MONTHLY 11EV1EW OF LITERATURE AND ART. 697 



of which, Dr. Johnson justly remarked, so much wealth of knowledge may 

 be acquired. And it will serve as a satisfactory work of reference, or an 

 intelligent guide to further investigation on all subjects of general occur- 

 rence. We shall expect with pleasure the appearance of the next part. 

 The title-page of the second part announces a third dissertation, by Allan 

 Cunningham, Esq., on the " Progress of the Fine Arts." 



LAHDNER'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA. A PRELIMINARY DISCOURSE ON THE 

 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. BY WILLIAM SWAINSON, ESQ. 

 LONGMAN. 1834. 



THERE is much harmony, eloquence, aud acuteness of observation in this 

 volume, much useful and sterling information much research, and much 

 matter eminently deserving of the attention of all those who love nature 

 and her wondrous works manifold, various, infinite. The study of Natu- 

 ral History is of all pursuits the most interesting. Man put aside for a 

 while, we trace the evidences of that marvellous spirit that fashioned and 

 put into shape this glorious world, to the mighty beast or the minutest in- 

 sect hear him in the wilderness see him in the woods, and in the desert 

 and the distant valleys, tread in his awful foot-marks. We have always 

 been attached to the enquiries of naturalists, and delighted in their specu- 

 lations ; and, therefore, we sat down to the perusal of the book before us, 

 with the complacency of an old acquaintance, and the anxiety of a friend. 

 Mr. Swainson, however, in a very short time, apprized us of our being in 

 superior company, and we rose from his work, we hope, a wiser and a bet- 

 ter man. It is decidedly one of the most valuable of the many valuable 

 works that have appeared in this collection. 



Our space will not permit of our noticing, at any length, the method, 

 style, and arrangement of this Preliminary Discourse, which, we think, 

 are excellently adapted to promote a sound and serviceable intelligence in 

 all classes ; and especially fitted for the perusal of the general reader, for 

 whom, unhappily, so few works of science have any charms, in consequence 

 of the startling many-syllabled amplitudinus obfuscating obnubila- 

 tory anti-simplifying human-intellect-distracting manner in which the 

 learned professors think fit to array their thoughts and hypotheses. We 

 have no fault of the same nature to find with Mr. Swainson; he is, in ge- 

 neral, clear and perspicuous, and endeavours, as far as possible, without 

 impoverishing his style, to meet the quality of the meanest apprehension. 

 Why all interesting truths connected with the sciences should be smo- 

 thered beneath the weight of a pitiless circumlocuting hyperbole we 

 know not. A thunder of diction is raised to describe a dew-drop a fifty- 

 four pounder is found necessary to dispatch a torn-tit the daisy dies in a 

 whirlwind and the unfortunate little ant, tugging its grain of wheat along, 

 is crushed into annihilation with a mountain's ponderosity. 



There is one part of this discourse, irrelevant though it be to the general 

 subject, to which we must call the particular attention of our readers; it is 

 with reference to the uses of honorary titles conferred on men distinguished 

 for high literary or scientific excellence on men foremost in the van of 

 enlightenment on men who elevate the character of and adorn the age in 

 which they live of men, in fine, whose genius or whose industrious and 

 unwearied talents have exalted the thoughts of their species refined 

 their feelings and kindled the light of truth throughout the world. Mr. 

 Swainson combats eloquently, and with a warmth which manifestly springs 

 from a true love of what is truly great, the unworthy and narrow-minded 

 sentiment delivered by Sir Robert Peel, in the House of Commons on this 

 subject. We remember him well, and remember also a blush of what 

 we hope was honest indignation that mounted into our cheeks on reading 



