70 
tioning' the hardship to which accused per¬ 
sons are still subjected by being 1 tried by 
Special Juries. These juries are in the 
country, the nominees of the Crown. 
Sui'ely, in a case where the powers of the 
Government are brought to bear against 
an individual in so delicate a matter as 
seditious libel, the subject ought to have 
a protection somewhat similar to that 
which he is allowed in cases of high trea¬ 
son, of challenging peremptorily thirty- 
five of the jury. 1 ' 
Dr. Southey has printed in a separate 
volume a very piquant fragment of South 
American history, which he had previously 
written for an Annua! Register. It con¬ 
tains the full details of the extraordinary 
Expedition of Orsua and the Crimes of 
Agu irre. By that obliquity of reason which 
for many years has disgraced this writer, he 
likens the crimes committed from motives 
of avarice to the violences committed dur¬ 
ing 1 the French Revolution in defence of 
eternal principles against the conspiracies 
of foreign despots. But on this topic his 
mind is deranged, and we have only to la¬ 
ment that so much industry and talent as 
the author notoriously possesses, should, 
from this cause, be so unhappily per¬ 
verted. 
A very intelligent lady has submitted 
to the public a series of Letters written in 
America , describing its present state of 
Society and Manners. Her style is good, 
her information apparently faithful, aud 
her opinions are enlightened and liberal. 
It is not one of tho.se mechanical works, of 
which too many have appeared on the 
United States, but it is a volume adapted 
to the perusal of the educated aud supe¬ 
rior ranks of society, to whom it will 
convey a better acquaintance with the real 
state of that country than any recent work 
w hich we have seen. 
The fifth volume, forming two parts, has 
appeared, of Humboldt’s lengthened, but 
valuable work on South America. It has 
the advantage of being written by a phi¬ 
losopher, and of appearing in our language 
from the elegant pen of Miss Vv illiams. 
The former volumes have been so exten¬ 
sively read, and are so deservedly re¬ 
spected, that we have merely to remark 
on these, that they exhibit the same inte¬ 
resting details of countries hitherto uu- 
described, and in every paragraph the 
same enlightened views, which have cha¬ 
racterized ali the former volumes. The 
extent of the work verifies the adage, that 
“ Life is short, aud Art is long;" for, al¬ 
though there is nothing superfluous in this 
series of volumes, aud M. de Humboldt is 
too able ever to become dull, yet the work 
is a study upon which thousands, even 
among the inquisitive, will not adventure. 
Nevertheless, it contains an inexhaustible 
fund of information, and no good library 
[Aug. 3, 
can be considered as complete without it. 
In this performance, M. Humboldt and his 
colleague have raised a monument to their 
fame, which wall last as long as the rivers 
and mountains which they have cele¬ 
brated. 
The lovers of Meteorology will find 
instruction and much gratification in Mr. 
George Mackenzie’s System of the 
Weather in the British Islands. He pro¬ 
fesses to have discovered the cycles of the 
winds; aud, as we do not think such dis¬ 
covery impracticable, his work merits the 
attention of ihe public. It is, however, a 
work of details upon which we have not 
room to enter, though there is a method in 
his reasoning, whifch entitles it to respect. 
The first of the two parts has appeared 
of Bayley’s History of the Toner of 
London , illustrated throughout by a series 
of exquisite engravings. He conceives 
the Tower w r as begun by William I. and 
finished by William II.; and he then traces 
its history and uses during every subse¬ 
quent reign to the restoration, narrating 
with interest and originality the various 
events which occurred within its walls. 
An inscription still existing in the Beau¬ 
champ Tower, written by Charles Bailey, 
a partizan of Mary Stuart, is given in fac¬ 
simile :— 
“ Anno B. 1571 ; 10th Sept. The 
most unhappy man in the world is he 
that is not patient in adversity. For 
men arc not killed with ihe adversities 
they have : but with the impatience with 
which they suffer .” Charles Bailey. 
Words which ought to be w'ritten in letters 
of gold in every church and seminary. 
Mr. H. Hughes, a very ingenious artist 
cf Denbigh,has applied the art of engraving 
on wood to Landscapes, in a work called 
The Beauties of Cambria. We understand 
he is draughtsman, engraver, and compiler 
of the accompanying' histories. Such varied 
powers would entitle him to liberal patron¬ 
age, even if hiswork were less ably executed 
than it is. But, in truth, it has considera¬ 
ble merit in every respect, and it proves 
that engraving on w ood, at present an Eng¬ 
lish art, w ill, in due time, stand in compe¬ 
tition with every other method. By his 
worthy countrymen, Mr. H. will no doubt 
be zealously encouraged, and the public at 
large cannot but participate in their 
feelings. 
Two pamphlets, entitled Property 
against Industry , aud the Principles of an 
equitable and efficient System of Finance , 
by Harrison Wilkinson, are written 
upon the idea that productive property, 
and not labour, is the legitimate object of 
taxation. The author proposes to abolish 
all the present taxes, except moderate cus¬ 
tom duties, and to impose, in their stead, a 
tax upon property, veal and personal, suf¬ 
ficient to meet the exigencies of the state. 
This 
Critical Notices of Rooks of the Month. 
