MONTHLY HEVIEW OF LITERATURE AND ART. 211 



pit, and out walks the treacherous monster to devour his victim. But the 

 most beautiful of all insects, after the mantis, is the green beetle, that 

 lives in the cistus, a gem bedropped with gold, in a palace of ivory." 



There are some pretty notes on the cicada, and some touching lines on 

 this poetic little creature. We give one or two verses : 



" Glad child of summer ! much I love 



To hear thy merry song 

 Ring out at eve, the dark pine grove 

 And the bright flowers among. 



" Oh ! say what lessons sweet from thee 



To thoughtful heart is sent ? 

 Whate'er our path in life may be, 

 Therewith to be content. 



" To praise our God at morning prime, 



To love him all the day, 

 And at the holy evening time 

 To thank him ere we pray." 



Throughout the entire volume the authoress displays a fine perception 

 of the beauties of nature, and many of her descriptions of the thousand 

 beautiful things which she observed are touchingly grand. 



There are some curious accounts in the volume of the religious cere- 

 monies, and of the multitudinous superstitions of the degraded Greeks. 

 The following hint will, we hope, not be thrown away upon the young 

 and old scape-graces that are sent to our various diplomatic stations. 



" I tell you," said Count Laurelli, "that when the English first came 

 amongst us, neither I nor my countrymen could be persuaded to believe 

 that you professed any religion at all. We never saw you at your devo- 

 tions ; you had no church here, and your sabbaths were spent in riding 

 over old women, making bets, and ransacking our orange-groves and 

 vineyards. It was riot till two or three good English missionaries came 

 among us to teach our children, and to comfort our poor, that we could be 

 brought to believe that the English nation was not a nation of heathens." 

 The Corfuites seem to have a very great contempt for us ; and, all things 

 considered, we do not much wonder at it. 



We cannot give an analysis of the book, because its style and contents 

 are essentially anecdotical and sketchy. The historical parts and the 

 legendary tales are well told, and made to amalgamate well with the 

 general matter. There are a great many entertaining and instructive 

 stories, and some little bits of poetry of considerable beauty. Here is a 

 Stanza worth remembering : 



' ' Oh ! the morning prime of youth, 



How beautiful it seems ! 

 With its highland glorious fantasies, 



Its fair and fairy dreams ! 

 Its faithless constancy 



That nothing can estrange : 

 Its pure and lasting faith, 



That never dreams of change ! 

 Its hopes that like spring flowers, 



Upspring from every tear : 

 Its boundless fount of love, 



The love that knows no fear." 



We most warmly recommend this volume to our readers. It is fitted 

 equally for the winter fireside the spring-time ramble and the summer 

 and autumnal sea-side residence. As a book for pleasant family reading, it 

 is better than a hundred novels. 



