MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND ART. 



THE LITERARY SOUVENIR. EDITED BY ALARIC A. WATTS. 

 WHITTAKER AND Co., LONDON. 



THIS beautiful volume has reached us too late this month to do justice 

 to its merits. It appears, however, at a most appropriate time, and those 

 who are desirous to purchase books for new year's gifts will find none of 

 this class of works which possess so many attractive features and so much 

 sterling worth as " The Literary Souvenir." The principal talent of the 

 country, both jiterary and pictorial, combine to give it elegance and 

 interest. 



THE GERMANIC EMPIRE. BY S. A. DUNHAM, ESQ., L.L.D., 

 LARDNER'S CABINET CYCLOPAEDIA. LONGMAN AND Co., LONDON. 



THE reading public is under considerable obligation to this series of 

 works. That some portions of the Cabinet Cyclopaedia, are imperfect in 

 conception cannot be denied ; but taken as a whole there are a good many 

 valuable volumes to be picked out of it. There are none that better de- 

 serve attention than those which have come from the pen of Mr. Dunham. 

 As compendiums they have the rare merit of being easy in'style, and cor- 

 rect in arrangement, and hence read infinitely better than the majority of 

 their class. 



The volume before us, is evidently the result of a careful examination 

 of accessible authorities, and it gives us a succinct and intelligible history 

 of the political and social institutions of Germany during the middle ages 

 ages replete with changes arid revolutions, and of which a complete his- 

 tory would be an invaluable addition to our stock of historical literature. 

 The body of Mr. Dunham's book is preceded by a very good and very use- 

 ful analytical and chronological table a plan we would advise all authors 

 to adopt in works on history and statistics. 



This work is well worthy a place on the shelves of every reading man, 

 and should be placed in the hands of every student of history. 



THE PROSE WORKS OP SIR WALTER SCOTT BIOGRAPHICAL 

 MEMOIRS OP EMINENT NOVELISTS AND OTHER DISTINGUISHED 

 PERSONS. Two VOLS. CADELL, EDINBURGH. 1834. 



IT may be a question whether the writer of fiction is a proper person to 

 be selected to write the life of an individual, or, if any suitable instances 

 can be found, whether the power necessary to the one can be indiscrimi- 

 nately applied to the other. The thought, of the novelist, especially if he 

 have attained eminence in his art, are accustomed to ride freely through 

 the regions of fancy, in the rapid and brilliant car of imagination. Those 

 of the biographer are confined to the circumscribed field of fact, ard com- 

 pelled to march slowly on in the dull course of reality. To the one is the 

 liberty of giving vent to his feelings in the delineation of such scenes in 

 the pourtrayal of such qualities as he may deem best adapted to his pur- 

 pose : to the other is the necessity of limiting himself to the narration of 

 circumstances over which he has no control, of accommodating his sympa- 

 thies to qualities and sentiments, to the influence of which his own breast 

 may be a perfect stranger. 



The writer of fiction has the opportunity, and acquires reputation only 



