MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE. 237 



up a monopoly that has served the purpose for so long, of enriching one or 

 two Booksellers at the expense of what are somewhat gratuitously termed, 

 the reading classes. 



In truth, our posset has been drugged too long with most baleful extracts 

 from the brains of creatures who in any other age, or to speak openly, in any 

 other state of the market, had not dared to inflict, even to disgust and loath- 

 ing, their noisome trash upon us. The time is surely fast coming, when we 

 may anticipate that our messenger, charged to call at the Circulating libra- 

 ry, shall not bring forth, in the shape of a neat octavo, a lethargic, self- 

 acting, slumber machine, " to steep the senses in forgetfulness," For, let 

 us reveal, we know what is good, and, unlike Bottom the weaver, do not re- 

 ject the " new nuts" of the fairy Queen, or the queen of romance, or any 

 other spouse of a royal master. We would not " rather have a handful or 

 two of dried peas." 



Therefore, do we hail and give greeting to Mr. Banim's excellent tale, the 

 first of the series entitled, ' The Ghost-hunter." We know not how long it 

 is since we have read anything half so interesting or so well written. Those 

 who delight in scenes of real, yet humble life, and in true and natural deli- 

 neation ; they who revel in romance, and take pleasure in coquetry, will be 

 equally amused and gratified to their hearts' content. As an Irish story, it 

 is, without doubt, excellent. The characters are drawn boldly, and con- 

 ducted with considerable skill through the various channels of the tale ; the 

 females are full-length portraits from the life, and true and womanly in every 

 respect. The plot of the tale (but this is holy ground, and must not be pro- 

 faned) is, in its way, admirable. 



To conclude ; we are on the tenter-hooks of impatience till the hour of 

 the new month come round, when we shall welcome ' Schinderhannes," 

 by Mr. Ritchie. 



We hope that this work will meet with that full and entire success which 

 such an undertaking in every respect deserves. 



FOUR LETTERS TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON. BY THOMAS CURTIS. 



THE' subject upon which these letters are written is one of the greatest 

 possible importance and moment, and is treated by the Rev. Gentleman with 

 commensurate earnestness and ability. Why continued alteratious, inten- 

 tional and other departures from the authorized standard " of 1611," are 

 permitted to disfigure the holy Book upon which our religion is grounded, 

 we are at a loss to determine. It is absolutely necessary that there should 

 be some arbitrary standard, the observance of which the legislature should 

 enforce in the University issues of the Bible. Mr. Curtis has sufficiently 

 shewn by numberless examples, the negligent and most reprehensible man- 

 ner in which that sacred book has been published of late ; typographical 

 errors in abundance ; and it is high time, we think, the Right Rev. Prelate 

 to whom these letters are addressed, interfered and took effectual measures 

 against their recurrence. We can recommend with great confidence these 

 letters to the perusal of all. 



GEOGRAPHY IN ALL AGES. LONDON, 1832. 



WE never remember to have seen a work so fully answering its purpose 

 more extended in its views more admirable in its arrangement and more 

 complete in its execution than the present. Geography, attractive to every 

 eye, is here thoroughly mathematical, physical, and political, in a form the 

 most pleasing, colloquial, clear, and definite, presented to the student. His- 

 torical particulars concerning it from its earliest cultivation by the Assy- 

 rians and Egyptians, to the time of Charles the Fifth of Germany, are treated 

 of with a fidelity and simplicity much to be commended. The bye-ways, 



