Domestic and Foreign. 



182G.] 



foreign nation^ mid to pourtray persons of 

 high or uncommon clmracters — interspers- 

 ing the whole with descriptions out of the 

 usual line, and giving solidity to the wliole 

 by thoughts and reflections, skilfully intro- 

 duced, and always keeping in mind the 

 necessity of maintaining unbroken the dra- 

 matic web — so as to make the whole a 

 continuous chain of cause and effect. We 

 have made these remarks, because "Matilda" 

 is interspersed with thoughts and observa- 

 tions, wiiich reflect great credit on the 

 wTiter's abilities and feelings. 



Poetic Hours. By G. F. Richardson. — 

 The poems of Mr. Richardson have been 

 sedulously noticed in almost every periodi- 

 cal work, and every newspaper of conse- 

 quence ; so there remains but little for us 

 to say about them. They are above me- 

 diocrity, and appear to have been carefully 

 revised. The poem called the " Storm" 

 is in many parts very powerful, and con- 

 vinces us, that we may expect composi- 

 tions from him of no ordinary character. 

 Mr. Richardson's translations are not so 

 good as they might be. The translation of 

 Horace's Ode to Pyrrha, is a failure ; that 

 may be forgiven, as all who have tried, 

 including Milton, have failed. 



" Cui flavara religas comam. 

 Simplex munditiis ?" 



Mr. R. renders — 



" O I say for whom, seductive girl. 

 Your golden locks you gentbj curl ?" 



For whom with simple elegance do you 

 your golden tresses bind ? is the translation 

 we should give the words, and therefore 

 condemn such tasteless rhymes as Mr. 

 Richardson's. The translation of Ana- 

 creon's orders " To the Painter," is much 

 better. 



A Complete System of Punctuation, Sfc. 

 Sfc. By Charles James Addison. — A 

 concise, clearly written, and useful little 

 book on the subject. It would have 

 approached nearer to perfection, if some 

 fine examples of correct punctuation had 

 been introduced from Sherlock, Pearson, 

 Hooker and others of that stamp, as ex- 

 amples. 



The Prospect, and other Poems. By 

 Edward Moxon'. — We do not remember 

 to have seen any poems by a child of 

 twelve years old which were worthy of 

 notice, since the days of Romney Robinson, 

 excepting these. Edward Moxon says of 

 himself, that he is " unlettered," self- 

 taught ; compelled to labour " from morn- 

 ing until evening in laborious employment;" 

 and could only indulge in his favourite 

 recreation on Sunday morning, or during 

 the still more solemn hours of midnight ! 

 Who could have the heart to censure, even 

 if censure were deserved, after such a 

 declaration as this? Who woidd suppose 

 the following lines, firom the " Prospect," 

 to have been \vritten by an unlettered hoy 9 



191 



The next, a nuuld'oliig crowd, tumultuous pour. 

 Discordant as the deep when tempests roar ; 

 With eager steps the path they wary sweeji. 

 With eyes uprais'd to yonder haughty steep, 

 Whrrtc sides repulsive hundreds climb in vain. 

 With beating breast ambitious power to gain. 

 Heedless, in sordid thought they moving throng, 

 r.'o charm but gain can e'er their steps prolong. 

 AVhere yonder overwhelming city stands. 

 Rich witli tile teeming spoil of foreign land>, 

 'Tis there they gather 'midst incessant broil. 

 With schemes prolific, ne'er remitting toil. 

 By riches lured, they leave the calm domain. 

 In danger search afar the watery plain ; 

 With sails unfurl'd, they ply the earth around. 

 To Chilian shores where richest ore isfound ; 

 The earth unbosom for its costly mould, 

 The greatest bane of life — its glittering gold. 

 To rougher dimes the;/ take their uuiywarfl Jii gbt , 

 To northern seast where broodn the mhte night. 

 Whottpreadu her wings across the cheerless nmiu. 

 Where Spring forgets to lead her jovial trains 

 Whcr<' milder Hummer hardly shotes her fare. 

 Or casts a gleam on Lapland's hardy race." 



llie lines following the above are 

 equally good. 



This youth cannot remain long in ob- 

 scurity. We liope that lie will not be 

 induced to leave the certain gain of steady 

 labour in some profession, for the precari- 

 ous remuneration to be obtained in the 

 literary «orld. Poetry and poverty ore 

 seldom disunited. The " riches of the 

 mind," in this age, are hardly sufficient to 

 keep body and soul together ; even to offer 

 them in exchange for more substantial coin 

 exposes the trader in such commodity to 

 disappointment, insult, sarcasm and neg- 

 lect. We reverence real ability, but advise 

 no one to trust to mere literar\' occupation ; 

 since penury and misery are its seldom 

 failing attendants. 



FOREIGN LITERATURE, &c. 



De Historic iVaturalis inJaponia Statu, 

 J^c. By G. T. SlEBOLD, M.D., Batavia. 

 — Since the days of the illustrious Phun- 

 berg, who was physician to the embassy of 

 their High Mightinesses to Japan, the na- 

 tural history of that coimtry has been much 

 neglected. Tilsing never performed his pro- 

 mise to produce a work on the subject. 

 Kursensteui, De Langsdorf, and Golo\Tiin, 

 the most recent writers on Japan, have 

 hardly touched on the subject. Baron 

 Wurmb has spoken of some fossils in the 

 Memoirs of the Society of Batavia. Under 

 the auspices of the Baron Vander Capellen, 

 Dr. Siebold has been enabled to establish 

 a Medical College ; and by his prudence has 

 obtained admission into the city of Nanga- 

 saki, and is now holding a coirespondence 

 with the Emperor's physician and other 

 Japanese savans. The present discoveries 

 do not appear to exceed ten maminiferous 

 animals : three birds, two amphibious ani- 

 mals, twenty-three crustaceous, and two 

 lepedopterous insects. This work is to be 

 published annually, and to contain descrip- 



