1824..] 



the power of writing well : her diction, ge- 

 nerally speaking, is elegant, lier phrase- 

 ology clear, her periods are round and 

 sonorous, and her sentences and para- 

 graphs full and satisfactory to the ear. 

 These merits, and the diversity of informa- 

 tion scattered through the vohinies, will, 

 we doiiht not, render this prodnctiou olf 

 " a Lady of Kank'' highly agreeable to 

 many of her readers; and, indeed, when 

 we consider how little real harm any 

 trifling indulgence in the aspersion of a 

 character too well known and understood 

 hy every thinking person can absolutely 

 effect, and how ranch rational gratifica- 

 tion may be afforded by the latter part of 

 a work, however its other parts may be 

 tainted by calumny, we are rather dis- 

 posed to congratulate the public on the 

 appearance of " Venice, under the Yoke 

 of France, and of Austria." 



The perusal of Mr. William Martin 

 Leake's Journal <if a Tour in Asia Minor, 

 has afforded us much pleasure, and some 

 valuable information. Indeed, we know 

 not of a coimtry, from an account of which, 

 those who deligiit iu an acquaintance with 

 the vestiges of Grecian art ar.d civilization, 

 can derive more curious and more substan- 

 tial inlbrmation. So correct, indeed, as 

 we believe is this remark, that we, with 

 the author, and many others, repeat the 

 fact, that there is scarcely any province of 

 the Ottoman empire equally difficult to 

 explore. The deserted state of the coun- 

 try is not among the least of the obstacles 

 a traveller has to encounter : the distance 

 at which it is from any Christian country, 

 adds to the barbarism of its inhabitants, 

 and the personal danger of the traveller. 

 Previously to Mr. Le^ike, only two per- 

 sons, Paul Lucas and Captain Kinneir, 

 had experienced the difficulty of traversing 

 Asia Minor; and the state of the provinces, 

 and necessitated mode of travelling, ren- 

 dered it impossible that tliey should be 

 able to ascertain any useful particulars, or 

 acquaint themselves even with the geogra- 

 phy of the country. Mr. L,, however, by 

 penetrating that 'I'lirkish district at a 

 much later date than his precursors, has, 

 by the improved civilization, been per- 

 niitted to prosecute a more minute en- 

 quiry, and some of his local descriptions 

 give US the highest idea< of the natural 

 beauty of the places he visited. His in- 

 formation respecting the manners of the 

 Turks of A'ia Minor is equally full and sa- 

 tisfactory; and, indeed, the whole volume 

 is occupi'd with .such novel and valuable 

 matter, that we wish our space would ad- 

 mit of its pariiul tianscription. Mr. 

 Leake'.s spirit of lesearch appears to have 

 directed his attention to every thing, 

 worthy of remark; and the minutia 

 of his detail does not more fr.Ily prove the 

 zeal with which he prosecuted his pursuit, 

 than it satisfii.s the curiosity of the cnquir- 



Literary and Critical Pro'&mium, 545 



ing reader. To read Lis journal is to see 

 Asia Minor. 



Mr. Rif AN, in his little volume of Origi- 

 nal Poems, dedicated to the Interests of 

 Religion and Morality, has lendered no 

 trivial service to the public. Though we 

 think we see a greater variety of points on 

 which the moral happiness of the human 

 race depends, than are pointed out by this 

 writer in his ingenious dedication to 

 " Bernard Barton, the Quaker poet," we 

 cannot but award the ])raise so justly due 

 to the benevolent intention manifested by 

 his producing the present work, " more 

 with a view of doing good than of making 

 money." Mr. Ryan observes, to his Quaker 

 friend, that "formerly pai;es were ex- 

 hausted in proving the superiority of reli- 

 gion to every thing else ; but, weie a 

 paper now to be written on the subject, 

 embracing every perfection, both in elo- 

 quence and composition, it is a question 

 whether it would be read." This remark 

 is, we presume, chiefly founded on the 

 writer's recolkciionof theloads of octavos, 

 quartos, and folios, that have been de- 

 voted to the endless <liscussion of a subject 

 that still remains, and ever will remain, to 

 be settled. That it may be desirable to 

 store the young mind with those maxims of 

 religious morality, the benefits of which no 

 false and illusive objects can disguise, nor 

 change of years annihilate, we entirely 

 agree; and, further, we think that Mr, 

 R. has put his principle in practice, 

 through the medium of some pretty little 

 poetical effusions. Founded on sacred 

 subjects, they will attract the attention of 

 all the young religious; and, enriched with 

 moral precepts, they will ingratiate the 

 sensible and reflecting. The religious 

 poems are followed by a few that are mis- 

 cellaneous. As a specimen of the author's 



style, 

 these : 



we extract one of the best of 



The Wanderer's Lament, 

 O'er Erin's lofty mountain 



I saw ilie splendid sun arise, 

 And sild each vale and fountain 



That sparkled in Ilie sunny dyes. 

 Butah! no beam, whose splendour 



lllum'tl the wood, or waters' foam. 

 Could yield a ray so tender 



As when 1 saw it o'er my home. 

 I waich'd the moonlight treirbiing 



O'er every hill and valley fair,— 

 'Twas sweet, but not resembling 



The lustres that I've gaz'd on there. 

 I saw each star arising. 



As oft at midnight's hour I'd roam; 

 But none, whose calm uprising 



W.1S priz'd as that that's o'er my liomf. 

 The birds that seek the bowers. 



When Flora decks the dewy plain, 

 Rove on their desiiii'd hours. 



And seek tlieir native homes again: 

 liut J, though sorrows sting me. 



And shadows cross where'er 1 roam. 

 No wing shall find to bnng me 



Once more to fields of youth and home. 



The recently-published translation of 

 Lavateii's Inlruduction to the Study of the 

 Analvmij nf the Human Body, is a work 



which. 



