Literary and CriLical Piocmium. 



270 



passions and rendering them subservient 

 to reason. This the author thinks can 

 only be done by instilling into the miud 

 the principles of true relig'ion. 



A very able pamphlet, distinguished by 

 sound arg-uments and authorities, has ap- 

 peared from a writer who signs Christo- 

 philus, tending to prove that " Christi- 

 anity is iuteroitea in the dixmissal of mi- 

 ni.siers.'" It consists of six letters addres- 

 sed to 3Ir. Wilberforce ; and the author 

 demonstrates that the spirit of true religion 

 is favourable to free and unlimited discus- 

 sion, and averse from persecution far opi- 

 nions on any pretence whatever. Though 

 no man of sense and liberality can dispute 

 these principles, yet recent practices, and 

 the establishment of two Inquisitions of re- 

 ligious and political bigotsin London, prove 

 that the circuhuion of such an antidote 

 cannot fail at this time to be eminently 

 useful to the cause of truth and liberty. 



Mr. Hone with characteristic energy has 

 dedicated to the Holy alliance, an edition 

 of Defoe's poem of " the Itiaht Divine 

 of Kintjs to fiorern nioiiy.'" As Defoe 

 was a lame versifier, the poem has been 

 well adapted to modern taste in Poetry, and 

 much varied without losing any of its pun- 

 gency. The notes and ei'.gravings apply 

 the text to passing e\cuts, and expose the 

 degrading doctrines of slavish obedience, 

 which of late years have had too many sup- 

 porters in Britain and America. 



A novel under the title of St. Avhin, or 

 the Infiilcl, deserves mention as rising 

 above the mere trash of the circulating 

 library, though it has no pretensions to 

 rank among superior works of this nature. 

 As a tale it is too full of improbabilities to 

 interest the lovers of connnon sense ; but it 

 will amuse a numerous class of readers 

 whose imagination is most pleased with the 

 marvellous and horrible. 



A Reply to the Ren. Richnrd Lloyifs 

 " Letters to a Member of I'urlinment on 

 the (lani/erous defects of the British and 

 Fiireiijii Schools 4"c." By J.vmes Shep- 

 herd, Treasurer to the City of London 

 lloyal British School, &c. is a seasonable 

 reply to an attack which appears to have 

 stood much in need of a refutalion. Its 

 uncharitable purpose seems to have been 

 to check the expansion of the human mind, 

 and to bow down implicitly the faculties of 

 the rising generation to a tyrannic system 

 and a bigotted creed. Mr. Shepherd has 

 supplied the proper antidote to this intended 

 evil, and has vindicated the conduct of the 

 friends and patrons of education, as well 

 as the right of Englishman to read and 

 judge for themselves. This answer is tem- 

 perate and well written, and will create an 

 interest among those who consider national 

 schools as intended to rescue the humble 

 ])art of the conmiunity from darkness and 

 iffnoranoc. , . 



I April], 



Dr. South ey, Poet laureate, has pub- 

 lished a heavy and alfccted poem, called 

 The Vision of Judgment, which we con- 

 ceive few will take the trouble to read, and ' 

 still fewer will admire. It consists of an 

 enthusiastic eulogy on the late King, and of 

 a tirade of overcharged abuse of the persons 

 who opposed the policy of his reign. It is 

 sickening to read such a production of the 

 manly author of Wat Tyler, and we no 

 otherwise notice it than to express our 

 regret that we should have lived to wiine^» 

 such a falling otl and debasement of genius. 



A valua'ile edition has appeared of i/«c/o 

 Grotivs, or Veritalc I-etirjionis Cliristi- 

 ancp, with the notes of the author, Le 

 Clerc and others, translated into English, 

 which has hitherto appeared with the ori- 

 ginal Latin annotations. These are now 

 reudered into English for the advantage 

 of the Scholar, and a useful work it must 

 prove to schools and students. The me- 

 thod adopted by the translator in this ii\- 

 stance to elucidate the text might be more 

 generally followed with advantage. Mas- 

 ters but seldom take the trouble to explain 

 the notes to their pupils. Tlie latter hav- 

 ing them thus innnediately under their 

 eyes, by being closely appended to tlie 

 text, will not have occasion to refer to their 

 instructors for this information. Grotius 

 ought to become a family and a school I)ook. 



An enlarged edition of Hogg's Mou) tain 

 Bards, has made its appearance, with a 

 Memoir of the Author's life prefixed, writ- 

 ten by himself The ettbrts of a strong 

 mind and vigorous imagination to develope 

 themselves even under the most disadvan- 

 tageous circumstances, may be alwaj's con- 

 sidered with pleasure, and often with profit. 

 The numerous and original productions of 

 James Hogg, thcEthiie Shepherd, though 

 not always evincing the purest and most 

 cultivated genius, are pleasing and en- 

 couraging proofs of the power of a mind 

 gifted with strong natural rapacities, to 

 surmount the dirticuhies of its silaalion, 

 and to conmiand the admiration of the pub- 

 lic. Mr. Hogg's Memoi • is an amusing 

 piece of self-biography, in which the author 

 speaks simply and honestly, though with a 

 little dash of inherent poetical vanity, of 

 the circumstances which led him from the 

 occupation of a shepherd into a literary 

 career. The events are trivial, but there 

 is a singularity in the manner of narrating 

 them, which perfectly accords with the 

 poet of nature. IMr. Hogg, it appears, is 

 also not only a wit, but the cause of wit in 

 others. He distinctly charges some of his 

 literary friends in Edinburgh with amusing 

 themselves at his expense, by printing his 

 name to ai'ticles which he himself never 

 saw. 



ITie well known but obsolete work of 

 FerfiKsov on Astronomy is again presented 

 to the public under a new and mudi en- 

 larged 



