456 
the chilling blast of -adversity, for the cause and 
interest to which they profess to attach themselves. 
The sparrow, too, insignificant and unimportant 
creature! has chosen these sacred altars around which 
to build her nest, and rear her progeny; resembling 
those giddy trifiers who frequent the house of God, 
and profane his holy courts by bringing there the 
hay, and straw, and stubble of their own vain and 
worldly imaginations. Here they hatch, and brood, 
and twitter; pondering over all their earthly plans 
and projects; while, like incense from the altar, the 
prayers of the saints ascend continually around 
them.” 
Surely, one would think, here is chirping 
and twittering enough upon so grave a sub- 
ject; but the lady-swallows and cock-spar- 
rows continue to flutter about, and scatter 
their hay and straw, and build and nestle, 
and what not, through almost three pages 
more. 
Tales of Old Mr. Jefferson; collected by 
Young Mr. Jefferson, of Lyon’s Inn. 3 vols. 
vol. iii. 12mo.—How perplexingly deversi- 
fied are the duties of the critic! He must 
rove, as the miscellaneous and incongruous 
progeny of the press startinto being, and 
call upon his notice, from grave to gay— 
from the profound to the superficial—from 
the researches of science, to the embellish- 
ments of art—from the illusions of fancy, to 
the delineations of nature : and oftener from 
the prosing of dulness, to the flippancy of 
conceit and nonsense; and from the insi- 
dious to the absurd—from rambling fanati- 
cism to blustering licence. We have just 
thrown aside the ultra-puritanism of “‘ éhe 
Itinerary,’ when directly comes under our 
eye a yolume of the Tales of Old Mr. Jef- 
ferson—ultra liberals, or illiberals, in the 
Opposite extreme. In this volume (we 
have not seen the two preceding), the 
author makes the most upright, honest 
and straightforward character of the tale, 
a Scotchman, use the following sentence : 
—‘ Reeleegious—recleegious indeed! why 
do ye not ken that it is the reeleegious folk 
that are the greatest scoundrels!” And 
though, in the succeeding sentence, the 
author does not actually give a decided 
sanction to the assertion, he takes good 
¢are, throughout the volume, to present no 
antidote to this sweeping illiberality. 
———= 
“ FOREIGN LITERATURE, &c. 
EUROPE, 
FRANCE. 
{The number of Works, in the wide range of Science 
and of Literature, under this -head, obliges us, not 
only rigidly to adhere to very brief Notices, but also 
, merely to select a few Works, which appear to us of 
more general interest. } 
Bibliotheque Instructive et Morale, pour la 
Jeunesse—First Notions of every Kind, ex- 
plained by a Series of Prints ; by an Associa- 
tion of Professors. Cullected and arranged by 
L. S. LENoRMAND, Professor of Technology; 
&e.. Paris, 1825.—Ist vol. Part I. Svo. ; with 
a Folio Atlas of Plates, &c.—This work is to 
be comprized in thirteen parts. M. Lenor- 
Monthly Review of Literature, 
[June 1, 
mand’s system of instruction has received 
the sanction of experience. We remark, 
with much regret, the want of exactness in 
some of his arrangements in Natural His- 
tory, as well as some other errors, which the 
author cannot too carefully avoid in future. 
Du Perfectionnement Morale, &c.— On 
Moral Perfection, or Self-Education ; by M. 
DeEGERANDO, Member of the French Insli- 
tute. Paris, 1824. 2 vols. 8vo—The work 
is comprized in three principal divisions :— 
1. The Moral Faculties; 2. Their Uses ; 
3. Their Culture. Of this gentleman fre- 
quent mention is made by Professor Jar- 
dine of Glasgow, in the “ Outlines of Philo- 
sophical Education.” 
The Sixteenth and last Volume of The 
French Bar has been published. Paris, 
1824. 8vo. 
Mémoires de Joseph Fouché, &c. — Memoirs 
of the Duke of Otranto. Paris, 1825. 2 vols. 
8vo.—The Constituted Authorities, not 
thinking, it appears, the evidence sufficient, 
that these Mémoires are the Duke of Otran- 
to’s, have ordered the suppression of that 
part of the edition remaining unsold. The 
style, mostly rapid, sometimes ironical and 
piquant, seldom soaring very high, and often 
incorrect, seems suitable enough to the 
person to whom it is attributed. And, 
whether the autlior traces the causes of the 
Reyvolution—dwells on its excesses—or 
recounts the artifices by which Bonaparte 
obtained his power ;—whether he exposes 
the endless Constitutions of Sieyés, or the 
errors of the Dictator, and the issue of his 
gigantic projects—whether he speaks of the 
young and interesting Marie-Louise, or of 
other members of the Royal Family,—he is 
always master of his subject; he seems to 
command all events and all possibilities, by 
means of that control of the police (réseau 
de la police générale) which he possesses. 
Witness of the baseness of courtiers, confi- 
dant.of their most secret thoughts; profoutid 
contempt for those around him; continually 
manifests itself: hence, he makes use of 
bold, and often uncalled-for expressions, 
and astyle sometimes harsh and abrupt ; but 
the events have so much interest, the pic- 
ture is so vivid, and the causes of action 
developed with so much precision, that the 
reader devours the volumes as the work o 
one who knew all, and publishes ‘a part of 
what he knew. vee 
Mémbires du Docteur ANTOMMARCHI, &c.; 
or; The Last Moments of Napoleon. Paris, 
1825. 2 vols. Svv.—Four years have not 
extifguished the curiosity of the public 
respecting Napoleon : to this curiosity, Dr.’ 
A. furnishes abundant gratification, but 
with a tone of truth and good faith that 
leads the reader to forget the deeds of 
cruelty and blood, of which history will not’ 
be silent. 
Histoire des Ducs de Bourgogne, &c.— 
History of the Dukes of Burgundy of the 
House of Valois ;- by M. Dr BaranteE, 
Peer of France, Paris, 1824. <4 vols. 8v0.— 
Under 
Vee 
