544 Literary and Critical Protmium» 



are npxt described, their liriglit, &p. men- 

 tioned, mid a vast niiniher of pieeipices or 

 cians, and other oltjects of interest with 

 tlio "stranger, are described, and the best 

 fitnations for vicwin;; each are pointed 

 ont. The carriage-roads, by which tlie 

 lalvcs are approached by visitors, from 

 Lancaster, from Kendal, from Penrith, 

 and from Carlisle, are next de-cribed, and 

 the traveller agreeably condnctrd, along 

 their various brandlings, to every princi- 

 pal scene of attraction. The geology of 

 the district is next treated of, in a clear 

 and intelligible manner, and the descrip- 

 tions follow of the black-lead, and some 

 other, nimes therein. The work is accom- 

 panied by a well-drawn and neatly-en- 

 Jiraven small sheet map, from an actual 

 .onrvey made by Mr. Otley, to which we 

 have already adverted in our 45th volume, 

 p. 512; and the whole has a character of 

 originality, not often met with in similar 

 works. 



Hone's Ancient Mysteries descrihed is a 

 cnrions volume. Hefore the Reformation, 

 the plays acted for the amusement of the 

 people were religious histories in a drama- 

 tic form; usually a series beginning with 

 the Creation, aiid ending with the Resur- 

 rection of Jesus Christ, or sometimes ex- 

 tended to his ascent into heaven ; in 

 which the Creator, Joseph, Mary, the Sa- 

 viour, and his Apostles, severally act tjieir 

 parts on the stage. Manuscripts of the 

 Coventry i)lays are still preserved in the 

 British Museum ; and Mr. Hone has given 

 ns an abridgment of eight of these myste- 

 ries, whicdi refer to particular passages in 

 the Apocryphal New Testament. To 

 these mysteries Mr. Hone has added, 

 '•Additions and Tlluslrations," which he 

 Iras procured from various sources, with 

 nnich indu.stry of research and ingenuity 

 of choice. Among these we have an 

 Essay on the Christmas Carrols that 

 amused our thildhood, and a very particu- 

 lar account of the Feast of the Ass, the 

 Feast of Fuels, &c. There are several 

 very approjiriale copper-plate and wood 

 engravings, among which we have the boy- 

 bishop in his canonicals, and the giants of 

 Guildhall in their gorgeous costume. It 

 has been said that this volume is only fitted 

 for the antiquarian ; but this is certainly 

 ah error, for it will be found extremely 

 amusing to general readers, and instruc- 

 tive to those who never before heard of 

 these amusements of our ancestors. The 

 serious Protestant of the present day, who 

 niav be startled at the apparent profanity 

 of these exhiltitions, must make allowance 

 for the manr.eis of former times, and par- 

 ticularly for the pomp and pageantry 

 which have always appeared prominent in 

 the externals of the Roman Catholic re- 

 ligion. 



Qursiioni on Pnliiical Economy, Politics, 

 Mnials. Mt'taiihiifiiS, ^r. constitute a very 

 useful volume for such young men as, in 



[July I: 



their hours of relaxation, meet together 

 for the pm-pose of intellectual improve- 

 ment. Each question (of which there are 

 eighty-three in all,) is proposed in the 

 manner of those that are given out for dis. 

 cus^ion at public yoruw, and tlie reason- 

 ings on each side are stated with great 

 impartiality ; usually in the words of the 

 several authors that have treated on cither 

 side of the (luestion. The writer sums up 

 the evidence, but generally leaves the case 

 undecided. We observe that many of his 

 questions are obviously indeterminate, on 

 account of the deticiency of data ; and that 

 others, such as the distinction between 

 the mind of man and that of animals, the 

 doctrine of necessity, Arc. are subtleties 

 which have occupied the metaphysical 

 disputants of all ages ; but. upon the 

 whole, the work will be found extremely 

 valuable, as containing a fund of niateiials 

 for thought, and a useful abstract of the 

 mode of treating such subjects, from the 

 most approved authors in the past, as well 

 as the present, times. 



/I'?7i<' mid tValniits, or After-dinner Chit' 

 Chat, by Ephraim Hardcastle, origi- 

 nally appeared in detached chapters in a 

 London weekly journal. It is now pub- 

 lished in a collected form, and gives us 

 two volumes of amesing and eccentric 

 matter. Ephraim is an old man, and gos- 

 sips about the men and manners of his 

 early years. We have the C'lnveisations of 

 a muhiliide of literary men and eminent 

 artists; such as John-on. Goldsmith, Steine, 

 Fielding, Hogarth, Garrick, Reynolds, 

 Gainsborough, Handel, ^c. at which chit- 

 cliut the author pretends to have been pre- 

 sent ; and these are interspersed with nii- 

 meroiis anecdotes, real or imaginary. This 

 attempt to describe fancied scenes is often 

 very successful ; and the style in many 

 cases reminds us of Sterne, but without 

 any tincture nt' that licentiousness which 

 disgraces the pages of that otherwise agree- 

 able author. 



Poems, Dramatic and Miscellanenvs, hy 

 Henr\ Neei.k, we have treated of more 

 fully under the head " News from Par- 

 nassus." They are printed in a duode- 

 cimo volume, and consist of three single- 

 act dramas, and a few miscellaneous 

 poems. The dramas were never intended 

 for representation ; but, as closet-pieces, 

 they are by no means deficient in interest. 

 The follovviug exti act from his miscella- 

 neous pieces will, to the reader of taste, 

 give no unfavourable evidence of Mr. 

 Neele's poetical talents. We hope to 

 meet with him again soon in the same 

 walk of literature. 



finng. 

 For thpp, love, — for thee, love, — 



I'll l)riive Fate's sternest storm; 

 Slie cannot daunt or chill the he.irts 

 Which love keeps bold and warm : 

 An. I, wlicii her clouds are blackest, nought 



lint thy sweet self I'll see; 

 Nor hear, amidst the tempest, aught 

 But llice, love,— only thee. 



For 



