1829.] 



Domestic and Foreign. 



455. 



written for domestic or school purposes— 

 on a variety of topics, cliiefly addressed to 

 young people, and calcidated to convey in- 

 formation, and, above all, to enforce tlie 

 duties of humanity, and illustrate the beau- 

 ties of moral qualities. They shew the ve- 

 nerable author to be a man of excellent 

 feeling, full of kindness and liberal senti- 

 ments, and concentrating his happiness in 

 the charities of domestic life. Asa writer, 

 he has long wielded the pen of a ready 

 scribe, and may challenge volumes with the 

 most copious producers of his time. One 

 book has succeeded another for, we believe, 

 forty years ; and if his merits are measured 

 by quantity, they will prove to be something 

 pretty considerable. To the merit of plain 

 and not unuseful narrative, he is fairly en- 

 titled ; but as to those of selection and scru- 

 tiny, they constituted no part of hLs object — 

 they are quaUties incompatible with dis- 

 patch, and are not to be looked for from any 

 one who writes by the sheet, or runs against 

 time. His books are filled with matters of 

 common-place, which he took as tliey came, 

 and asked no questions— they covered his 

 pages, and satisfied his publisher — and, 

 after all, are not without their use. Of 

 the poetry, spread over 170 pages, and 

 pretty closely printed, nothing need be said 

 in the way of censure ; and upon any body's 

 admiration, it can have no claim — it is of a 

 cast that can no longer be read, consisting, 

 as it does, of thread-worn thoughts, couched 

 in common, not to say coarse language ; 

 and flows in a rythm and with a cadence 

 that have neither spirit nor music. 



The ample volume closes with a string of 

 " egotisms," by which the doctor means, it 

 seems, something that distinguishes the in- 

 dividual from the species. They are taken 

 promiscuously {wliy should tlicy have been 

 thus taken ?) from a large collection of 

 remarks, made from incidental impressions 

 and native feehngs, on the subjects of life 

 and manners, law and government, religion 

 and morals — a melange of very common 

 truths, or rather, pt.haps, very common 

 prejudices. Tl.e idiosyncrasy is not often 

 discernible to our eyes. They arc, gene- 

 rally, of a querulous cast, and indicate, 

 which amazed us, dliappoinlment on the 

 part of the autlior, as if he had not been re- 

 warded according to his deserts. His con- 

 clusions seem to ije that fools predominate, 

 at least in the conspicuous and commanding 

 situations of life ; and that a wise man and 

 a virtuous man have no chance of success in 

 a world where fools and scoundrels enter 

 into the general competition. This, by the 

 way, KU|iposes the aims of the sage and the 

 fool to be tlie xnme, which, if it be credita- 

 ble to the fool, can scarcely be so to the 

 other. Tlio doctor has expressed liis feel- 

 ings in one instance strikingly enougli, but 

 not conclusively : it is all apparent — :v thou- 

 sand things, pliysically and morally, are 

 probably wanting, not to be calculated or 

 detected. But take it for what it is worth : 



Some years ago I planted three pinea, of equal, 

 hoiglit and age. Eacli had Ihc same apparent 

 streiiytli, and the same advantages of soil and 

 situation ; yet it was not long leiore one of tljeiii 

 shot up far above his fellow?, and to this moment 

 retains its superiority. It is thus in life also ; and 

 I never visit them without calling to mind some 

 early acquaintances who started on the stage of 

 the world with myself, and who have outstripped 

 me in the career of fortune and of fame ; though 

 an impartial observer would probably at least 

 have reputed me their equal, when we began the 

 race. 



This evidently annoys the doctor : why 

 not cut down the reminding aspirer ? — he 

 is in his power. 



Illustrations of Natural History. Parti. 



Ato. ; 1829 Here is another pubhcation 



on Natural History, conducted by IMr. Le 

 Keux, who, with Mr. Sands, executes the 

 engravings. The publication is of the 

 popular kind — not governed by any arrange- 

 ment of system, but presenting selections 

 only of the more interesting species — 

 " Expensive and technical pubhcations may 

 be obtained in NatiAral History," observe 

 the editors ; but we know of none that are 

 cheap in price, faithful in dehneation, and, 

 at the same time, addressed to the general 

 and unlearned reader. For this class of 

 persons, in particular, but still aiming to 

 gratify the more scientific scholar (what 

 magnificent words !), this work is planned ; 

 and the proprietors will (of course) zealously 

 endeavour to render it worthy the patron- 

 age of all." This first specimen of the 

 work is wholly occupied with the Horse ; 

 the account of the management of the racer 

 is interesting and very minute, taken 

 chiefly from Ilolcroft, who, when a boy, 

 was in the stables of a man of the turf very 

 eminent in his day. The engravings are on 

 steel, correct and good ; and the whole per. 

 formance promises well ; stiU not, in any 

 respect, except that of correctness, is it quite 

 equal to the beautiful little work from the 

 Zoological Gardens. It is publishing in 

 two forms — in octavo, once a fortnight — and 

 in quarto, every month. The quadrupeds 

 will occupy two volumes, with at least 240 

 species ; the birds one, with 130 species ; 

 fishes and amphibious animals, one ; and 

 reptiles and insects will fUl a fifth — the 

 whole embracing representations and histo- 

 rical accounts of more than GOO species, at 

 the moderate price of 3/. 



An Introduction to Systematical and 

 Plitisiological Botany, by Thomas Castle, 



F.L.S. ; 182!) Mr. Castle is known to 



us as the author of a Manual of Modem 

 Surgery, founded upon the ])rinciples and 

 practice of Sir Astley Coo])er and iMr. 

 Green — gathered, that is, from the lectures 

 of those eminent operators — a little j)ubhca. 

 tion, (he merits of which have been gene- 

 rally acknowlcilged, and ofler a favourable 

 augury of the present. The work before us 

 relates to botany, generally— comprising the 



