1822.] The Philosophy of Contemporary Criticism, No. XXIII. 
hence the drop disappears, and the 
surface is concave. 
3d. When the phial is exposed to 
the heat of a fire, as the density of the 
air is diminished by its greater rare- 
fication, its pressure on the surface 
of the water is diminished also the 
same as when rain is formed, because 
its elastic force is proportionate to its 
density. SIGMA. 
Buchs ; May 4, 1822. 
—=2 ; 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
THE PHILOSOPHY OF CONTEM- 
PORARY CRITICISM. 
NO. XXIII. 
The Edinburgh Review, No. 72. 
HERE is very little matter in the 
present number of this Review 
which is calculated for cursory perusal, 
or to afford light amusement to the 
reader. It is replete with grave dis- 
cussions, principally of a political ten- 
dency; and a great deal of heavy 
ordnance is. brought to bear, from dif- 
ferent positions, upon the ministry, 
whose exposed and difficult situation 
certainly presents a strong temptation 
for such an attack. It is, we pre- 
sume,. with this view that so much 
more than a due proportion of this 
number is devoted to subjects of na- 
tional policy, to the exclusion of arti- 
cles of mere literary interest. We 
seem to be labouring through a num-_ 
ber of the Pamplileteer. But, such is 
the state of things, that instruction is 
a point of much greater importance 
than amusement, and the ability with 
which it is here administered com- 
mands our attention and respect, and 
must make a deep and lasting impres- 
sion on the public mind, 
The first article is an elaborate in- 
quiry into the Nature and Origin of 
the Courts of the Ancient En glish Com- 
mon Law, which are illustrated by 
much antiquarian research into the 
laws and legislative assemblies of the 
northerntribes. ‘The inferences drawn 
from the history of these courts are, 
however, directed not to jurispru- 
dence, but to politics. Parliament is 
supposed by the writer to have beena 
concentration of the numerous courts 
jeet and county courts, whose jurics 
were delegated, by their respective 
districts, to represent the grievances 
of the community, and to reqnire re- 
dress from the crown. It was strictly 
a high court of justice, whose legisla- 
tive functions rather resulted from 
than formed a part of its original des- 
29 
tination. This view of the subject, 
considering Parliament as a common 
law-court, and not as a body arising 
out of the feudal system, or growing 
up under the licence of the preroga- 
tive, is ingenious and novel; and, 
while it is more consistent, in our opi- 
nion, with constitutional principles, it 
is certainly supported, in this treatise, 
on very plausible authorities and ar- 
guments. We are, however, inclined 
to look upon disquisitions of this 
nature as being rather interesting to 
the antiquary “than useful in a prac- 
tical sense. Whatever may have been 
the origin and progress of our institu- 
tions, it is to their spirit and principle 
that we are to look; and these it is our 
duty to apply to the present gualifica- 
tions and circumstances of the people, 
without referring us back to times 
whose habits and acquirements were 
very dissimilar and inferior to our’s. 
The principle (which, in our constitu: 
tion, is that of representation,) wiil 
apply in different degrees to different 
situations ; and it is by this alone, and 
not by any former application of it, 
that we are or can be bound. 
A Supplement to a Collection of 
Tracts, made by the late Mr. Quintin 
CRAwFuRD, and published after his 
death, forms the subject of the next 
article. It is favourably spoken of by 
the reviewer, whose task has been 
easy, consisting for the most part of a 
detail of anecdotes respecting the suf- 
ferings of Louis the Sixteenth and his 
queen. These are calculated to bring 
into the light the more favourable 
points of their characters ; to which 
we may give faith, without any change 
of opinion on the course of the singu- 
lar events in which that unfortunate 
couple were involved, or on the con- 
duct pursued by them. This is a 
rather entertaining, but not very im- 
portant, article. 
With the succeeding article, which 
relates to Prison Discipline, and 
which proceeds from the same hand 
as other papers in this review, con- 
ceived in the same spirit, we feel and 
must express considerable dissatis- 
faction, as well with regard to its opi- 
nions as to its manner. It is written 
in the well-known witty and sprightly 
vein of its reputed author, which is, at 
best, unsuitable to so serious a topic ; c 
and Which is still more out of its place 
when exerted to enforce a system of 
harsh and severe treatment of pri- 
soners, “‘here must (says the re- 
viewer, 
