if conscious of what had taken place, and benignantly smiled on me as would a blessed spirit which had once inhabited a mortal mixture of earth's mould' like mine. My dream left an impression on my spirits not easily to be obliterated. The phantasm seemed almost an object of vision, so vividly did it possess my waking thoughts. I endeavoured to divert my mind. from it. I gazed on the enchanting deep shade and mellow light of the scenery; but nothing of earth could attract my spirit. It seemed as if it had been on the point of taking its flight when I awaked. I looked on the blessed moon, the fleecy clouds, and the blue expanse of the sky, and thought of eternity and heaven. In vain philosophy whispers that heaven has no locality—man must look upwards for it. My mind was constrained to muse on my dream; a consciousness of identity remained, while the component parts of my corporeal portion were passing into space! There was no real anomaly in this; literally it is so. From year to year we know that we have changed; a consciousness of identity has notwithstanding been a part of our being. We are at once certain that we are not, and that we are the same individuals we were years ago. Then our personality does not depend upon this ever-changing flesh and blood: it does not. Then there is no occasion to revert to the seed and the chrysalis to prove the possibility of man's resurrection; for what is man's life but an incessant death and resurrection? And surely the power which enables us to throw off our mortal clothing every moment of our existence on earth, without impairing the principle of thought, or disturbing our consciousness of identity, can strip us of it entirely by death, when he shall think proper to take us to heaven, without destroying the one or the other.

Y.

BLACKBERRIES.

THE bramble, the liberal bramble for me,
The apple and cherry are fruits long forbid,
But the child of the poor finds one fruitful tree;
There, like the Fay Puck, with his spoils on his knee,
He is munching and munching sans fear to be chid.

The sheep, and the swine, and the beast that eats thistles,
Wince and away from the bough of blackberry;

For the bramble has roused all their terror of bristles,
And twitches the poachers through hides and through gristles,
And all for the children to pick and be merry.

Be merry
and wise, unbuskined young elves!
For I too have rued the bramble-bough's prickle;
But booted and gloved, I'm a fear to themselves,
And they keep their fruit for me as snug as on shelves,
In the desert of turnpike my palate to tickle.

G. S.

814

A REPLY.

You bid me sing, you bid me sing
The songs you loved so well,
You say they steal upon your heart
Like a sweet soothing spell:

But how can I call back the tones

That erst were fraught with glee?

My faltering voice and quivering lip
Would mar their melody.

You would not know the altered strain,
For from the heart it takes

Its tone of gladness or of woe;

And mine, alas! it aches.

Then ask me not to sing to you
The song of other years;

I dare not trust my trembling voice,
"Twould soon be quenched in tears.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

Random Recollections of the House of Commons from the Year 1830 to the close of 1835. Including Personal Sketches of the leading MemEbers of all Parties. By One of no Party. Smith, Elder, & Co. THESE Random Recollections are of the most miscellaneous character. They include the Forms of the House;' and the forms of the members, whether tall or short, thin or fat. The shape and colour of their coats, their waistcoats, and every article of their dress, whether worn with becoming grace or carelessly put on. The abundance or scarcity of their hair, and its particular shade of black, white, brown, grey, or red. The cut of their whiskers-of their mustachios. The mode in which they hold their hands, and handle their arguments. In what direction they throw their arms, or how they let them lie peaceably by their sides. Their ages, their complexions, their eyes, noses, and mouths. Their chins, whether double or single; shaved, or bearing a tuft of hair. The sound of their voices, and the tone of their politics. Where they sit, and how they sit, stand, or lie. But the list would become too long if we attempted to make it complete. The following extract describes one of the occasional scenes in the House,' which scenes

'Have usually their origin in the impatience of honourable Members to get away from the House for the night; but who dare not venture to leave before the division, lest the non-appearance of their names in the lists of the majority and minority the following morning should lead to some unpleasant questions from their respective constituents, if not to a requisition to resign their seats.

