Literary and CriVica ProCmium. 



168 



ou the character of a nation. It ably ex- 

 poses the absurdity of those charges which 

 the panders of court allege against the 

 true friends of freeitoni and order ; and 

 aptly cxidiiins the mistaken notions which 

 prevail respecting sycophancy and loyalty. 

 Fair reasoning is preserved, and ihe dan- 

 g:er of the present system ot ministers 

 strongly pointed out. TUe scribes of the 

 p,overnraeut would find it a hard task to 

 refute the arguments and facts thus stated 

 to show how the lust of power accumulates 

 fresh means of oppression : but they will 

 not try their wits in so unequal a contest. 

 What is Life? and other Poems, by 

 Thomas Baii.f.y, forms an unpresumin;; 

 collection of eflusions from the pen of a 



[Marfh ), 



presented ns with a Grammar of Botany, 

 which is eminently culculaied to assist the 

 pupil ou bis firjt entrance mion this delight- 

 ful study. After an analysis of th« compo- 

 nent parts of which the vegetable body con- 

 sists, he ))roceeds to an exposition of the two 

 rival sjslenis of Linnaeus and Jussieu, the 

 former of which ooeupie-only a few pages, 

 whilst the latter constitutes a great part of 

 the entire work ; an inspection of which, 

 will, in our apprehension, exhibit a great 

 superiority in the artificial over the naturnl 

 system, in the facility and simplicity of its 

 arrangements. The work concludes with a 

 comparison of the natural orders of Liiuiieus 

 with those of Jussieu, and some raiscella- 

 nr!Oiu remarks. The subjects uiiiler dis- 

 cussion are illustrated by a number of plates. 



person engaged in trade in Nottingham, 'piiis publication, combined with the /nfro 



They are of a pensive cast, and bespeak 

 a considerable portion of feeling and poeti- 

 cal talent. The thoughts are those of an 

 amiable mind, accustomed to veut itself in 

 verse, and which has formed its taste on 

 good models. The writer has said too much 



dnciion to Botany, of the same author, 

 leaves notbiiig more to be wished for in the 

 early steps of the science. 



Memoim of the Life of Nicholas Pous- 

 *iw, have lately proceeded from the pen of 

 Mrs. M.AniA GrAjam, before favourably 



in his introduction respecting the want of known to the public, hs the autlior of Toun 

 patrons. Genius has ever found the pub- ,•„ India. Witbout pretensions to much coa- 

 iic not only the best judges, but the best noisseurship, Mrs. G. acquits herself of her 

 supporters. task with ability and tnste. Her narrative 

 In connection with the fine arts, we may is simple ami concise, and her observations 

 here notice a work, which we have loo long on (be character of this great artist's pro- 

 delayed i-ecoinmeiKling to the attention of diiclious, are sensible nud just. In the in- 

 oiir readers. We alhuie to Mr. Dennis's troductory remarks of her preface, we cor- 



beautiful and interesting Views in Savoy, 

 Switzerland, and on the Rhine, from drawings 

 made on the spot. Hallowed as these spoU 

 are, not oidy by their own intrinsic charms, 

 but by a thousand delightful associations of 

 ideas, they have h>ng been, as it were, the 

 jtrescriptive projierty of tLe poet and the 

 painter. Our limits will not allow ns to enter 

 into a detail of the numerous beauties which 

 Mr. Dennis has crowded into the two fir>t 

 jiarts of his work. T'.vo more are to hs 

 published in Mar.-h, and the llfth will com- 



dially concur ; and we admire the spirit with 

 which she repels ihe injurious idea that the 

 arts find (heir best protection and sujiport in 

 the arms of despotism: a position involving 

 this absurdity— that to induce the conception 

 of noble, bold, and beautiful ideas, the 

 human mind must first be humiliated, over- 

 awed and debased. Prefixed to the volume 

 is an interesting view of Poussin's House in 

 Rome, ;is seen from that of Claude Lorraine; 

 and subjoined are the two dialogues of 

 Feiulon, descriiitive of two of Poussin's 



plete the series. Tlie piates are etclied by pictures, and a catalogue of his paintings. 



Mr. 1). himself, and engraved in Mezzolinlo, 

 by C. Turner, \V. Want, <tc. The admirable 

 iminner iu which these views are exsculc.1, 

 do not more re>!ound to the credit of Mr. 

 Dennis, as an adept in his an, than the air 

 of reali/ij which is impressed upon all, 

 proves his fidelity as a transcriber from the 

 book of nature. One of the most beautiful 

 pictures in Ihe series, (the Lake of Geneva, 



We are happy to announce ihe appearance 

 of a new novel by Miss Xssa Maria Por- 

 TF.R, whose writings have so frequently cx- 

 perieuixd a favourable recepiion fjom the 

 public. It is entitled The Village of Ma- 

 rier.dorpf, and will, we think, sustain the 

 repuiaiiou which this lady's interesling works 

 have rJ.ready acquired for her. It is not 

 certainly in llie lirsl class of novels, but it 



looking over Vevay, from the Berne Road) will bold a very respeotable place in those 



is now exhibiting in Ihe British Galler}', and 

 we take this opportunity of directing the 

 attention of our readers to it, as the situa- 

 tion in which it is placed (considerably above 

 the eye) is such that it may not attract that 

 notice which it merits. On the whole, the 

 work is highly creditable, to the talents of 



of the next rank, and, in one of the most 

 essential requisites of fictitious compositions, 

 Ihe interest excited by it merits very con- 

 siderable praise. The period which Miss 

 .-V. M. Porter has chosen, is that of the dis- 

 astrous war between the Catholic and Pro- 

 testant powers, which devastated Germany 



the artist, and we shall be content to be set at the commencement of the seventeenth 



down as false prophets, if it does not add century. The allusions to the history of 



greatly to his fame. that day, (although we cannot say that in 



In addition lo the many excellent works general we approve of historical novels,) and 



with wliich he has illustrated the science the description of the country, are well 



of Botanv, Sir J.E. S.iiiTH has recently managed. The characters too are finely 



imagined 



