358 
Literary and Critical Proemium. 
will be comprised in three numbers, form¬ 
ing- one octavo volume. So little is known 
in this country of the manners and society 
of the Danes, and of the state of their lite¬ 
rature, that we perused the number before 
us with considerable avidity. Thoug-h 
certainly written in a spirit very favoura¬ 
ble to Denmark, from the specimen already 
published, it promises to contain much 
curious and valuable information. An in¬ 
teresting- memoir, accompanied by a por¬ 
trait, is g-iven of the celebrated sculptor 
Thorvaldsen, whose fame has equalled that 
of Canova, and in the opinion of some, sur¬ 
passed it. The honours paid by his country¬ 
men to this eminent ariist are highly credi¬ 
table to the taste and cultivation of Den¬ 
mark. It should not, however, be forgot- 
ten, that it was the liberality of an English¬ 
man (Mr. Hope) to which Thorvaldsen was 
first indebted for support and patronage. 
The plates given in the present number are 
neatly engraved. 
To all who can enjoy the perusal of an 
able, clear, and intelligent metaphysical 
work, we would recommend Essays on the 
Formation and Publication of Opinions , 
and on other Subjects. These treatises 
will be found to involve questions of the 
utmost importance to society, which are 
discussed with a spirit of moderation and 
candour which must command respect and 
attention. The distinct point of view in 
which the author places his propositions, 
the singular precision with which he deve- 
lopes and supports them, and the weighty 
practical inferences which must be seen to 
depend upon them, render this work of the 
greatest importance to all who feel an inte¬ 
rest in the study of the human mind, and 
who are anxious to regulate and correct 
their own ideas and opinions. The talents 
displayed in these essays are of the first 
order, and exhibit such a rare union of plain 
good sense, with speculative subtlety, as 
eminently to qualify their possessor to lead 
the public mind upon these momentous 
topics. 
The Country Minister, with other Poems, 
by the Rev. I. Brettell,. deserves atten¬ 
tion as a very pleasing, amiable, and unas¬ 
suming little work. The style is simple 
and unaffected, and reminds us much of 
Goldsmith; whoseworks it also approaches 
in the tenderness and sensibility of many of 
its passages. With this turn of mind, Mr. 
Brettell has succeeded very well in depict¬ 
ing the humble life of a retired country 
pastor; and, without making pretensions 
to any deep interest, he has produced a 
poem which, by its melody of versification, 
and warmth of feeling, cannot fail to se¬ 
cure the approbation of its readers. 
The character of American literature has 
lately been considerably elevated by the 
prose compositions of Washington Irvine, 
and several recent productions have given 
[Nov. I, 
us reason to expect a corresponding excel¬ 
lence in the department of poetry. To one 
of these our attention has just been drawn, 
under the name of Fanny , to w hich coucise 
title the transatlantic poet has appended a 
series of desultory stanzas, extending to 
sixty-seven pages. These are written in 
the measure, and with a good deal of the 
spirit of Beppo and Don Juan; and in de¬ 
scribing the rise, progress, and decline of 
the fortunes of a worthy citizen of New 
York, and his fair daughter Fanny, take 
occasion to satirize the prevailing follies 
and vices of that community. Though only 
entitled to the character of an imitation of 
previous and superior works on this side 
of the w ater, it is still a clever and happy 
imitation. A few pieces are interspersed, 
where a serious and tender feeling is al¬ 
lowed for a moment to preponderate, and 
from one of these the beauty of the senti¬ 
ment and lightness of the versification 
tempt us to make an extract, which will 
justify the taste of the Euglish editor in 
republishing the poem here. 
“ There’s music in the forest leaves, 
When summer winds are there, 
And in the laugh of forest girls 
That braid their sunny hair: 
The first wild bird that drinks the dew 
From violets of the spring 
Has music in his song, and in 
The fluttering of his wing. 
“ To-day the forest leaves are green ; 
They’ll wither on the morrow, 
And the maiden's laugh be chang’d erelong 
To the widow’s wail of sorrow— 
Come with the winter snow-s, and ask 
Where are the forest birds ? 
The answer is a silent one, 
More eloquent than words.” 
Two parts of Swainson’s Exotic Con- 
chology are now r before the public, and 
form the commencement of a very beauti¬ 
ful work. The eminence of Mr. Swainson, 
as a scientific naturalist, is well known ; 
but his present undertaking is more calcu¬ 
lated to shew his talent as an artist in the 
delineation of objects of natural history, 
and in this walk it may safely be said that 
he is not equalled by any in this country. 
To a thorough knowledge of good drawing 
he unites that scientific information, with¬ 
out which natural objects cannot be repre¬ 
sented in perfection. The plates are drawn 
on stone, and thus come, as it were, fresh 
from the artist’s hand. We prefer, on this 
account, the plain impressions, although 
those finished in colours cannot, in many 
instances, be distinguished from drawings. 
No work of this class has hitherto appear¬ 
ed in this country, and considering it as a 
national undertaking, we trust that the 
author will be supported in its continua¬ 
tion. The second part is, we think, much 
superior to the first. 
AGRICOLT l’RE. 
A View of the Agriculture, Manufactures. 
Statistics, and State of Society of Germany, 
and parts of Holland and France; taken 
during 