'An honourable Member, whose name I suppress, rose, amidst the most tremendous uproar, to address the House. He spoke, and was received, as nearly as the confusion enabled me to judge, as follows:-"I rise, Sir(Ironical cheers, mingled with all sorts of zoological sounds.) I rise, Sir,

for the purpose of stating that I have-(Oh! oh!' 'Bah!' and sounds resembling the bleating of a sheep, mingled with loud laughter.) Honourable Gentlemen may endeavour to put me down by their unmannerly interruptions, but I have a duty to perform to my con -(Ironical cheers, loud coughing, sneezing, and yawning extended to an incredible length, followed by bursts of laughter.) I say, Sir, I have constituents who, on this occasion, expect that I-(Cries of Should sit down,' and shouts of laughter.) They expect, Sir, that on a question of such importance ('O-o-a-a-u,' and loud laughter, followed by cries of Order! order!' from the Speaker.) I tell honourable Gentlemen, who choose to conduct themselves in such a way, that I am not to be put down by —(Groans, coughs, sneezings, hems, and various animal sounds, some of which closely imitated the yelping of a dog and the squeaking of a pig, interspersed with peals of laughter.) I appeal -('Cock-e-leeri-o-co! The imitation, in this case, of the crowing of a cock was so remarkably good, that not even the most staid and orderly members in the House could preserve their gravity. The laughter which followed drowned the Speaker's cries of Order! order!) I say, Sir, this is most unbecoming conduct on the part of an assembly calling itself de ('Bow-wow-wow,' and bursts of laughter.) Sir, may I ask, have honourable Gentlemen, who can ( Mew-mew,' and renewed laughter.) Sir, I claim the protection of the Chair.-(The Speaker here again rose, and called out 'Order! order!' in a loud and angry tone, on which the uproar in some measure subsided.) If honourable Gentlemen will only allow me to make one observation, I will not trespass further on their attention, but sit down at once. (This was followed by the most tremendous cheering in earnest.) I only beg to say, Sir, that I think this is a most dangerous and unconstitutional measure, and will therefore vote against it." The honourable gentleman then resumed his seat amidst deafening applause.'-p. 77.

There is a good anecdote of the late Mr. Henry Hunt, concluded by the information that he was careless in his dress, had a double chin, and was not at all bald.

'One honourable member, on one occasion when Mr. Hunt was speaking, was unusually persevering in his efforts to cough him down. Mr. Hunt cured the honourable gentleman of his cough by one short sentence, which, delivered as it was with infinite dramatic effect, created universal laughter. Mr. Hunt put his hand into his pantaloons' pocket, and after fumbling about for a few seconds, said, with the utmost imaginable coolness, that he was extremely sorry to find that he had not a few lozenges in his pocket for the benefit of the honourable member, who seemed to be so distressed with the cough, but he could assure him he would provide some for him by the next night. Never did doctor prescribe more effectually not only did Mr. Hunt's tormentor from that moment get rid of his cough, but it never returned, at least while Mr. Hunt was speaking.'-p. 168.

The house has a very different appearance at different times, we are told: occasionally upwards of six hundred members are present. ButThe greatest number I have known in the House when the public money was in the act of being voted away, scarcely ever exceeded eighty or ninety; while from fifty to sixty is the usual number. On such occasions, especially after twelve o'clock, you see nothing but languor in the faces and manner of those honourable members who continue to sit in an upright position; while a considerable portion of them are either leaning with their heads on the benches, or stretched out at full length with their eyes, like those of Shakspeare's ship-boy," sealed up" by sleep, "Nature's soft nurse." The strangers in the gallery, who chance to be there for the first time, are always amazed beyond measure at seeing any portion of their representatives thus enjoying their repose while matters of the deepest importance are transacting in the House. They are surprised to see those who were so bustling and animated

on the hustings, and so prodigal of pledges to oppose every improper grant of the public money, not only dull and drowsy in the House, but "sleeping it out while millions are voted away for all sorts of objects, good, bad, and indifferent."-p. 59.

It must be a grateful reflection to us all, that we have such careful guardians of our purses! M.

Scenes and Characteristics of Hindostan, with Sketches of Anglo-Indian Society. By Emma Roberts. 3 vols. William Allen and Co. 1835. THIS book will prove highly interesting to that large class of readers who have friends or relations settled in India. They long to know the every-day life of those who, though now separated from them by half the globe, grew up with them in the most intimate companionship; and here they will find it. The houses, the furniture, the amusements, the occupations, the dresses-even the very dishes at the dinners-all are detailed with all the varieties of the different stations. So vivid, indeed, are some of the descriptions, as that, for instance, of the large, empty, half-darkened rooms, that we seem to have seen them, and been in them ourselves, after reading of them. We can fancy exactly how they look, with the Punkah swinging, and the walls pierced with doors on all sides, which, standing open for air, show the black servants in their flowing white dresses, gliding about in all directions, ready to answer to the call of their languid, listless mistress.

