224) MONTHLY RKVIEW OF LITERATURE AND ART. 



the distraught son of song clean out of his senses, or, his senses out 

 of him, which is much the same thing. A man had infinitely 

 better be a tailor, for the matter of that; for the knights of the 

 needle, say what you please, are the ninth part of men, which the 

 unhappy wretch who is divided between, and devoted to, the Nine, 

 can upon no known principle boast. 



THE PARLIAMENTARY POCKET COMPANION. WIIITTAKER. 



THIS little work which had long been a desideratum amongst our 

 annual publications, and yet only made its appearance with the 

 opening of the Reformed Parliament, gives another proof of the 

 assurance with which industry, properly directed, may calculate upon 

 patronage. A work like this must tell amongst a people so inquisi- 

 tive as ours. It is a manual of political gossip of a most interesting, 

 and at the same time, of a most useful nature. It tells " who is 

 who" in the classes just now most particularly inquired after. It 

 may be looked upon as a series of political crayons, touched off in a 

 few bold masterly strokes, and yet presenting all the fulness and 

 vrai-semblance of a complete picture. 



To the readers of newspapers this index of the House is an abso- 

 lute necessity, more especially at a time when we find the speeches 

 and votes of members so seemingly contradictory. Hoping for more 

 consistency in the ensuing session we shall not, at present, refer to 

 instances, satisfied that the reader's memory will easily suggest them. 

 To the man of the world it is equally indispensable. Indeed, we 

 have known more than one instance in which, from an intimate ac- 

 quaintance with the Parliamentary Companion, a man of bold and ad- 

 venturous address has acquired the reputation of being conversant 

 de omnibus rebus et quibusdam aliis including in the latter a know- 

 ledge of the business of the House greater than could be acquired 

 from a severe study of Halsett's precedents though aided by the 

 commentaries of Mr. Manners Sutton himself. 



We need scarcely recommend the book, for its own success verifies 

 the old tavern motto " Good wine needs no lustre." 



THE ROMANCE OF HISTORY ENGLAND. BY HENRY NEELE. 



3 VOLS. VOL. III. pp. 329. BULL AND CHUKTON. 

 ANOTHER volume of this pleasant melange fully bearing out our 

 former opinion. Mr. Neele has most successfully skimmed the cream 

 off antiquity, and we are charmed with the art that can extract so 

 much amusement from musty records. Independently of the value 

 of this work as a text-book for schools (although we apprehend, from 

 its pretty illustrations and fanciful binding ,that such was not intended 

 as its ultimatum], it presents irresistible attractions to the rising 

 generation, and will instil into them a love of true history which we 

 of the olden time scarcely deemed could be achieved. It is now 

 needless to predict that this will be a popular periodical, it is so 

 already. In fact, it is one of those books with which critics have but 

 little to do saving to point them out to the notice of the patrons of 

 literature. 



