MONTHLY REVIEW OF IJTKRATURE AND ART. 



verses have sufficient poetry to win the attention without offending the taste 

 even of a more educated class than the writer probably aspires to interest. 



LIVES OF CELEBRATED SPANIARDS. TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH OP 



QUINTANA. BY T. R. PRESTON. LONDON : FELLOWS. 

 THIS is a well-executed translation of a very interesting work by the first 

 of living Spanish authors. Quintana has long enjoyed a deservedly high 

 reputation both as a poet and historian. His style is clear, perspicuous, and 

 elegant, and Mr. Preston has retained all the freshness and graces of the origi- 

 nal. However, notwithstanding the general fidelity and accuracy of the per- 

 formance, there are some passages which are open to objection. " En Leon no 

 hubo difficuldad ninguna," is translated thus : " In Leon he experienced little 

 (instead of no) difficulty." Again : " Las panteras y las leones, de los desier- 

 tos parecen mil veces menos aborrecibles y crueles :" literally, " the panthers 

 and lions of the deserts appear a thousand times less horrible and cruel:" 

 which Mr. Preston, thus improves, "we cannot but give credit to the wild beasts 

 of the desert as being far less cruel and sanguinary in their ire than is our 

 own reason-perverted species." To select one other passage : " Salian a 

 verle las gentes a los caminos senalabanle con el dedo por las calles hasta 

 las doncellas recatadas, pedieran licencia a sus padres, para ir y saciar sus ojos, 

 viende a aquel varon insigne qui tan grande exemplo de integridad habia 

 dado." This literally runs thus, " The people ran out on theroads to see 

 him. They pointed him out along the streets ; even the retiring maidens 

 begged permission of their fathers to go and satisfy their curiosity (eyes) by 

 looking at the distinguished man who had given so great a proof of inte- 

 grity." The following is our translator's version : tf As he passed along the 

 roads, the people followed him in crowds pointing him out to their children as 

 an object of veneration, while even the modest retiring maiden, banishing her 

 fears, pressed forward to be gratified with a sight of this most noble warrior, 

 who had given so great and so signal a proof of his virtue and integrity." 

 But these are trivial offences, and we dismiss Mr- Preston's book with much 

 approbation. 



Two LETTERS TO THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY UPON THE PRESENT STATE 

 OF THE POOR LAWS, BY CHARLES WETHERALL, A. M. LONDON : 

 MURRAY. 



" FAILING," quoth our author in his preface, " to effect any permanent, 

 good by various acts of charity in his own parish, the writer endeavoured to 

 regulate the vestry meeting in conjunction with his efforts of benevolence, 

 which enabled him to obtain a view of the practical operation of the poor 

 laws." We cannot, however, perceive that the view which he thus ob- 

 tained has been of a very liberal nature. He is altogether in favour of the 

 existing state of things, and indignantly declares, that " the poor are most 

 wickedly instructed to be dissatisfied with their lot." The work is dull, 

 confused, and contains nothing tangible or novel upon the subject which it 

 affects to treat. 



USEFUL GEOMETRY PRACTICALLY EXPLAINED BY A SERIES OF DIAGRAMS. 

 BY CHARLES TAYLOR. LONDON : SHERWOOD AND Co. 



CICERO, in estimating; all human productions, measured them so closely 

 by the rules of art, that he considered whether the author, by a close adhe- 

 rence to them, had attained the object he had in view, rather than the moral 

 influence and practical utility of his labours. Measured by this criterion, 

 Mr. Taylor's work possesses great merit. He has skillfully attained his 

 object in point, and has presented the public with a practical geometrical 

 treatise, the utility of which, however, mathematically speaking, we ques- 



M. M. No. 90. 4 O 



