570 MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 



So much for " the immortal, but forgotten " Monsey, who " despised the 

 abilities " of the Bishop of Gloucester, and puzzled Mr. Burke. 



* True, no meaning puzzles more than sense." 

 >o nsmetofl r 



Let us hear what Dr. Wolcot has to say. 



" After dinner, Curran and Wolcot drew close to each other, and entered into 

 conversation. Curran introduced the subject of painting, and expressed his 

 peculiar notions and views. After hearing him for some time, the Doctor sud- 

 denly arose and left the room. As I came with him, I followed him, to know 

 if he was taken ill, or wished then to return to town. I found he was disgusted 

 with the conversation of Curran, exclaiming, ' Talk of Dr. Numpshull he 

 would cut into a dozen such fellows as Curran.' " 



Dr. Numpshull would, no doubt, have agreed with his friend Wolcot upon 

 this point. 



Nor was Wolcot's distrust of Curran's abilities assuaged after many years. 

 Speaking of Curran, " Dr. Wolcot expressed great disgust at his presuming 

 frivolity, and declared he would not insult his magpie by offering her that 

 fellow's brains for a dinner." 



The worst of our author is, that he appears to have imbibed the opinions of 

 ' these persons (if that can be called opinion which is clear envy and sheer 

 malignity) as though they were sincere and acute remarks, and estimates of 

 character and talents. Accordingly, we not unfrequently discover Mr. Taylor 

 setting up critic and cynic on his own account. He also thinks slightingly of 

 Warburton ; opines that Burke has been very much over-rated ; and denounces 

 the " Essay on Man" as " an inconsistent jumble of religion and philosophy." 



But in spite of these things, which of themselves let us into a private view of 

 human character, and the failings, weaknesses, and follies incident thereto, the 

 present work is light and amusing enough ; and we do not know, at this dead 

 season of the year, a book more likely to be welcome to the great majority of 

 those who delight in the fugitive literature of the day. 



afiqaib m jfjssqa oi j 



dtoiw bsajsoj 



OUR ISLAND : COMPRISING THE FORGERY AND THE LUNATIC. 3 VOLS. 8vo. 



LONDON. 1832. 



WE can see no more propriety in giving the name of " Our Island" to the 

 present work, than in calling it Our Grandmother : but let that pass. The 

 three volumes of which it is composed, comprise two tales, " The Forgery" and 

 " The Lunatic ;" " written," the author informs us, " to illustrate some strik- 

 ing defects of our jurisprudence." 



We could have wished, for the author's sake, and for the sake of the popu- 

 larity of his work, that he had said nothing about the indirect design aimed at 

 in the excellent tales which he has written. The novel reading world will no 

 more be instructed, through the medium of a novel, than the play-going public 

 will consent to be charitable, at the same time that it is to be entertained. 



We must confess, also, that our author's first tale no more illustrates that 

 striking defect of our jurisprudence the punishment of death for forgery than 

 any individual instance that may be casually adduced from our criminal trials. 



The plot of the story is simply this : A young Bedfordshire 'squire, upon 

 coming to his father's estate, is horrified at learning that a mortgage contracted 

 during his father's life, to the amount of 15,OOOZ., has not been paid off, and 

 that the deed lies in the hands of two respectable solicitors of the place, who 

 had formerly been the professional advisers of his father. Mr. Mortimer also 

 learns that the deed of mortgage has been assigned to a Mr. Priminheere, a 

 gentleman in the neighbourhood, who, for reasons not necessary here to particu- 

 larize, has conceived a deadly hatred towards him. 



Mr. Mortimer having gained a large sum of money at a gaming-table, is 

 enabled to redeem his estate, and returns from Paris for that purpose. Before, 

 however, this can be effected, he contrives to make away with his newly-ac- 

 quired money, by standing for the county, and by heavy bets at Newmarket ; 



