[ 252 J 
[Oct. 1, 
NEW BOOKS PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER: 
WITH AN HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL PROEMIUM. 
— 
Authors or Publishers, desirous of seeing an early notice of their Works, are 
requested to transmit copies before the 18th of the Month. 
— 
| MONGST thevarious pleasuresafforded 
byacountry residence, thereis certainly 
not one that possesses the permanency and 
increasing interest afforded by the superin- 
tendence and management of gardens and 
pleasure-grounds, The taste for this spe- 
cies of occupation has, of late years, been 
spreading itself rapidly over the country, as 
the Horticultural-and other societies suffi- 
ciently evince. Those, who once passed 
the time they were doomed by fashion to 
spend in the country, in a continued round 
of dullness and ennui, will find, in the culti- 
vation of this taste, a never-failing source of 
pleasure and interest. But a great diffi- 
culty is experienced by all,.on beginning 
to lay out their gardens, or ornament and 
improve their pleasnre-grounds, from the 
want of proper directions for their opera- 
tions. None of our present works on horti- 
culture at all accomplish in themselves this 
purpose, treating exclusively either on pic- 
turesque or on practical gardening. ‘The 
first work, including all that can be desired 
to be known on this subject, has lately been 
presented to us, and is as able in its execu- 
tion as it is comprehensive in its system. 
It is entitled, An Encyclopedia of Garden- 
ing, comprising the theory and practice of 
Horticulture, Arboriculture, and Landscape 
Gardening, by J. C. LOuDON, F.L.s. Hs. 
&c. This treatise opens with a learned 
research into the state of gardening in an- 
cient times, and brings down the history of 
the art, in various countries, particularly in 
Britain, to the present time. It then treats 
upon the science in all its branches, in- 
cluding the most modern improvements, 
and furnishes many valuable suggestions for 
its future progress in the British Isles. 
The text is interspersed with nearly six 
hundred wood-engrayings by Branston. 
The immense importance of steam as a 
prime-mover in mechanics will insure a fa- 
vourable reception to any work uponso in- 
teresting a subject. It is indeed astonish- 
ing, that the description of a discovery, 
which has exerted so prodigious an influ- 
ence on the agriculture, commerce, and 
the happiness of mankind, should have been 
left altogether to Encyclopedias and works 
of a general nature. ‘Till the appearance 
of Mr. Partington’s Treatise, we do not 
know a single work which can satisfy the 
curiosity of the ingenious reader. In 
every other work (we donot even except Dr, 
Brewster’s excellent edition,—Robison,) 
some point or other is either wholly 
omitted, or carelessly and erroneously 
stated. The Historical and Descriptive Ac- 
count of the Steam Engine, by CHAS, FRED. 
PARTINGTON, is, however, well calculated 
to supply this deficiency. The subject is 
interesting, the practical knowledge exten- 
sive, the language elegant, and the arrange- 
ment philosophical. ‘The illustrations, trom 
parliamentary and other documents, exhi- 
bit the most indefatigable research, and 
shew that Mr. Partington has spared 
neither labour nor expence to render his 
work deserving of the public patronage. 
The historical account of its discovery 
and improvements is very entertaining, 
and the description of the engine as litile 
technical and as intelligible as possible. 
But it is the chapter on steam-navigation 
with which we have been most pleased. 
It is, indeed, the most satisfactory account 
we have ever seen; and, had our Supple- 
ment not been already made up, we shonld 
certainly have done ourselves the pleasure 
of extracting it. As this, however, may 
not be, we have only to add, that the gra- 
phic illustrations by Clement and Gladwin 
are executed in the first style of art, and 
that such persons as are desirous of further 
information on the subject, cannot do 
better than consult this work. 
The name of Mr. Bowles as a poet, has 
been almost forgotten in the crowd of 
celebrated men who have followed him; 
and, indeed, he seemed to have forsaken 
the lyre of the poet for the pen of the 
critic. Moderate, however, as the reputa- 
tion is, which his muse enjoys, we think he 
may more securely rest his claims to atten- 
tion on his poetical than his critical la- 
bours. His controversy with Lord Byron, 
as he tells usin his preface, drew his atten- 
tion to a poem written some time ago, and 
The Grave of the last Saxon, and the Legend 
of the Curfew, has consequently seen the 
light. It cannot be denied that there is an 
occasional elegance about Mr. Bowles’s 
poetry, which in some degree compensates 
for the want of higher qualities ; but, at 
the same time, we inust say that we think 
his sonnets partook more of this characte- 
ristic than the poem before us, which is, on 
the whole, exceedingly heavy for so.short 
a performance. Perhaps some of the 
descriptions of natural scenery are the 
most pleasing parts of it. 
So entirely do we wish to divest our 
pages of all theological controversy, that 
we should have undoubtedly passed over, 
in silence, A Respectful Letier to the Earl of 
Liverpool, occusioned by the speech imputed to 
his Lordship at the Isle of Thanet Bible 
Society Meeting, October 27, 1821; by the 
Rev. H. H. Norris, m.a. &c. had nota 
passage in the very first page caught our 
attention. 
EE 
