1821.] 



on the part of our neighbours, the 

 French, and the tenth article is devoted 

 to this purpose. We have long been 

 of the numl>er of those who are of opi- 

 nion tliat tliei-e is decidedly more ori- 

 ginality, more of the inventive faculty, 

 and greater practical knowledge among 

 the British than the French ; and were 

 there no other proof of our national 

 superiority than the simple isolated 

 fact, that with a smaller, a poorer, and 

 a less populous country, we have at- 

 tained greater national objects and 

 conferred greater laws on mankind 

 than France, with all her pretensions, 

 has been able to effect ; this alone 

 will be sufficient to determine the 

 question. It is no answer to this, that 

 France has been under a cruel system 

 of government, for the very circum- 

 stance of submitting to a worse system 

 is itself a proof of inferiority. In the 

 management of the controversy in the 

 present instance, the reviewer however 

 aoes not shine; this article is not only 

 deficient in. spirit, but instead of em- 

 bracing what might have been expected, 

 a philosophical or comparative estimate 

 of the proficiency of the (wo nations 

 in the arts and sciences, it consists 

 chiefly of catalogues of names, and of 

 institutions, without any discriminative 

 account of the causes of their celebrity, 

 «r of the objects to which tliey relate. 

 It is unworthy of the Edinburgh Re- 

 view. 



Legal arguments and legal discus- 

 sions of any kind, and concerning any 

 object, no matter what, are about the 

 most arid subjects upon which the 

 human faculties can be employed. It 

 was with no small degree of surprise, 

 therefore, that we found a paper on 

 English Conveyancing occupying a very 

 considerable portion of this number. 



Mr. Brougham's indefatigable la- 

 bours to improve the means of educa- 

 tion to the common people, (!laims an 

 unqualified tribute of admiration, from 

 every man that wishes well to the glory 

 and happiness of his native land. The 

 twelfth article relates to the bill for 

 that purpose, and combats with some 

 ability, and in a sensible manner, dif- 

 ferent objections which have been 

 made to that most patriotic and meri- 

 torious legislative project. As we are 

 in the number of those who say, " let 

 the bill pass, and rectify afterwards 

 any defects that may be found out by 

 carrying it into effect," we can only 

 recommend to those who entertain 

 doubts upon the subject, to let us know 



Edinburgh Review, No. LXIX. 531 



the whole truth of their obje«ions fb the 

 principle, and not pester tlie friends of 

 national improvement with their petty, 

 local and parochial concerns. The 

 Education Bill is one of those measures 

 which will affect the destiny of man- 

 kind, and we cannot sit still with pa- 

 tience when we hear it considered with 

 reference (o the interests of this or that 

 particular sect, or church, or congrega- 

 tion. It may, however, be expedient 

 to try to conciliate all parlies, but the 

 thiug is impossible ; and therefore we 

 would have been more content, had the 

 Edinburgh Review with the spirit of 

 its pristine energy, given the mean 

 sectarian persons, tliat attempt to touch 

 " the ark of our magnificent and awful 

 cause," a hearty and an effectual rap 

 over the knuckles. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



MY own practice and experience, 

 enable me to corroborate most 

 fully the remarks of your correspon- 

 dent Aristor, as to the advantage of 

 giving to birds, confined in cages, a 

 constant supply ef fresh water, than 

 which nothing, I am persuaded, more 

 contributes to keep the little creatures 

 in good health. Indeed, the contrary 

 practice seems not only to be inhuman 

 but against all sense and reason. For ' 

 in a state of nature the feathered tribes 

 are so particularly observant of ablu- 

 tion and the duties of the toilet, as 

 never to be seen in deshabille ; and 

 surely nothing can be more crue% than 

 to confine them for their lives in cages 

 without this necessary, this indispen- 

 sable means of cleanliness and com- 

 fort. A favourite bird (a canary) of 

 mine, died this winter, I believe from 

 the effects of cold, at the age of about 

 fifteen years. He was always cheerful 

 and vigorous ; which I have ever at- 

 tributed to his constant ablutions, 

 which (such is the force of habit) he 

 would perform generally in winter as 

 well as summer. His general food 

 was of course rape and canary ; besides 

 which, I usually gave him the option of 

 a share of what was going in the house. 

 Sometimes a morsel of veal, not too 

 much done, chopped small with a little 

 bit of bread ; sometimes a bit of hard 

 boiled egg, plantain, gi'oundsel, or let- 

 tuce. French plum, apple, sponge bis- 

 cuit, in short almost any thing. For I 

 have found that much may Deleft to 

 their own discretion ; and that there is 

 little or no fear that they will take that- 

 which 



