418 



Monthly Review of Literature, 



[April, 



iniiiiy besides, yet live, and will support 

 tlieir fame. 



A Chronology of Ancient History, if c. S(C. 

 from the Deluge to tlie Birth of Christ, by 

 Mrs. Sherwood. — This is without doubt a 

 very useful book for the young, and will 

 also afford instruction to those more ad- 

 vanced in life. The whole is arranged in 

 question and answer, and is intended, we 

 conjecture, to form a series of exercises, to 

 be committed, in substance at least, to 

 memory, (fter the student has read with 

 care that portion of history to which the 

 chapter refers. 



Mrs. Sherwood could not, either in a 

 preface or any other part of an initiatory 

 work, enter on the discussion relatiUj,' to 

 the five great varieties of the human spe- 

 cies (a subject which has puzzled the great- 

 est physiologists), and therefore has de- 

 duced them from the sons of Noah, taking 

 the Scripture for her guide. A more cer- 

 tain one she could not have ; and, after all, 

 as neither the Ethiopian nor American, or 

 any other species of mankind, differ more 

 from each other than an Arabian barb and 

 a Shetland pone)', or a pug dog and a grey- 

 hound, both of whicli species are deduced 

 from their respective genus, we may sit 

 down in our ignorance of how the Ethiopian 

 obtained his skin, facial angle, cranium, 

 woolly hair, &c., or why the Mongolian 

 variety should have eyes running upwards ; 

 or the American a copper-coloured skin, 

 and take the Scripture for a surer text-book 

 than the mere wit of man. 



There is one point far more questionable 

 w'hich the writer has touched on, and on 

 which we differ with her. She thinks that 

 none of the great monarcliies of the earth 

 " arose to any eminence'^ much earlier than 

 a thousand yeai's before Christ. Let us 

 ask her in what state she thinks Egypt was 

 in the tim« of Joseph? Itcontained cities, 

 had a systematic form of government, a 

 priesthood, and such internal regulations, 

 that Joseph was able to collect the produce 

 of the country, and retain possession of it 

 for years. A short period after we find 

 hundreds of thousands of men kept in sub- 

 jection, and compelled to labour. All these 

 circumstances lead us to conclude, that 

 Egypt at that period must have attained 

 soiiie eminence. The arguments produced 

 by Dr. Ciarke, in favour of the great pyra- 

 mid being the tomb of Joseph, are very 

 powerful. If he is correct, the matter is 

 put at rest for ever, as the great pyramid is 

 so constraicted as to demonstrate a degree 

 of astronomical knowledge equal to what 

 we possessed one hundred years ago ! We 

 close our remarks with recommending the 

 book to all connected with the education 

 of children, whether at scjjools or pri- 

 vately. 



Statements respecting the profts of Mining 

 in England considered in relation to the 

 ps-ospects of Mining in Mexico. In a Letier 



to Thomas Fdwell Burton, Esq., M.P. 

 i?f/JOHN Taylor.' — .\ sensible pamphlet 

 written evidently by a man of experience, 

 who gives authentic data on which to 

 found his analogical reasoning and con- 

 clusions. All men connected with the 

 Mexican mines should read this well- 

 written production. 



The connection between Doctrines and 

 Duties, or the Sin and Danger of Dis- 

 sention. A Sermon, by a Country Clergy- 

 man. — An orthodox essay, which we hope 

 may prove useful to the writer and his 

 readers. 



An Inquiry into the nature and effects of 

 Flogging, the manner of inflicting it at Sea, 

 and the alleged necessity for allowing Sea- 

 men to be flogged at disa-etion in the Royal 

 Navy and the Merchant Service, Sfc. Sfc. — 

 The statements in this pamphlet are not 

 exaggerated — we mean those relating to 

 the manner and instruments of punish- 

 ment, &c. The individuals attacked in 

 this tract are numerous, and may be justly 

 or unjustly accused — we have no means of 

 deciding ; and of course decline offering an 

 opinion on an ex parte statement. Much 

 acumen is displayed in tlie criticisms on 

 Lord Stowel's decision in favour of masters 

 of merchant ships being accusers, judges, 

 and executioners : in other words, on their 

 liaving the power of flogging the seamen in 

 their ships, with a degree of severity ap- 

 portioned to their estimate of the offence. 

 This pamphlet will not be of use, since the 

 manner in which it is written is not likely 

 to attract much attention. The best mode 

 of s\ipporting a high and effective condition 

 of the Navy is a very difficult subject to 

 write on ; there is a manner, a knowledge, 

 a look of command, which subordinate 

 spirits obey without thought and without 

 hesitation. Few men possess it in a high 

 degree — the less possessed by a commander, 

 the more likely he is to use brute force. 

 Our opinion on this subject was cursorily 

 given in our last number; and to it we 

 refer our readers vvho wish to know it. 



England Enslaved by her own Colonies. — 

 A foolish title given to a tract containing 

 much information, but written so unphi- 

 losophically as to half destroy its effect. 



Third Report of Vie Committee of the 

 Socicti/ for the Mitigatioti and gradual 

 Abolition of Slavery. — This Society has 

 done nothing but write and talk. Let 

 them subscribe and purchase an estate, or 

 three or four, and try their experiments. ' 

 They cannot have a better time — but gab- 

 bling and scribbling are beneath contempt, 

 when people have the means of acting. 



An Essay on the manner of Teaching 

 Languages, "tjc. By C. Lr. Vert. — A sen- 

 sible well-written essay, worthy of the 

 attention of all persons occupied in the 

 instruction of young persons. If Mr. Le ' 

 Vert only does one half what he says 



