Retrospect of Domestic Literature—Politics, Theology, &. 619 
tainly a noble kind of sympathy ; but its 
source not always remaining pure (as I 
have before implied), a train of idle and 
visionary notions, mingled with a consi 
derable degree of sEL¥-LOvE, sometimes 
arise in the mind; all derogatory to the 
principles by which we were at first actua- 
ted. [t seems. however, to be the most sub- 
lime, abstract, and intellectual foundation 
of social intercourse ; congenial souls can 
alone enjoy it. Adventitious circam- 
stances may create a kind of artificial, 
and yet pleasant, union between hetero- 
geneous natures, which may last during 
life; persons whose tastes, dispositions, 
and principles, are wholly opposite, may, 
from some accidental circumstances, from 
duty, necessity, and other causes, be 
obliged to live under the same roof, as is 
sometimes the case in families; but a 
general similarity of character is cer- 
tainly the most durable bond of social 
union. 
“ Tt appears, however, that the social 
principle is connected, both ina general 
anda particular sense, with the happiness 
of haman beings, under all circumstances, 
and in all situations. They are allied to 
each other, either in a distant or in an in- 
timaté manner, and have all some claims, 
of a greater or a less degree of import- 
‘ance, on each other. There are, per- 
haps, none so insignificant as to be wholly 
unworthy of notice: the epithet of stran- 
ger therefore cannot, strictly speaking, be 
applied to any human being, whose ex- 
istence is not literally and absolutely un- 
known to us. All our fellow-creatures 
claim some attention, and ought to excite 
different degrees of interest in our bo- 
soms; each individual is, in reality, of 
some consequence, not only to another 
individual, but actually, on the principles 
which have been laid down throughout 
this Essay, to the community at large. 
“ T have certainly divided society into 
classes, but 1 have also endeavoured to 
prove that the divewsity which prevails 
among human beings, and their various 
pursuits, tends to harmonize all the parts 
of that immense commonweaLTH, which, 
in its most extended sense, may be called 
the worp.” 
The Catholic Emancipation has not 
yet ceased to appear among the furemost 
topics of our Pamphieteers. 
Mr, Baserny’s letter to the Bishop of 
Norwich, intitled, “ The Claims of the 
Roman Catholics constitutionally consi- 
dered,” certainly deserves the praise of 
ingenuity. But it places the measure in 
@ very alarming point of view, 
A pamphlet as little calculated perhaps 
t7 conciliate the Protestants as. Mr, Base- 
ley’s would be to soothe the Roman Ca- 
tholics, will be found in the Rev. Mr. 
Gittow’s “ Catholic Principles of Aile- 
giance Illustrated.” 
The medium may, we believe, be seen 
in the * Sketch of ihe State of Ireland, 
past and present ;” of which a second edi- 
tion has just appeared. 
On subjects of domestic policy, of a 
less general interest, we have two or 
three works which ought not, in justice, 
to be passed over. 
Critics less partial than we may be 
supposed to be, have allowed some credit 
to Srr Ricuarp Purtirps’s “ Letter to 
the Livery of London :” in the details of 
which it may not be too much to say, a 
considerable portion of useful and ims 
portant information will be found, bothou 
the office of sheriff, and on the actual 
state of the prisons.* 
Ju the third edition of the “ Proceed- 
ings of bhe Grand Juries, Magistrates, 
and other Noblemen and Gentlemen, of 
the County of Gloucester, on designing 
and executing a General Reform in the 
constitution and regulation of Prisons; 
correcled and enlarged,” by Sir G. O- 
Pau; we have another work deserving 
of attention: designed to fix the serious 
consideration of the members of the le- 
gislative body on the miserable state of 
this part of our nativoal police. If in- 
deed, as the author observes in his pre- 
face, the defects in institution of the pri- 
sons within the county of Gloucester are, 
in a greater or less degree, defects which 
prevail throughout the kingdom, argu- 
ments drawn from local circumstances 
will be of general application, and may 
be of general utility. 
THEOLOGY, MORALS, AND, ECCLESTASTICAL 
APFAIRS. vm 
In the first part of * The Sunday Les- 
sons for Morning and Evening Service 
throughout the Year, with those for 
Christmus-Day and Good-Eriday, illus- 
traled by.a perpetual Commentary, Notes, 
and an Index,” by StEpuEN Wesron, 
B.D. F.R.S. F.S.A. we have the open- 
ing of a work which has been long want. 
ed. “ The nature of this publication, 
says the advertisement, is materially dit- 
ferent from the work of Bishop Cooper, 
* The Reviewer would gladly enlarge on 
the contents of this work, if the circumstance 
of its author’s being ‘the editor and proprietor 
of the Monthly Magazine might not lead to 
a suspicion of his naotives, 
in 
