62 
tible even in oxygen gas, and neither water, 
nitric acid, or nitro-muriatic acid, nor 
caustic potash, will attack it; it becomes 
incandescent, if, when heated to redness, 
the vapour of sulphur is passed over it: 
may not this fact have something to do in 
explaining the fires of voleanos ? 
The Salt Lake of Loonar, in the district of 
Berar, in the East-Indies, has been de- 
scribed by Mr. J. E. Alexander, in Pro- 
fessor Jameson’s Edinburgh Journal, as a 
mighty pit or hole, almost circular in shape, 
and nearly a mile in diameter, of supposed 
unfathomable depth, surrounded by rocky 
Literary and Critical Proémium. 
[Feb. 1, 
cliffs of stupendous height on every side, 
inclosing a lake of salt water, whose sur- 
face’ he estimated to stand 500 feet below 
the general level of the easily undulating, 
but elevated country, inwhich it is situat- 
ed. The water, on analysis, gave as follows, 
vIz. 
Muriate of soda ........ 20°82 
Muriate of lime ........ 10°60 
Muriate of magnesia 6°10 
SV ALEE? on is, owas CRE ce: 62°48 
100-00 
LITERATURE, DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN, 
OF DECEMBER, 1824. 
WITH A 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. 
—— 
[MEMOIRS of the Affairs of Europe, 
from the Peace of Utrecht. 4to.—As 
we have made this interesting and va- 
Juable publication a principal object of 
attention in the Supplement of our pre- 
ceding volume, and have indulged there in 
very ample extracts, it will be sufficient 
here that we express in general terms not 
only our commendation, as critics, of the 
general style, matter and execution of the 
volume, but our gratitude, as friends to the 
cause of human liberty, for the generous 
and manly sentiments that breathe through 
almost all its pages—sentiments which de- 
rive additional importance, in their practi- 
cal influence, at least, though not iu mere 
philosophic estimation, as flowing from the 
pen of an author so exalted in rank and 
connexion as the nobleman to whose pen 
it is so popularly ascribed. We recom- 
mend it, to the perusal of our readers, as an 
interesting and useful preparative to the 
study of the history and politics of our 
own immediate age; and wish we could 
draw to it the attention also of those 
lapsing adulatory politicians of France, who 
seem to be backsliding so rapidly into the 
stupid levity of adoring the meretricious 
gaudry—or gingerbread finery of the age 
and court of Louis XIV., of whose system 
of gilded despotism, ceremonious empti- 
ness and inflated imbecility, we believe 
they will find a much more instructive pic- 
ture here, than in the panegyrical pages, 
even, of their over-worshipped (though 
really splendid) idol, Voltaire. 
Dublin University Prize Poems ; with Spa- 
nish and German Ballads, &c. By GEORGE 
Downes, M.A., Author of “ Letters from 
Mecklenburgh Holstein, &c.’’—How is it, it 
might reasonably be inquired, that, with all 
their endowments of professorships of poetry, 
annual themes, annual prize-medals, &c. &c., 
the emulation of our universities has never 
yet (at least as far as our recollection serves) 
produced ‘one single prize-poem worthy of 
being read beyond the walls of the College, 
or remembered longer than the dear-bought 
nine-days’ triumph of a classical or a 
Wrangler’s degree? Oxford, Cambridge, 
Dublin, &c. look upwards every year * from 
the Beeotian levels towards the lofty sum- 
mits of Parnassus, and invoke with bribes - 
a gale of inspiration from the muse; but it 
blows over their heads, decomposing as it 
passes, and only the heavier elements of 
formal syllable and mechanic metres reward 
the suppliant’s prayer. Perhaps, however, 
the solution is easy. Neither the pursuits, 
the discipline, nor the associations of col- 
lege life, are favourable to the development 
of poetic genius. The knowledge may be 
acquired, and the taste informed, which may 
embellish and correct the poetic effusions 
which more congenial scenes and more 
favourable ayocations may inspire: but in 
college scenes and college habitudes, there, 
is, and can be, nothing that is poetical,— 
nothing that gives spring and elasticity to 
the heart, to the imagination, to the thril- 
ling sympathies and kindling ecstasies, with- 
out which verses may indeed be made, but 
poesy is not / ‘The muse delights to breathe 
‘a freer air,—to expatiate in less artificial 
scenes,—to kindle her sympathies by far 
different intercourses, orsmeditate alone ; 
to listen to the rushing stream and wood- 
note wild; to feed her enthusiasm by rock 
and fall and forest, 
** With elves of hills, brooks, standing meres and 
groves:”— 
the very thought of which, the square cap 
and 
* Dublin twice a-year- 
