224, 



MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 



HISTORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. VOL. III. BY ROBERT SOUTHEY. 

 LONDON : JOHN MURRAY. 1832. 



MR. SOUTHEY has, at length, concluded his History of the Peninsular War. 

 During the interval between the appearance of the second and third volumes, 

 Colonel Napier has contrived, by publishing the chief portion of something like 

 a faithful history of that " wicked war," as Mr. Southey calls it, to supersede 

 the Doctor's book altogether ; and although the present volume will, of course, be 

 sold to complete the ponderous work, we apprehend that the estimation in which 

 it is held, is not exactly of the kind to be particularly agreeable to the author 

 if, indeed, a trading writer like Mr. Southey can be supposed to entertain any 

 feeling on the subject. 



Mr. Southey was never the man to write a faithful history of the Peninsular 

 War. What, indeed, was to be expected from a demagogue turned into a 

 placeman, but the most violent abuse of his former friends and their principles ; 

 kept in countenance by the most slavish adulation of his new masters ? The 

 same spirit manifests itself in every thing Mr. Southey does the same intole- 

 rance of every thing that will not submit itself to the dictation of his new 

 principles, which are, in point of fact, merely the inverted shadows of his old 

 opinions. His liberalism was only tyranny in another shape his toryism is 

 tyranny, sought to be perpetuated in the old form, because the other was found 

 impracticable and without profit. 



To return to Mr. Southey's book. His idol is the Duke of Wellington 

 throughout ; and he conceives that the reputation of his favourite is never so 

 well enhanced, as when he sneers at the French marshals opposed to him 

 during the " wicked war ;" to whom he awards as little praise, on the score of 

 military skill, as their worst enemies could desire. His hatred of the French 

 is, however, balanced by his admiration of the Spaniards, whom he takes every 

 opportunity of defending, justifying, and applauding and his admiration of 

 British valour and " all that," is of the right gallery material. The style in 

 which the whole is written is, however, like all Mr. Southey's prose, admirably 

 clear, elegant, and concise. 



THE HORSE IN ALL HIS VARIETIES AND USES. BY JOHN LAURENCE. 

 LONDON: M. ARNOLD. 1832. 



WHEN a subject is touched by the hand of a master, it is always in a manner 

 so particularly his own, as to strike out beauties that must be felt and appreci- 

 ated by every taste. So is it with our friend Mr. Laurence. We stake our 

 faith upon it, that were a mathematical student to take up this book by chance, 

 he would be constrained to desert his Euclid, till he had thoroughly perused this 

 amusing work. 



It were needless to say much in favour of Mr. Laurence's book, as it is not 

 now for the first time before the public : suffice it to say, that it has already 

 been highly appreciated by competent judges, and that the present edition is 

 considerably enlarged. 



Mr. Laurence was one of the first to advocate the rights of the brute creation, 

 in a larger work on the Horse, published nearly forty years ago ; and his obser- 

 vations on this subject in the present volume, are well worthy of attention. 



ON THE ECONOMY OF MACHINERY AND MANUFACTURES. BY CHARLES 

 BABBAGE, ESQ., A.M. LONDON : CHARLES KNIGHT. 1832. 



THERE is a great deal of valuable information in this book, and much specu- 

 lation that may hereafter be carried into effect, to the furtherance and advantage 

 of science. But our author occasionally, like the ingenious Bishop Williams, 

 gives birth to theories, and propounds schemes that are more to be admired for 

 their ingenuity, than applauded for their feasibility. For instance, his proposal, 



