606 MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURH. 



that the falsehood of his statements is not easily proved. We may, however, 

 mention that in one particular case where we were acquainted with the con- 

 tributor of a certain article, we heard that article, which was not a little talked 

 of, attributed to various parties by those who professed to have good informa- 

 tion on the subject, and yet these conjectures were all of them as far from 

 the truth as the antipodes. 



We will not pursue our painful task of criticism any further. It is at least 

 but an unthankful office to find fault, and we are heartily glad to have done 

 with it. We turn with pleasure to the more agreeable part of our duties 

 commendation. It is superfluous to say that there is much ability displayed 

 in these volumes. The author has already passed the ordeal of public favour, 

 and is no longer a virgin candidate for popularity. Our limits prevent us 

 from indulging our readers with any further extracts, and we refer them to 

 the work itself, which we can promise will yield them abundant entertain- 

 ment. 



Almanack de Gotha, pour 1'annee 1837. Gotha Justa Perthes. 



THIS is the seventy-fourth number of this celebrated ephemeris. Besides the 

 usual astronomical data to be found in the best class of almanacks, there are 

 numerous portraits of the magnates of Europe, which, if not very well executed, 

 are well enough adapted for the purpose, inasmuch as nobody looks in an 

 almanack for specimens of engraving. 



Then we have a very complete list of all the sovereigns of Europe, together 

 with their wives and families, and the dates of accession, marriage, and births. 

 A sort of abridged not peerage, but princeage, and a catalogue of the ambas- 

 sadors, envoys, and other diplomatic agents employed by all the courts both 

 of Europe and America. These, with an account of the existing orders of 

 knighthood throughout the world, a short chronicle of events in the past year, 

 and a few statistical tables, form the bulk of the work. We should be happy 

 to see an English almanack published on this model, which contains the most 

 useful and appropriate information that can be looked for in such a periodical, 

 though, if any publisher should take the hint and follow our suggestion, we 

 recommend him to eschew the embellishments, or else get better engravings 

 than those which adorn the volume now before us. It will be seen by the 

 heading of this article that we have the copy in French. It is scarcely neces- 

 sary to say that it is also published in German. 



British Atlas. A set of County Maps of England and Wales. 



No. 1 21. Imp. 4to. By J. and C. WALKER. Longman. 

 Geological Map of England and Wales : with Canals, Railroads, &c. 



By J. and C. WALKER, 3, Burleigh St. Strand. 



GOOD maps were, a very few years since, deemed an expensive luxury : and 

 the exorbitant price charged even for books of very inferior value rendered an 

 intelligent acquaintance with geography unattainable by persons of moderate 

 resources. The public are in a great measure indebted to the Society for* the 

 Diffusion of Useful Knowledge for the favourable change that has taken place 

 in this department of literature. It is true, they have published bad maps oc- 

 casionally; but this must always be the case where so extensive a series ap- 

 pears. Still the impulse has been given, and those who are connected with 

 education must know how beneficial is the effect. The Messrs. Walker, whose 

 co-operation with the Society has been regular since its commencement, have 

 done well to follow out on their own responsibility a set of maps similar to 

 the Society's. There is an old and vulgar saying, that " too many cooks spoil 

 the broth ;" and it would not be difficult to point out certain maps in the So- 

 ciety's series that have been spoiled by the clashing of opinions. In a short 



