216 MONTHLY IlEVIKW OF LITERATURE AND ART. 



English Poet, are we made to suffer the indignation which this ugly affront 

 of envious nationality occasions us ? 



We find (vol. I, p. 120,) a note by Dr. Memes upon Classical My- 

 thology ; which is in a spirit that we could only have expected from a taste- 

 less and illiterate fanatic an ignorant and bawling field-preacher. It 

 leads us to suspect, that.Dr. Memes has never studied the beautiful fictions 

 relating to the Gods of Greece, in any adequate and authentic shape ; we, 

 therefore, advise him to read Keightley's Mythology, and to cancel his 

 foolish and uninformed censure, \ hen he reprints this edition of the Life 

 and Works of Cowper. There is one respect in which we have yet to do 

 justice to our Editor we must describe him as a narrator and a moral 

 critic upon the incidents which he records ; he is, on this ground, entitled 

 to very high praise ; he is discriminating and equitable in his judgments ; 

 he wisely thinks but little of the good influence of the Rev. John Newton 

 upon the happiness of his author while living ; and he has written enough 

 to disabuse every one of the false impressions which Hayley's partial mode 

 of publishing the Letters of Cowper must have left. It is no more than an 

 act of justice to his memory for those to peruse Dr; Memes's exact ar- 

 rangement of the correspondence, whose ideas, respecting the principal 

 writer of it, have been derived from the original edition. With so amiable 

 and conscientious a person as William Cowper for the subject of a life, it 

 would be strange, indeed, if his Biographer did not find himself continually 

 warranted in giving him very high praise. Dr, Memes evidently delights 

 in doing justice to the virtues and the talents of Cowper; he assigns due 

 commendation to the actual deserts of Mrs. Unwin : her benevolence to the 

 Bard of Olney during many years, gives her a claim upon the gratitude of 

 his admirers ; but, in one important instance, she shewed a littleness of 

 mind that we regret and feel ashamed of; nor is this all, she induced 

 Cowper to act in a manner, the generosity and equity of which are at least 

 very questionable. To the noble-souled, highly-gifted, arid amiable Lady 

 Austen, we fear that the verdict of Dr. Meme (vol. I, p. 162,) is likely to 

 be final. Even if the suppressed letters to and from her ladyship should ever 

 be made public, we feel assured from what Is before us, that they would 

 tend rather to corroborate than to invalidate the existing impression. The 

 whole history of the Baronet's widow is given by Dr. Memes, (vol. I, 

 145 162); much of it is new to us, and it will be found of great interest 

 universally. When these volumes reappear, we hope to find the very nu- 

 merous errors of the press corrected. We read of Barker on the Micro- 

 scope; Swammhoffin Norfolk, for Swaffham Cummultis allis. 



WE perceive that the editor of " The Young Gentleman's Book," and 

 " My Daughter's Book," has announced the immediate publication of a 

 third volume, to be entitled " The Book for the Million ;'' and that he con- 

 templates the completion of a library of elementary knowledge, extending 

 to ten volumes. 



Too much praise cannot be awarded to the exertions of the editor of 

 these highly useful works, whose object it is to facilitate the diffusion of 

 moral and intellectual knowledge of the choicest and most effective cha- 

 racter. The volumes already published sufficiently evince the capabilities 

 of the editor to bring to a successful completion a design which will not 

 only reflect honour upon his learning, talents, and acquirements, but fur- 

 nish a lasting monument of his energy and perseverance. We wish him 

 every success in his undertaking ; and we have the more pleasure in doing 

 so, that we feel our wishes are not in this instance likely to be vain. Hap- 

 pily the spirit of the times is the best guarantee for its welcome reception 

 with the public. 



LONDON : BAYLIS AND LEIGHTON, JOHNSONS-COURT, FLEET-STREET. 



