540 
attributes a¢commodatell to théir destined 
names? A’ mixture of philoséphy and 
sauce-making, of music and cookery, a 
medley of medicine and domestic economy ; 
a decoction of original poetry and oculism : 
a professor, at once, of butter-melting and of 
singing / Start not, reader—all this in one 
book—in one man! Here’s-a contributor 
to the gratification of the senses! And 
whynot? He is cook by name, and cook by 
nature. These are dispensations: the rest 
are mere mortal acquirements; and a pre- 
cious salmagundi they may be supposed to 
make—equal to any that his ‘“ Domestic 
Oracle” could order to the table. But, not- 
withstanding all his eccentricities, Dr. Kit- 
chener is reully a useful member of society, 
and this last little work will be received, as 
an etonomizing obligation, by the thrifty 
housewife. 
‘Rameses, an Egyptian Tale, 3 vols. 8v0.— 
This work possesses considerable merit and 
utility ; and though we cannot recommend 
the’ story as very amusing, or the style as 
among the best specimens of writing, yet 
thé* historical notes’ which occupy a large 
portion of these volumes, are replete with 
valuable and interesting information. The 
author represents Egypt as partaking of all 
the fertilization ard abundance of its wor- 
shippéd god and great benefactor; the ma- 
Jestic Nile, and the people as possessing an 
extent of Wisdom and learning, and perfee- 
tion in the arts and sciences, which makes 
the boasted knowledge and experience of 
this enlightened age appear almost insignifi- 
cant. He adduces sufficient proof, that the 
Grecians not only eopied the Egyptians in 
minty ‘of their works of art, but in some 
Were’ even inferior. * See the description of 
“the Labyrinth beyond the Lake Maris, 
whieh is composed of twelve courts, all of 
which ‘ate covered; six entrances to the 
south, and six to the north; one wall en- 
eloses the whole ; there are fifteen hundred 
apartments above the surface of the ground, 
and as many beneath,—in all three thou- 
sand. ‘Wonderful ‘as this labyrinth is, the 
Lake Maris, near which it stands, is more 
extraordinary © still.” — Hrropotus, Ev- 
TERPE. 
“To those who would dispute the exist- 
ence of ‘Egyptian knowledge and science, 
an examination (says the Univer. Hist. i. 
527) of the details of these wonders, by an 
eye-witness, would not be useless. The 
Lake Maris, after the drying up of the 
canals, and the vast accumulation of its 
sands, has still a circumference of a hundred 
and fifty miles,” &e. 
The obstinate'attachment of this singular, 
but otherwise intelligent people, to the 
worship of ‘animals, ‘is dlso described: Tn 
dia; Chalded; ‘and ‘all other Eastern king- 
doms, by degrees identified their mytholory 
With’ Sabeism .and ‘Demonolatry; although 
lingering ‘traces of animal and serpent wor. 
ship still exist in\India, a8 well as through. 
out ‘Soxth America; but Beypt ever was 
Literary ata Critical Proémiun. 
[Jane D, 
thé devoted slave of animal ‘syinbdlization, 
uiitil: the second century’ of thé Christian 
era, which is ac¢outited for from their’ ex- 
clusive devotion to the study’ of natural 
philosophy. i; x 
From the notes alone, were’ it consistent 
with the plan of our mistéllany, we’ might 
enrich whole pages with-seleétions of alui- 
able and interesting information.) °! 0!" 
Lasting Impressions, d Novel in 8\vols.,' by 
Mrs. Joanna Carey, is ‘a more common- 
place production than we should ‘lave &x- 
pected from the very respectable name of 
the publisher. The author, indeed,''in her 
advertisement, gave us reason to hope we 
should have a fair field for commendation, 
by professing to delineate human charattér 
as it is, without cither poetigal- romance, ‘or 
ostentatious sentimentality. 
But, though this is just what we could 
wish for in a novel, yet in the €xecution of 
a work of this kind, we do not expect a 
prosing loquacity of style, flowery without 
being picturesque or imaginative, and senti- 
mental without being pathetic; or an as- 
semblage of characters and events in which 
there is little that bears the stamp of origi- 
nality, or that impresses the imagination. 
It may have its day among the ephemera of 
the circulating library ; but we can promise 
it no mote extended vitality. 
Herwald De Wake is a romance, in many 
degrees, above the ordinary standard. |The 
story is dated at the end of the 11th cen- 
tury, and the events are supposed to ‘have 
taken place in England and Constantinople. 
Though the story is imaginative, mariy of 
the characters and incidents have réference 
to actual events and personages, which 
considerably augments the interest. The 
cleverest part of the work is that which is 
filled with the description of the art and 
profligacy of Andronicus Comnenus. It has 
all the passionate eloquence, and at the 
same time all the wild extrayagance, of 
Maturin. The most faulty part is the plot, 
in which the multitude and variety of inci- 
dents overpower and perplex the compre- 
hension. There is, however, in the wild- 
ness of the imagination, a great deal of 
beauty: and when we are most disposed to 
quarrel with the exeursions of the writer, 
we are most obliged to admit the power of 
his genius. pacts) 
Scenes and Thoughts, 8vo:— Although we 
find fault with the writing of this volume, 
being verbose and flowery ;' yet there’ is 
much to compensate for this defect. The 
“Scenes” are delineated with ‘natural 
truth and precision ; particularly those 'de- 
nominated “Home,” the “ Country’ Sun- 
day,” and the “Market-day.””' The’ first 
of these is certainly as interesting a picture 
as could well be drawn; the more espe- 
cially a8 there are few of us’who! have not 
known the delight of meeting, after a long 
absence, a much-loved relation.’ The'style 
is ii-imitation of Miss Mitford’sybutiwants 
her native’ simplicity; and we strongly ‘sus= 
pect 
