534 
in the indulgence of which, “ increase of 
appetite still grows on what it feeds on.” 
The chapter on the periodical critic con- 
tains many very just and amusing observa- 
tions on the prevailing taste for criticism, 
expressed with much moderation, and at 
the same time witha candour and fearless- 
ness which ought to entitle the author, in 
his tarn, to a liberal and unprejudiced 
judgment. 
Time's Telescope for 1823, will be found 
inferior to none of its interesting prede- 
cessors. We have so often had occasion 
_ to notice the periodical appearance of this 
useful work, that our readers need no in- 
formation as to its object and plan. ‘To 
the present volumes is prefixed an intro- 
duction, on the babits, economy, and 
uses, of British Insects, and an Ode to 
Time, written expressly for the work by 
Bernard Barton, from whose highly pleas- 
ing poems we likewise observe several ex- 
tracts are given by the compiler. In the 
variety and amusing quality of its contents, 
we know few works which can beara com- 
parison with Time’s Telescope; while, at the 
same time, it contains much useful mat- 
ter. We notice, with particular commen- 
dation, the poetical taste of the editor, 
who has selected from the fugitive verses 
of the day many very beautiful and inter- 
esting. specimens. We seldom recollect 
having read any lines displaying a more 
fanciful imagination than those by Mr. 
Shelley at page 204. The scientific de- 
partment is got up with the same fidelity 
and cleverness which distinguished the 
former numbers of “ Time’s Telescope.” 
It is, we understand, to the prolific pen 
of the author of Adam Blair, that we are 
indebted for the amusement we have 
received in the perusal of Lights and 
Shadows of Scottish Life, professing to be a 
Selection from the Papers of the late Arthur 
Austin. It consists of a few simple tales, 
in which the Scotch character is depicted, 
both in happiness and in affliction, or, as 
our author expresses it, in light and in 
shadow. Three of the best of these have 
already appeared before the public ina 
well-known northern magazine. Most of 
the othersare very creditable to the author's 
talents, though some of them are too de- 
void of incident to create much interest. 
There is, too, throughout the whole book, 
in his description of natural appearances, a 
laborious straining after lis original. 
These. descriptions are also too long, and 
have too little connexion with the sub- 
ject. Such short stories as these admit of 
no superfluous parts, Every thing should 
bear immediately upon the point. Those 
tales appear to us to be the best, in which 
the author has departed farthest from the 
incidents of common life, as in the 
Covenanter’s Marriage Day; but several of 
the others are yet highly interesting. We 
were particularly struck with the Rainbow 
Literary and Critical Proémium. 
{Jan. 1, 
and Helen Eyre. The great fault which 
pervades this author’s works is an exagger- 
ation of sentiment, particularly in his de- 
lineation of religious feelings, which bor- 
ders too much upon enthusiasm, and some- 
times even upon affectation, 
A Concise System of Mensuration, 
adapted to the use of Schools, by Mr. 
Alexander Ingram, of Leith, is entitled 
to favourable mention. It embraces the 
theory and practice in sucha manner, that 
they may be taught either separately or 
conjointly ; and the several rules are ex- 
pressed in language remarkably clear and 
intelligible, and iliustrated by very appro- 
priate examples, so that the volume pre- 
sents, in a very small compass, a complete 
system of the science. Ifa well-founded 
objection can be made to Mr. Ingram’s 
compilation, it is, that too much extrane- 
ous matter is introduced in a treatise on a 
study so decidedly practical as mensura- 
tion. The knowledge of fluxions and 
fluents cannot be considered a necessary 
introduction to such a study; but, we 
should not be doing the author justice, 
did we omit to state, that the algebraicat 
part of his-work is executed with remarka- 
ble neatness and accuracy. 
The anonymons writer of Letters froma 
Lady to her Niece, is more justly entitled to 
the praise of the judicious critic, and the 
thanks of her own sex, than many others 
who have been eager to avow their claim 
to their productions. The style is easy 
and elegant; the maxims inculcated are 
those of sound prudence and_ sincere 
virtue; and, to any females entering into 
life, the perusal of this little volume will 
be attended with manifold advantages, in 
strengthemmg the intellectual powers, and 
indicating the most eligible path to the 
attainment of tranquillity of mind and true 
happiness. 
We have been seldom more amused 
than by the perusal of Travels in Egypt, 
Syia, and the Holy Land, by WiL.1aM 
Rae. Witson, Esa. a gentleman who ap- 
pears to have travelied abroad in search of 
knowledge, which he would, in all preba- 
bility, have been better able to obtain by 
Staying athome. With a heated imagina- 
tion, and buta small portion of judgment 
to counterbalance it, Mr. Wilson does not 
visit the sacred scenes of Palestine with 
calm veneration, but breaks out into 
extatic raptures, which would better be- 
come tlie chronicle of a crusader than the 
pages of an enlightened traveller in the 
nineteenth century. Had Mr. W. assumed 
the ‘cockle-hat and staff,” instead of 
the turban and pipe, he would have 
made as thorough and true-spirited a pil- 
grim as ever travelled with pease in his 
shoes. The simplicity of his narrative is 
really charming; he confesses; without 
hesitation, the tremors into which he used 
to fall at the sight of an Arab’s swarthy 
countenance, 
