might have sung, 



" After death I nothing crave, 

 Let me alive my pleasures have 

 All are Stoics in the grave." 



The Life before us, as we have remarked, is confined in a great mea- 

 sure to the only part of Kean's life which will bear detail namely, the 

 triumphs and trials of an actor; and thus gives the Author an oppor- 

 tunity for some good criticisms and anecdotes. In early life we find him 

 without parental control, and even without parental acknowledgment 

 a creature little better than a cast-away, and subjected to all the ills of 

 a wayward and unsubdued temper; and so he grew into a man steeped 

 in poverty, and never learning wisdom from his trials ; and great and 

 grievous these doubtless were. He struggled long and painfully for 



