1823.] 
ple justice to the Spanish cause. In the 
former, we know not how he could have 
reconciled his duties as an historian, with 
the allegiance which he owes to despotism, 
as the admirer of the holy alliance and the 
menial servant of a monarch’s household. 
The volime now published gives the 
history of the war from its commence- 
ment in 1807, to the battle of Corunna 
and the death of Sir John Moore, in 1809. 
A collection of very entertaining an- 
ecdotes has been compiled, in two small 
and elegant volumes, by Mr. W. H. 
IRELAND, under the title of, Napoleon 
Anecdotes, illustrating the mental energies 
of the late emperor of France, and the 
characters and actions of his contempo- 
rary statesmen and warriors. They are 
principally selected from the portfolio of 
a gentleman who resided in France for 
several years previous to the return of 
Louis XVIII. and were noted down im- 
mediately as related, or as the occurrences 
took place. The editor has also availed 
himself of various authentic and popular 
works, to enrich his compilation, and has 
made a judicious use of the valuable 
pages of Mr. O’Meara. It will neces- 
sarily happen in a collection of this na- 
ture, that we meet with a number of 
anecdotes which are by no means new to 
us, but the quantity of original matter 
bears a very fair propertion to the whole. 
The selection has been made without any 
exclusive partiality, and affords plentiful 
materials for making a just estimate of the 
character and policy of Napoleon, whose 
talents, virtues, and fortunes, were of 
such an order as to place him, not only 
immeasurably beyond the sphere of con- 
temporary potentates, but perhaps to 
entitle him to rank in history, as the 
greatest and must successful monarch on 
her records. With all his amazing ca- 
pacities, and the sincere desire which, we 
believe, he had to confer happiness on the 
countries under his dominion; his conduct 
and his fate form an eternal monument of 
the folly of entrusting to any one man, 
however able or good, the destinies of a 
great body of mankind. As a monarch, 
Napoleon undoubtedly stands An the very 
first rank; as a benefactor of the human 
race, lie, with all his sceptered brothers, 
must sink into utter insignificance before 
the patriotic virtue and wise moderation 
of such a man as Washington, whose ac- 
tions will continue as long to be the ex- 
‘ample of the new world, as those of 
Napoleon the warning of the oid. 
Geography has received a valnable ac- 
quisition in the appearance of a complete 
American Atlas. It has been published 
by Carey at Philadelphia, and is repub- 
lished in London by Miller. As a specimen 
of engraving and typography, it is highly 
creditable to the state of those arts in 
America ; and, in truth, we have nothing in 
Literary and Critical Proémium. 
533 
Europe superior to this work in manual 
execntion. It contains finished maps of 
the twenty-four states of which the great 
Northern Union consists, together with two 
territories which are soon likely to be in- 
corporated. Including the Floridas, which 
have been ceded by Spain, the territory 
of the United States extends in mean 
length about 2500, and in mean breadth 
830 miles, the area being 2,076,400 square 
miles, or 1,328,896,000 acres, The confe- 
deracy originally consisted of 13 states, 
but the number is now increased to 
24, forming the most extended and 
compact empire which has hitherto ex- 
isted. Appended to each map is a domes- 
tic History of each State, with particulars 
of its Constitution, Produce, Population, 
&c. and this literary department is exe- 
cuted with care and ability. We heartily 
wish the old continent were exhibited in 
the same form as a companion to this 
work, and we should then possess all the 
requisites of geographical information in 
one or two volumes. The American Atlas 
is not, however, to be regarded as a mere 
compilation, for it contains many tracts, 
exhibited from original surveys, in which 
our previous maps were imperfect, or very 
incorrect ; while, taken as a whole in its 
graphic delineations, and in its letter- 
press, it is calculated to interest the phi- 
Josopher as well as the geographer, and 
the philanthropist as well as the politician. 
A series of Essays have just made their 
appearance, under the title of Outlines of 
Character, by a Member of the Philomathie 
Institution, the perusal of which has 
afforded us much pleasure. They bear 
the marks of an ingenious and reflecting 
mind, although many of the subjects are 
such as not to admit of much original re- 
mark and illustration. Such are the cha- 
racters of the poet, the orator, the gentle- 
man, and the man of genius ; on which the 
author might well stand excused if he did 
not advance any thing new. Bat to the 
discussion of these topics, however trite, 
the essayist brings a clearness of judg- 
ment, and a correctness of taste, which 
give interest and value to his labours, 
Perhaps the most novel and entertaining 
portion of his work is that in which he 
pourtrays the literary character, and 
makes an estimate of the present state and 
consequences of our literature ; in which, 
for the most part, we perfectly coincide. 
We think, however, that he has dwelt too 
exclusively on the inconveniences and 
evils attendant upon the general diffusion 
of knowledge, and the multiplication of 
literary labonrs ; and that, if he had taken 
as much pains to sum up the benefits we 
derive from those sources, the balance 
would be found greatly in their favour, 
Neither are we under any apprehensions 
that the literary appetite of the age will be 
pampered into satiety. This is a craving, 
In 
