CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 329 



cious, its friends and lecturers were hailed as men of talent, the 

 world applauded, and even veteran philosophers extended the right 

 hand of fellowship to the new society that thus vigorous in its ear- 

 ly growth, seemed destined to overshadow the land. Numerous 

 other societies, following this spirit-stirring example, have since 

 arisen on all sides, and the Worcestershire Society has either not 

 kept up its original inpetus, has lost some of its early friends, or at 

 any rate has not been heard of so frequently as it was wont to be. 

 Perhaps this is not to be altogether wondered at by any one conver- 

 sant in the frailties of human nature. Novelty, like beauty, is 

 evanescent. The best experimenters will occasionally fail, and wet 

 weather damps the efforts of the cleverest electrician : so that sup- 

 posing no collision of opinions, or " little enmities and dissensions,"* 

 to arise, the warmest admirers of the Society could scarcely suppose 

 its advancing career would never meet with a check. As such, 

 however, would seem to be almost the case from the publication 

 which has now appeared, it behoves us, in examining the produc- 

 tions of a society now of some years standing, to assume a more 

 rigid position than we should have considered it fair to have done 

 at the outset of the Society. This is the first publication that 

 comes before the world as a specimen of what the Society has done, 

 and as a })ledge of what it is to do : for though other publications 

 have appeared from individuals, they have not assumed the form of 

 the transactions of a body, as this appears to do, since Dr. Hastings 

 says, in reference to the first fasiculus of the History of Worcester- 

 shire, here appended to his Address, and containing the parish of 

 Great Witley, by the Revs. Thomas and John Pearson, that *' there 

 is every reason to believe that the able manner in which the local 

 history of that parish has been executed, will secure for it an exten- 

 sive circulation throughout this intelligent county ; in which event 

 the Society will be justified in proceeding in their praiseworthy 

 undertaking, and will gradually collect together a correct history 

 of each parish in the county, so as to present an invaluable body of 

 information, which may prove of the utmost importance to the tra- 

 veller, the antiquary, the man of science, and the natural:st."t So 

 that from this it appears, in fact, that the Society is proceeding ^e- 

 riaiim to make a Topographical Dictionary of Worcestershire. We 

 might, perhaps, notwithstanding the imprimature of the amiable 

 physician, almost doubt the legality and propriety of such a step as 

 this ; but if it must be so, and the Society is content to rest its 

 claims to distinction upon this undertaking, it is not' for us to com- 

 plain. We would, however, in perfect good feeling, suggest the 

 scriptural injunction of the cost being first counted, as we are told 

 there are one hundred and fifty-two parishes in the county, which 

 we presume will require a considerable number of fasciculi, and a 

 patience that must endure unto the end if the work is to be com. 

 pleted. 



* Address, p. 56. -f- Page 1 1 . 



VOL. VI. NO. XX. TT 



