THE FAMILY LIBRARY. 13 



The beauty of style in which these volumes are written ha s 

 attracted general notice, and the applause of the most com- 

 petent, judges, in this respect, indeed, they yield to no work 

 of the series. 



LETTERS ON DEMONOLOGY AND 

 WITCHCRAFT. 



By SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART. 



No subject could have been better adapted to the lamented 

 author of " Waverley " than "the history of that dark chapter of 

 human nature" to which this volume is devoted. Sir Walter 

 has given sufficient evidence in his novels and romances of 

 his acquaintance with the superstitions of our own and 

 remoter times. In this volume he has laid open the stores 

 of his memory and reading, has condensed and elucidated 

 the subject ; in many cases explaining by natural causes 

 occurrences supposed to be supernatural. 



LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



. ADDRESSED TO SIR WALTER SCOTT. 



By SIR DAVID BREWSTER, K.G.H. 

 A New Edition, Illustrated with upwards of BO Woodcuts. 



The author of this volume passes under review * f the 

 principal phenomena of nature and the leading constructions 

 of art which bear the impress of a supernatural character," 

 and more especially "those singular illusions of sense by 

 which the most perfect organs either fail to perform their 

 functions or perform them faithlessly, and where the efforts 

 and the creations of the mind predominate over the direct 

 perceptions of external nature." 



These are themes full of interest and worthy of the labour 

 bestowed upon them by the philosophic author. It is lamen- 

 table to think how many minds rest contented with the most 

 unphilosophical apology for ignorance, by designating the 

 acts they do not examine, wonders or mysteries, while to 

 the mass of men, such acts are inexplicable, except on some 

 theory of superhuman agency, as absurd as it is erroneous. 

 The Letters of Sir David Brewster will disabuse both classes. 

 To the first, he furnishes philosophical data for explaining 

 many hitherto puzzling appearances to the last, he supplies 



