184 



Monthly Review of Literature, 



[Feb. 



regret that Mr. Butler has not fulfilled his 

 noble scheme. 



The present volume is like the sketch of 

 some great artist, who had conceived a 

 work, which none were willing or capable 

 of continuing, and so, lest the general con- 

 ception should be lost, sketched the outline, 

 and left it for some future historian to 

 fulfil. 



The work of M. de Burigny, referred to 

 by Mr. Butler, is written on a plan bearing 

 some affinity to that so ably drawn by Mr. 

 Butler. The title of the work is, " Vie 

 d'Erasme; dans laquelle on trouvera I'his- 

 toire de plusieurs hommes celebres, avec 

 lesquels il a ete liaison ; I'analyse critique 

 de ses ouvrages, et I'examen impartial de 

 ses sentimens en matieres de religion." 

 Mr. Butler passes the highest encomium 

 on this work in the following words : " The 

 title of M. de Biirigni's work promises 

 much, and the work performs all that the 

 title promises." 



Mr. Butler, in this book, has given 

 another proof of the great extent, variety, 

 and profundity of his erudition, and, we 

 may be permitted to add, of his exactness 

 and taste. There also pervades it the most 

 noble liberality of sentiment on matters of 

 religion, which pleased us the more be- 

 cause It is shewn by a member of the Ro- 

 man Catholic persuasion. Mr. Butler has, 

 in several other works, shewn great powers 

 of condensing information into a naiTow 

 compass, and has eminently succeeded in 

 this volume ; although he is evidently con- 

 strained, and seems every now and then 

 like a generous steed fretting at the curb, 

 which restrains his wish to push fartlier and 

 faster a-field. 



In the remarks on the celebrated con- 

 troversy of the " Heavenly Witnesses," 

 1 John, c. 5. V. 7., Mr. Butler lias mention- 

 ed the promise made by Erasmus, to insert 

 in subsequent editions of the New Testa- 

 ment the doubtful verse, if any Greek 

 MS. could be found, in which it formed 

 a part of the text. The Codex Montforti- 

 anus was produced Niitli the verse in the 

 text. On this Erasmus inserted the verse. 

 Much stress has been laid on this point : 

 but the present profoundly leiirned and well 

 intentioned Bishop of Peterborough has 

 called in question the genuineness of this M S. 

 now in the library of Trinity College, and 

 considers it as having been written after the 

 invention of printing by the supporters of the 

 authenticity and genuineness of the verse, to 

 ensure the insertion of it, in the third and 

 future editions of Erasmus' Testament, and 

 not to be a MS. worthy of consideration, 

 since it is a modem transcript wth the 

 verse introduced. Mr. Butler has not stated 

 this objection of Bishop Marsh. Why did 

 the writer of the able article on this sub- 

 ject, in the Quarterly Review, published in 

 December 1825, omit to mention this 

 striking circumstance ? In that article, the 

 Bishop of Peterborough"* part in the con- 



troversy is kept too much in the back- 

 ground. We know that there exists more 

 jealousy of his talents and erudition, than is 

 consistent with justice and liberaHty. 



Mr. Butler's Life of Erasmus M'ill 

 always be valuable as a book of reference, 

 and is even, as a brief and rapid sketch, a 

 highly interesting composition, which must 

 please the man of letters and the general 

 reader. If so, what might we not have 

 found, if he had fulfilled the whole of his 

 original plan ? 



Papers on Naval Architecture and other 

 Subjects connected with Nrwal Science, No. 

 I. — To be continued half-yearly. Conducted 

 by Wm. Morgan and Augustin Creuze. 

 Naval Architects, ^'c. S^c. — Among the 

 most important sciences to England, is 

 Naval Architecture, and the theory and 

 practice of Naval Tactique on philosophical 

 and experimental principles. The time of 

 peace is the period when these sciences 

 can be best cultivated, and when the ex- 

 perience gained by practical men during 

 war can be examined and used by the phi- 

 losopher. It has been said with truth, that 

 the government of England have never 

 entered on philosophical investigation for 

 the public good, with that zeal and earnest- 

 ness wliicli become a rich and powerful 

 kingdom. Two or three attempts to find 

 a passage between the continents in the 

 frozen ocean, and two or three trials with 

 corvettes, are but poor specimens of zeal in 

 ten years of profound peace. The genius, 

 and thirst for knowledge in some indivi- 

 duals have led them to make advances on 

 subjects which were within reach of their 

 means ; but the great expense attendant on 

 naval experiments will always prove a bar 

 to the discoveries which may be made by 

 individual enterprize. 



We consider the publication before us 

 as one of great national importance in a 

 maritime country, and worthy of the sup- 

 port, not only of the government, and of 

 the naval service, but also of the mercan- 

 tile world, and of the nation. It would 

 be deceptive and presumptuous in us to 

 pretend to a capability of analyzing a work 

 of this uncommon and abstruse nature ; we 

 shall therefore enter generally on the sub- 

 ject, and with much diffidence otfer some 

 remarks on parts of this first number. 



That the conductors of this publication 

 are highly educated and capable mtn, no 

 doubt can be entertained by any one who 

 will peruse its well-written pages, marked 

 by the moderation and unassuming charac- 

 ter of philosophical research and discussion. 

 We regret that the conductors have not 

 enriched their first number with a more 

 minute account of the history of the sci- 

 ences of which they intend to treat. The 

 advertisement and introductory remarks are 

 well written, but evince a little timidity, as 

 if they were fearful of driving away their 

 readers by the appearance of historical re- 

 search and iniimte detail. The futuie niim- 



