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630 Retrospect of Domestic Literature—Novels, Miscellanies. 
NOVELS AND ROMANCES. 
€ Palmerin of England isa title 
which cannot be unknown to those who 
have perused the Adventures of Don 
Quixotte. Mr. SoutrHry, who has tran- 
slated it, considers it indisputably as the 
work of Francisco de Moraes: and com- 
mends the judgment of the curate in con- 
senting tu preserve it at the purgation of 
Don Quixotte’s library. For our own 
parts we know of no advantaye which can 
accrue to literature from its revival. As 
a romance, it certainly exhibits fancy, de- 
scriptive scenery, and artful management, 
accumpanied by as many allurements as 
usually mark the tone of the best satires 
on antient chivalry: but a new Transla- 
tion of it does not appear to us to have 
been a desideratum. 
Several of the characters in Mr. Laru- 
By’s ‘ Gabriel Forrester” are drawn 
with ability, and we certainly think him 
superior to the great crowd of modern 
novel-writers ;, but he is often too warm ; 
and sometimes too tedious. 
“ The Mysterious Wanderer, by Miss 
Reeve, deserves great commendation for 
its ingenuity, interest, and bustle. 
The title of “ George the Third,” is 
derived from the third George in a private 
family being the heir. 
MISCELLANIES. 
The most interesting of the Miscella- 
neous works which have appeared within 
the last half year will probably be found 
in “ Oxoniana,” a collection of curious 
anecdotes illustrating the history of the 
first university in the world. It is comprised 
in four small volumes. The first, contain- 
ing historical and antiquarian articles rela- 
tive to the university in general; the se- 
cond appertaining to the different col- 
leges; while the third and fourth, after 
having noticed some of the public esta- 
blishments, such as the Bodleian Library, 
the Picture Gallery, the Theatre, &c. con- 
tain Letters from eminent men, curious ar- 
ticles of biography, miscellaneous anec- 
dotes, aud a collection of historical me- 
moranda; all of which are more or less 
illustrative of ancient and modern aca- 
demic manners. One of the more amu- 
sing articles in the first volume is that 
“ On the origin and progress of Newspa- 
pers in Oxford, previously to the publica- 
tion of the Gazette.” Asa specimen, 
however, we shall quote that ‘ On the 
state of Learning in the University at the 
beginning of the sixteenth century.’ 
«“ At this time there were in Oxford 
some men of real learning, amoug whom 
“were conspicuous the names of Grocyn, 
Latymer, Colet, and Linaze; men who in 
the schools of Italy had studied the Greek 
language with indefatigable industry, and 
who were using all their exertions to pro- 
mote its cultivation in our own country, - 
and particularly in this university. They 
had however to oppose numerous and vi- 
olent prejudices, few were anxious to ac- 
quire the knowledge of what a great ma- 
jority loaded with contempt; few could 
be induced to labour in pursuit of an ob- 
jet by which in the opinion of some they 
were lable to incur the odious charge of 
heresy. The study preparatory to the 
degrees in arts, seems to have been con- 
fined to the miserable translations and 
still more miserable comments of Pto-— 
lemy’s Astronomy, Aristotle’s logical and 
metaphysical works, something of:natural 
philosophy and ethics, the two first books 
of Euelid,and alittle grammar and rhetoric, 
““ The regular time of conferring de- 
grees, upon the payment of certain varia- 
ble pecuniary fines, was allowed to be an- 
ticipated. For the higher degrees, these 
fines sometimes amounted to a consider- 
able sum; for a doctor’s degree in divi- 
nity twenty pounds have been given, On 
these occasions, at first the ordinary per- 
quisities were liveries, knives, gloves, and 
cloth for gowns to the regents ; afterwards, 
instead of these, to substitute a literary 
exercise, some part of Cicero, or a book 
of Sallust, to be read to the undergra- 
duates; a copy of Latin verses, or a co- 
medy, with a fine of a few shillings, to 
repair the convocation house, to glaze a 
window, repair a dial, or mend a bedel’s 
staff.” 
From the second volume we have se- 
lected two more anecdotes, which appear 
well deserving of the reader’s attention, 
The Crosier at New College. 
 Wykeham’s Crosier, which is kept in 
the chapel at New College, is mentioned 
by Lord Orford as an instance, ‘ how well . 
the pomp of prelacy was served by inge- 
nious artisis.*” Mr, Gough, in that most 
excellent and laborious work, his Sepul- 
chral Monuments observes, that‘ the Holy 
Lambhis usually placed within the circle of 
the Crosier; but in Wykeham’s, his own 
figure on his knees. It may be here re- 
marked, that this was the favourite atti- 
titude in which, if we may judge from the 
statues of him in different parts of his two. 
colleges, he wished to be represented ; alk 
* Anecdotes of Painting, 
+ antreduction, p. clilis, 
j the. 
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