Monthly Review of Literature. 321 



walled on each side, and crossing each other at various angles, each opening 

 having a doorway and porch, of which the picturesque form brings to the mind 

 some ancient representation of Italian scenery or some old Bible print. The 

 whole extent of the hill, or of that portion of the mountain especially called 

 Cimies, was either scattered with ruins, or sprinkled with little shrines and 

 chapels, amongst which such as were, dedicated to St. Rosalie, who is repre- 

 sented with a bleeding heart in her hand, were by far the most numerous. 

 Here is an ancient Roman theatre, of which much remains ; baths and tombs, 

 broken pillars, sarcophagi, and ruins of temples ; but, inasmuch as the neigh- 

 bouring town of Nice has attracted most of the inhabitants of Cimies for ages 

 past, there is now shed through this whole scene of ancient pomp, an air of 

 gloom and desertion which I cannot describe, though it suited the diseased 

 state of my mind at that time to explore these ruins, and to meditate amongst 

 them on the vanity of present things." 



We sincerely recommend this very useful work to the consideration of all 

 such as have at heart the interests of Protestantism, and are desirous of 

 encouraging so talented a lady as Mrs. Sherwood in her efforts to promote 

 the good cause . 



Mrs. Maberly, or the World as It Will Be. 3 Vols, post 8vo. 



Macrone. 



THIS book has been most unmercifully abused by some of our contemporaries ; 

 and though we do not profess to take up the cudgels in defence of the author, 

 we must say that such violent censure is not deserved. Leaving undiscussed 

 propriety in the choice of the story, which is ridiculous enough, and not new, 

 inasmuch as the ' Mummy ' had previously removed the veil from futurity, 

 and indulged us to our hearts' content with absurdities of steam-judges, bal- 

 loons, &c. &c., we must grant to the author a little tact in the management 

 of his characters, and some knowledge of the conversational machinery of 

 novel-writing. 



With these short observations, we leave a very laughable book in the 

 reader's hands. He must judge for himself. 



Manuella,or the Executioner's Daughter. 3 Vols. post 8vo. Bentley. 



THE author of these volumes presents his readers with a Spanish romance 

 drawn from its modern history ; and certainly on such a subject he might, 

 one would think, have fairly acquitted himself; but has decidedly failed, 

 and failed owing to a mistake in the qualities of his own mind. If, instead 

 of attempting what is utterly beyond his power to weave a number of probable 

 incidents into a connected and consistent story he had confined himself to the 

 humorous or grave description of the different scenes and events that he has 

 witnessed, he would have been more useful and more entertaining. There can be 

 little doubt that the writer has been in Spain for some time ; his language is 

 that of an eye-witness, and his familiarity with the manners of the people 

 indicates a considerable length of residence. We would caution those, how- 

 ever, who are inclined to venture the task of reading "Manuella," againsttaking 

 for granted the truth or probability of the thousand and one plots and in- 

 trigues recorded in its pages. The writer must have stood open-mouthed in 

 the chief square of Madrid ready to devour all the rumours that passed on 

 the wind, and then have transferred them to his paper as the illustrations of 

 the troublous disasters of priest-ridden Spain. 



We said before, that the author should have confined himself ^o the de- 

 scription of scenes and events. We may add that he is successful in hitting 

 off character. The soldier Cure, we have little doubt, is the true portraiture 

 of an abandoned priest, driven by desperate fortunes from the pursuit of sav- 

 ing souls, to the more congenial trade of murdering her Catholic Majesty's 

 liege subjects. The gormandizing lily-livered Colonel with his pates aux 

 perigords is also admirably drawn. Of the scenes we like best the bull-fight, 

 and the bolero. The latter is sprightly and in good taste. We shall be happy 



MARCH, 1837. Y 



