366 ■ Literary and Critical Proethium 



SfTC!!' fii t' e.« (OlflOfJ'', " 



great ;'ahd his talent in telling a siixiple 

 and pathetic tale is fully evinced in the 

 work before us. He possesses another 

 crowning merit, which is too little regarded 

 by the fashionable poets of the day — a cor- 

 rect and elegant versification. 



Bleddyn, a Welsh national tale, by Mr, 

 W. S. WicKENDBN, justifies the anticipa- 

 tions which were raised by his former 

 work. Now that Irelaud and Scotland 

 seem exhausted, Wales presents a most in- 

 terestinp; and untrodden field for the lite- 

 rary adventurer. Her annals are rich iu 

 legendary and romantic lore — and her 

 towering liills and deep glens — her sa\age 

 moors and rushing torrents, present a 

 landscape after the poet's and novelist's 

 ovm heart. The task which Mr. Wieken- 

 den has undertaken, he has executed with 

 taste and ability. He is a writer of un- 

 doubted genius. In description he is most 

 at liome, but he also displays a talent at 

 seizing and appropriating the varieties of 

 human character, which only requires a 

 more intimate acquaintance with the great 

 world, to be ripened into maturity. 



The translation of Virt/irs ^'JUncis, by 

 Dr. Syiumons, has not yet obtained from us 

 that notice which it deserves. The name 

 of the translator (clurum et venarabile 

 tiomenj is dear to every lover of learning 

 and genius. For the task of exhibiting 

 Virgil in an English dress our author is 

 peculiarly fitted. With the accomplish- 

 ments of an elegant scholar, he blends high 

 poetical genius ; in gracefulness and ten- 

 derness he shews a kindred spirit with his 

 great original ; and iu his versification he 

 adds to the tei-seuess and elegance of Dry- 

 den, the improvements of later versifiers, 

 without, however, once suffering liis taste 

 to be seduced by their false and meretri- 

 cious ornaments. 



The projectors of the Jletrospective He- 

 view are entitled to the grateful homage of 

 the literary world. The labour on which 

 they have employed themselves, required 

 not only great erudition, but great judg- 

 ment. In diving for the lost pearls of an- 

 tiquity, they have not attempted to bring 

 up the worthless and fugitive productions 

 of times past, which the waves of oblivion 

 have been justly sufi'ered to roll over. 

 They have selected what is really and in- 

 trinsically valuable, and the acuteness, 

 taste, and inteliigeuce exhibited in their 

 strictures, are onl) surpassed by the beauty 

 and interest of the works on which they 

 are exerted. 



The Journal of Aew Voyages and Tra- 



,.,<fe?4' proceeds with unabated success. The 



'■ last Number contains the lively travels of 

 a German of the name of Freid lander, in 

 Italy, illustrated by eight interesting en- 

 gravings. The next Number will consist 

 of Montul6's recent Travels in Egypt, with 

 the latest diacoverics, illustrated by supe- 

 rior drawingfs. 



I May I, 



An abridgement "of Dr. Aikin's Annals 

 of George III. for the use of schools, has 

 just been published. Tlie abridgement has 

 been executed by the author of Severn I 

 school books, and not by Dr. A. himself, as 

 stated by mistake in a former number of 

 this Journal. 



We have been g^tified by the perusal 

 of a neat little book of Mr. Mawe's, con- 

 taining Insfrtictions for Ihe Mavaijement 

 of the Blotv-piye, ClicmicalTests, ^-e. This 

 work is particularly adapted for juvenile 

 mineralogists, and certainly affords more 

 practical and instructive lessons, in a small 

 compass, than any work in that interesting 

 branch of science which has for a long time 

 issued from the press. In the department 

 devoted to tests, Mr. Ma we is peculiarly 

 happy. They are few in number, but from 

 our own knowledg-e, we are able to declare 

 them effective, cheap, and easy of applica- 

 tion. Persons commencing the study of 

 mineralogy or chemistry will find this little 

 book a great acquisition ; and doubtless 

 the author has conferred great benefit oh 

 society, by giving them familiar instruc- 

 tions, whereby the possession of minerailh 

 maybe turned to profitable account. 



Echoism is a poem ofconsiderahle merit, 

 in which the Echoist9,or those Avho merely 

 talk and think by rote, and echo 'the 

 phrases and opinions of others, are very 

 happily ridiculed. The author's humour 

 is powerful, and yet unforced, and with the 

 caustic severity of the satirist, he blends 

 much of the fancy and originality of a 

 true poet. Although he " shoots at folly as 

 it flies," and generally hits his mark,<;we 

 are happy to observe that hie volume is 

 not defaced by those debasing personali- 

 ties which have been so long the distin- 

 guishing features of modern satire. The 

 versification is spirited and polished ; and 

 although some parts are carelessly written, 

 and the whole evinces a want ef arrange- 

 ment, the volume is altogether so fu!l of 

 good sense and pleasant ridicule, that we 

 cannot but strongly recommend it to the 

 attention of the public. The notes are nu- 

 merous and entertaining, but they do not, 

 as in some poems, supersede the intere8t«f 

 the text. • '11 



Another novel, in the .Scottish stytej Ihys 

 claim to attention, under the title of a Le- 

 f/end of Aryylc ; or, '7't.? n Hundred I'ears 

 Sitae. The acknowledged imitation of the 

 latter part of the title might have been 

 omitted, as thebook possesses considerable 

 original merit. The story is founded on 

 the rebellion of 1715, in favour of the 

 house of Stuart, and the Duke of Argyle, 

 whom Pope has so highly complimented, 

 is the hero. The historical characters are 

 drawn with fidelity aud spirit ; and the fic- 

 titious personages are such as the times 

 may he supposed to have produced, jacobi- 

 tical and anti-jacobilical, bravoes and time- 

 serving, 



