192 



Monthly Revietv o/' Literature, SfC. 



[Feb. 



tions of every objent worthy the attention 

 of naturalists. 



UUSSIA. 



A Selection of Anecdotes of Peter the 

 Great. — This is considered a correct and 

 useful work, illuminating many obscurities 

 in that era of Russia. We are glad that such 

 a work has appeared, for Voltaire has only 

 written an historical novel on the subject. 

 We have heard that a celebrated English 

 Admiral has the history of this extraordi- 

 nary man in hand, and from which much in- 

 formation is expected. 



. An abridged History of Russian Literature, 

 hy Nicolas Gretch. — This is a very pro- 

 found and able work, which must have cost 

 the writer great toil and anxiety. He has 

 divided the Essay into two periods : the 

 first comprizes the history of literature 

 from the origin of the empire to tlie reign 

 of Peter, i. e. from the ninth to the seven- 

 teenth century : tlic second period em- 

 braces the period to our own times. The 

 tliree sections allotted to each jieriod are 

 commenced by a picture of the civil and 

 political state of the country ; and gives a 

 succinct, biographical, and bibliographical 

 accounts of the most remarkable writers 

 and their works of each era. This history 

 of the progress of literature and civiliza- 

 tion of Russia, is rendered highly interest- 

 ing by the lucidness of the arrangement, and 

 the philosophical explanation of the causes 

 which at one time have retarded, and at 

 another accelerated, the progress of letters 

 and art. 



DENMARK'. 



Symholce ad Geof/raphiam mcdii avi exMo- 

 nmnentis Islandices — Edidit Ericus CliRls- 

 TiANUs Weri.auif. — This is a translation, 

 with the Icelandic on the opjjosite page, 

 from two small MSS. in the library- of Co- 

 penhagen ; one written in the thirteenth, 

 the other in the fourteenth century. The 

 one is very curious, as affording a very 

 succhict idea of the geographical knowledge 

 then existing, in the jounial of ])i!grims going 

 from Norway to Rome, via Germany, and 

 then to Jerusalem. The \^riter mentions 

 all the churches, convents, and depositories 

 of relics on the route ; and gives a descrip- 

 tion of tlie Holy City and its environs. The 

 other MS. gives a minute description of the 

 city and drawing of it as it then existed. 

 M.Werloutr has added an engraving, to give 

 an idea of the state of engraving at that 

 period ; he has also enriched this curious 

 work with many erudite notes. 



ITALY. 



Difensa della Filosofia — Ajibrozio 

 Balbi. — Balbi, indignant .it the debasing 

 wishes of the head of the house of Haps- 

 burg, has openly defended philosophyagainst 

 the despicable barbarians who have declared 

 in his country that " Philosophy is contrary 

 to religion and virtue ! !" A knowledge of 

 the Omniscient's laws relating to this world 

 contrary to religion and virtue ! Can the 

 Hapsliurgians say more ? He would have 



the words engraved on the bigot's tomb. 

 Signor Balbi liiis eloquently shewn how 

 greatly true piety and virtue are assisted by 

 the mind being elevated by a knowledge of 

 " the ways of God to men !" 



SPAIN. 



Teoria della Lectura, by Valli'.jo. — 

 The Spaniards are an able people, and, if 

 left to themselves, will soon be distinguish- 

 ed in the paths of literature and science. 

 This is a philosophical, ingenious, and use- 

 ful initiatory book ; and as children are in 

 seven instances out of nine, maltreated 

 when they are beginning to be taught, we 

 hope that some humane person will trans- 

 late it. The child is first taught the simple 

 sounds ; an easy thing, for the vowels con- 

 sist of a regular scale — a, the most open ; 

 e, less so ; i, still less so, and gradually closer 

 — until u is sounded with the lips almost 

 closed. Tlie modifications of each sound 

 are next taught, and a sentence of six ivords 

 comprizing them all, and in itself amusing, 

 is repeated to the child, who soon learns it. 

 Then the brat is taught to undo the words, 

 pronounce each syllable, and to vse correctly 

 the organs of sound. We have kno\\n Frencli 

 persons taught by this metliod to pronoinice 

 " church," as well as a bishop, irhich as 

 often and as correctly as a bungler at St. 

 Stephens — and such, as clearly as a pedant, 

 who has his hack phrase " such is the 

 case." We have not limits to enter fidly 

 into this system ; but recommend it, as it 

 will save many an urchin from unmerited 

 cuffs, and many a ))arent from that cur.se of 

 humanity— irritation ! 



LOW COUNTRIES. 



Pesearches on the Changes produced on 

 the Physical Condition of Countries hy the 

 Destruction of Forests. — Ai.EX. Moreau 

 DE JoNNES. — The King of Holland held an 

 opinion opposed to that of our author, and 

 a time-serving courtier wished to induce the 

 Academy to refuse the reward for this ad- 

 mirable treatise ; but the king discovered it, 

 and of course sanctioned the decision. The 

 Academy ordered it to be printed. — Kings 

 may be, and ought to be, as well informed as 

 other people ; but for a monarch to be sup- 

 posed mean enough to deprive a philosopher 

 of his reward, is so great an insult that we 

 liope the courtier is in disgrace. — To natu- 

 ralists and other men of science, this must 

 be a curious book. In warm climates trees 

 are necessary to afford shade and imbibe 

 moisture, and prevent by covering it too 

 great evaporation from the soil. Since the 

 trees in Palestine have been felled, the pro- 

 duce has been verj' small. Too great a 

 number, with morass beneath, is destruc- 

 tion ; Surinam, Golfo, Trieste, the forests 

 on the coasts of Africa, and the Indian 

 isles, are proofs of this. 



FRANCE. 



Our limits will not permit us to notice as 

 vi-e wish the History of Sardinia ; the 

 Congress of Chatillori ; and other works ; 

 we shall, therefore, postpone the mention of 

 them to the next number. 



