MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITKRATURE. 77 



through which he passed, arc a sufficient proof of tlicir faithfulness.^ Could we 

 afford space for an extract, we should be templed to give Dr. Hogg's interview 

 Willi Lady Hester Stanhope, which is both curious and interesting in the extreme. 

 As we cannot, however, do so, we must content ourselves by strongly recommend- 

 ing a perusal of the work to all our readers who are fond of travelling by their 

 own fire-side, and viewing, " through the loopholes of retreat," the wonders of 

 nature, or the inventions of art. 



The New Year's Gift for 1836. Edited by Mrs. Alaric Watts. 

 Whittaker and Co. 



This pretty juvenile annual comes before us in its usual pleasing dress, and wiih 

 its usual share of elegant embellishments. V/e are inclined to think its literary 

 contents are improved this season, as it boasts many names of high note, especially 

 among the female contributors ! We take leave, however, to inform the author 

 of the tale entitled " The Little Shropshire," that the females employed as described 

 to plant fruit in the market-gardens surrounding the metropolis, arc from the 

 principality, and not from Shropshire, and that «' clean sleeves" are not a dislin- 

 guisliiiig mark of '' \he rcclicrc/tc" among the Shiopshires ! The Conscript is a 

 very sweetly-told tale, — and we wero much struck by some playful lines, from the 

 talented pen of Miss Pardee, to illustrate a plate emilled " Dressing for the Fair!" 



New Year's Gift for Young Ladies. 183G Tisdale, Strand. 



Wk are sorry to give an unfavourable report of any work, well intended, parti- 

 cularly one by a lady, but we really must in candour confess, iliat we consider this 

 to be one of the most silly kind of account-books for the use of young females we 

 ever looked over. 



To suppose that every girl would sit down to enter a record of her faults and 

 untruths, with her weekly expenditure, is to suppose human nature totally diflcicnt 

 from wliai it is, or ever will be! These confessions can be written with sincerity 

 on the tablet of the hecnl alone ; there to be subjected to the seeing eye and faithful 

 admonitions of conscience, to produce any good effect on days to come. 



Marco 'N^isconti ; a Romance of the Fourteenth Century, from the 

 Italian of Tommaso Grossi. By Miss Caroline Ward. Smith, 

 Elder, and Co. 



Tins romance consists of a scries of events strung together without order, consist- 

 ency, or regular design ; and is consequently con.pletely devoid of interest. The 

 horrors acted after the deposition of Pope John XXIL, known as the wars of Pope 

 and Anti-Pope, would, judiciously woven into the web of a regular well-sustained 

 story, form an iiiterestiiii: and s)iirit-stirring romance. But the extreme tenacity 

 evinced by the author of " Marco Viscunli," to adhere to historical memorials, has 

 not left the smallest scope for invcn'ion or imagination. As, however, a record of 

 (he dissensions in the Italian Church, during its most turbulent era, the romance 

 is not without value. We cannot award much commendation to the fair translator, 

 — a singular want of "translating tact" is betrayed throughout the woik;— the 

 dialogue is tendered poinih-ss fiom the lilnid manner in which it is rendered ; 

 while the descriptions, both of character and scenery, are from the same cause 

 devoid of that richness of diction and beauty of verbal illustration, so essential to 

 relieving the monotony of didactic writing! In truth, the story of" Marco Vis- 

 conii" IS a .'eries of detached scenes, totally indciicndent of, or unconnected with, 

 each oilier, uhhougi), considered separately, meiilorious enough. 



