MONTHLY EEVIEW OF LITERATURE. 225 



so seriously put forth, of conveying the post " in cylindrical tin cases, suspended 

 by wheels rolling upon a wire," which is to be connected to the steeples of 

 churches, appears to us to be one of those wild fancies which are more appli- 

 cable to Utopia than England. Would it not be equally practicable to convey 

 postmen in the same manner? We must also express our doubts of the 

 weardbility of his " caterpillar lace veils." Such flimsy devices as these would, 

 no doubt, be serviceable in concealing the charms of Queen Mab, or Titania, but 

 would hardly suffice to shade the more material perfections of a Mrs. Tomkins. 



MILITARY MEMOIRS OF FIELD MARSHAL THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. BY 

 CAPTAIN MOYLE SHERER. VOL. II. BEING VOL. IX. OF DR. LARDNER'S 

 CABINET LIBRARY. 



THE publication of this volume has been so long delayed, that its connexion 

 with the preceding part of the memoirs of the Duke of Wellington is, we 

 suspect, forgotten, so far as the matter of the book is concerned, by many of our 

 readers. The comparison would be all in favour of the volume before us, for 

 the exuberance of style, formerly provoking much petulant criticism, has been 

 carefully restrained. The political and religious opinions of our gallant author 

 are well known, and may, of course, be traced through every page of these 

 memoirs, though, perhaps, rather as influencing the tone of feeling than as 

 disputatiously maintained. Nevertheless, some few points in dispute as to the 

 Spanish campaign, and the final grand struggle at Waterloo, are here decided in 

 favour of the Duke, on principles which, had we here room, we should venture 

 to dispute. Knowing, as from Captain Sherer's works he must have known, 

 what were our author's principles, and how earnestly and sincerely they are 

 felt and supported, Dr. Lardner, in our opinion, committed a grave error of 

 judgment, in requesting him to compile the memoirs now in our hands for a 

 part of the Cabinet Library ; and this fault, the disclaimer, at the end of the 

 preface, serves to render more palpable and apparent. 



These Memoirs are, as their title declares " Military" only no allusion, 

 unless very incidentally, being made to the political career of the Duke. 

 Indeed, our author has obviously avoided with care disputed ground, wherever 

 he could, and confined his work, as much as possible, to descriptions of scenes 

 and actions, many of which are very spirited. Viewed as a British general, the 

 Duke of Wellington will ever be an object of admiration, even to those who 

 may differ from the various cabinets under which he was sent forth to conquer ; 

 and the perusal of these volumes, of the second especially, has given us that 

 high pleasure which is always afforded by illustrations of the triumph of many 

 of the proudest attributes of the English national character. This is the 

 strongest recommendation claimed by these Memoirs, and here we are sure the 

 reader will not be disappointed. Our author rejoices fully and enthusiastically 

 in the glories of the English arms, with all the feelings of a true English soldier ; 

 and his animated descriptions recal the mingled feelings of many a long past 

 day, on receiving news of victory. The moral, however, that treads on the 

 heels of all these glories and victories, presents matter for other and profounder 

 minds, than any that have been bred in a military school. 



A COMPANION AND KEY TO THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND. BY JOHN FISHER. 

 LONDON: SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL. 1832. 



WE cannot too much praise the diligence and research of the Author of this 

 volume, as exemplified in the work before us, upon which we have bestowed 

 much attention. It is, as its title imports, " a Companion and Key to the 

 History of England ;" obviating, in a great measure, the necessity of referring 

 to the many almost unreadable books, which, however, must be read, before 

 the student of English History can acquire any thing like a tolerable mastery of 

 the subject of which these multitudinous authors so copiously treat. 



We have presented to us, in the present work, not only a history of our own 

 country, from the " earliest authenticity" to the present time, and of the British 



M. M. No. 80. Q 



