Retrospect of Domestic Literature—Politics, Ke, 
tises and Declarations of the Belligerent 
Powers.” The author will hardly think us 
unkind in expressing our opinion, that 
two duodecimo volumes can give but little 
assistance to a reader on so many im- 
‘portant topics. 
POLITICS AND POLITICAL ECONOMY. 
In politics and political economy we 
have still but few works of national con- 
sequence to notice, 
The “ Reply to the Strictures of the 
Edinburgh Review on the Foreign Policy 
of Marquis Wellesley’s Administration in 
India ; comprising the late Transactions 
in the Carnatic:” by Mr. L. Dunpas 
Campsext, onght of right to have been 
included in a former retrospect. It can- 
vasses a question, of which reviewers 
are not altogether perhaps the best judges. 
Mrs, Lee, daughter of the late Lord 
Le Despeuser, has excited the notice of 
the public on the subject of legislative 
and political economy, in a volume pub- 
lished undef the title of “ An Essay on 
Governmeut, by Philo-Patria.” 1n this 
work she has established a character for 
great good sense, and has evinced a know- 
ledge of the world, and of the organiza- 
tion of society, which we do nat recollect 
to have observed in any female writer 
since the time of Mrs. Macaulay. Like 
that lady too, she is a friend to public 
liberty, and is the advocate of various 
reformations in our social, as well as our 
political, institutions. The style of the 
volume is correct and elegant, and we con- 
fess ourselves to have been both gratified 
and instructed by its contents. Asa jus- 
tification of our opinion of Mrs. Lee’s 
superior talents as a writer, we have se- 
Jected her chapter on Society. 
“ The term social has been applied to 
animals as well as to human beings; but 
among the latter an extraordinary distinc- 
tion is obvious to the moralist. Man- 
kind, though divided into many classes, 
and exhibiting a great variety of characters 
and talents, are placed on a kind of equa- 
lity by the glorous prerogative of reason, 
which they possess in common; whereas 
among animals we only perceive a multi- 
tude of instincts and powers which ope- 
rate in different ways, and give rise to 
the various names by which all animated 
beings under the human race are known, 
Those, according to their kinds, seek the 
society of each other; and it is worthy of 
remark, that they in general shun the so- 
ciety of all, except those of their own 
kind. This propensity is particularly dis- 
cernible in animals that go in flocks and 
herds. But notwithstanding the vast 
617) 
numbers of every species which are scat- 
tered over all parts of the earth, there is 
one yeneral and remarkable characte-° 
ristic attached to most of them, 3% e. 
a tendency to seek the protection of, and 
cleave to man, even when in a solitary) 
state, and entirely separated from their 
own species. On this circumstance is) 
founded one of the most important distin- 
guishing qualities visible in human beings, 
Lhey can find means to render.even the 
fiercest animals subservient to them} they 
teed on the flesh, and derive profit even 
from the skin of a variety of birds, beasts, : 
fishes, &c. while those binds, beasts, 
fishes, &c. can only, by extraerdinary 
accidents, gratify their appetite on his 
carcase; and even then mere appetite acs 
tuates them. 
“ Man, by his wisdom, his reflection, 
and his mental powers, not only attaches 
animals in a kind of social union around 
him, but aiso absolutely creates, by the 
same means, a degree of attachment in 
them, with reference to him, which often 
contributes to his indiyidual comfort. In- 
stances of the most pathetic affection bes 
tween him and his horse, his dog, or any 
other kind of favourite in the animal cres 
ation, are not rare; and though there 
have been few examples of humun beings 
falling sacrifices to grief on the death of 
their dumb companions, yet history and 
common life abounds with facts of an ins 
teresting nature, relative to the incons 
solable sorrow of animals for the Joss’ of 
their protectors and friends, among the 
human race, 
““ Besides/ the two kinds of society 
above-mentioned, we often perceive a 
mutual attachment, from Aahit, between 
birds and animals of different species, 
who have been reared, and kept for a 
length of time together, Aniong human 
beings also we see examples of friendship, 
not only between individuals of different 
talents and dispositions, in the same couns 
try, but also between persons living 
distant from each other many thousand 
miles, whose colour, features, lives, and 
manners, are entirely different. 
“ The refined man in polished life 
sometimes cleaves to the tawny. inha- 
bitant of the woods or mountains, whose 
hospitality has shielded bim from danger, 
and whose arm has rescued him from death, 
The form, the fierce aspect of his uncivie 
lized friend, do not aftright him. He ree 
ceives with gratitude the wooden bowl, 
cut from some neighbouring tree, and 
moulded by the hand of rustic ingenuity 
—He sits freely with him in his hut of 
twigs 
. 