It is this portion of the book which constitutes its chief interest. In other authors will be found better descriptions of India as a country, and of its natives as a people. Miss Roberts, however, gives ample evidence of having appreciated the beauties and peculiarities of each; and to say this is no mean praise. No one can read her book without acquiring a deeper sense of the vast resources of that magnificent country, and the many interesting points in the character of its people.

There is a very clever chapter on the children of the Anglo-Indians, and another, headed Bengal Bridals, and Bridal Candidates,' which, unconsciously, (perhaps?) tells a tale that might serve as a text to some lecture or essay on the present condition of women.'

A mode of obtaining justice among the natives is mentioned, which we never heard of before. It is more efficacious than our lawsuits, or even our duels. Two old women, adepts in the art of scolding, are hired by the aggrieved party to sit at the door of the aggressor, and pour out continually the most abusive and scurrilous language against him, his family, and especially his mother. If any of the infamous imputations they heap on her head should reach the ear of her son, he is disgraced for ever; so that he is obliged to remain shut up in the inmost recesses of his house, and at length, wearied of confinement, to make reparation. M.

The Life and Times of General Washington. By Cyrus R. Edmonds. Vol. I.

THIS is a volume of the Family Library.' It pretends to no higher character than that of a compilation,' but it might have done so with more justice than many works which do make such pretension. The compilation of facts seems to have been made with all requisite care,

and the reflections interspersed are often not only sound, but original. The opening paragraph may serve as a specimen of them, and of the author's style, to the reader.

"The history of America offers to the contemplation of the historical student one of the most complete and satisfactory experiments which has ever been made upon man in his social and political relations. It differs from most other histories in the certainty which attaches to its earlier portions; for while the primary notices of other nations are either lost in remote antiquity, or are useless as historical remains from the admixture which they contain of legend and superstition, those of the American Colonies, falling within the era of authentic history, are genuine and available records.

"There is also another consideration which, in the esteem of the philosophical inquirer, attaches peculiar interest to American history. All the important events and changes with which it is replete are traceable to the political and social institutions of the country, and not to any distinctive and general character belonging to the people. No society can be imagined more varied than that which colonized the New World. The first discovery by Columbus in 1492 had impressed a new impulse upon Europe, which was propagated through all classes of the people. To some its undiscovered regions offered a theatre for their ambition; to others a field for their curiosity; many were allured to its coasts by mercantile enterprise, while to many it became a refuge from justice, and to not a few the asylum of persecuted piety. Amidst a society so motley, characterized by so little affinity and cohesion, and in no degree modified by the character of the savages whom they displaced, it would be vain to expect anything like a marked national character, or any such rooted and extensively prevalent habits and prejudices as would interfere with the free operation of their social institutions. These institutions, therefore, may be considered to have had a singularly fair trial; a trial made under a most rare and auspicious conjuncture of circumstances; and the more modern and eventful pages of American history, in particular, may be regarded as detailing a series of decisive experiments, establishing certain great principles of political science.'-p. 1, 2.

The history of the great American struggle which is so completely identified with the biography of Washington, is presented by the writer in a more perfect form than in many larger works, by his judicious manner of blending the parliamentary discussions in this country with the insurrectionary conflict in the Colonies. He rightly regards them as different scenes of the one great battle for justice and liberty.

The Mechanic's Calculator. By W. Grier, Civil Engineer.
Glasgow: Blackie and Son.

THE design of this work is to assist the young workman in obtaining a knowledge of the calculations connected with machinery.' Something of this kind was very much wanted, and the author has very judiciously and ably supplied the desideratum. To practical men, and the higher class of operatives, who have not had a scientific education, and for whom it is too late to supply that defect, yet who deeply and daily feel the disadvantage, this compilation will be invaluable. The selection of tables, rules, principles, and examples, seems to us, with reference to the object for which it is made, to be excellent. In the geometry we think it might have been better to follow the plan of Bonnycastle in the definitions, commencing with the solid, and so, by abstracting the qualities of breadth and length, arriving at the point, instead of putting first that mystery of something without magnitude which is a sore puzzle