In taking leave of this work we cannot but cordially recommend it to our readers. It is full of variety, as they must have already seen, and besides a body of useful and agreeable information concerning the provincial manners of France, it contains many original reflections, distinguished by sound sense and knowledge of the world. Some extravagances too, as we have also seen, are to be met with in the course of this narrative, which the author would do well to remove from his next edition.

NOTICES.

ART. XI. Aphorisms, Opinions, and Reflections of the late Dr. Parr. With a sketch of his life. 18mo. pp. 192. 68. London. Andrews. 1826.

THE works of Dr. Parr consist of so large a proportion of tracts, sermons, and other brief compositions, that they are in general infinitely less known than his name. Every body has heard of the endowments and acquirements of that distinguished scholar; but, with the exception of those of his contemporaries who found an interest in reading his publications on their first appearance, few, we believe, have had an opportunity of estimating his merits as an author. In his character, and even in his person, Dr. Parr is said to have, in some degree, resembled Dr. Johnson. In the style of his composition, the resemblance is unquestionable. It is evident that he formed it upon the model of Dr. Johnson, and he often follows his master so closely, as almost to expose himself to the charge of being an imitator. Nothing in truth could protect him from the imputation, had he not exhibited a vigour of intellect, a tide of thought, in every thing which he has written, and thus proved, that if he put on the trammels of the Johnsonian school, it was from preference, and not from necessity.

Those who have not yet perused his works will be glad to find in this little publication several well selected and characteristic specimens of his style, and of his habits of thinking on most of the subjects which he touched. They will, moreover, collect from it many lessons of wisdom condensed in a few words. The following sentence may account, perhaps, for the interest which men usually take in the biography of each other.

'Though wit for a time may amuse, and genius delight us, the good sense and justice of mankind induce them to take a permanent interest only in the disposition of the heart.'

The following character of Horace, selected from Dr. Parr's review of the Variorum edition of that classic, is in his best style. It is quite Johnsonian.

The writings of Horace are familiar to us from our earliest boyhood. They carry with them attractions which are felt in every period of life, and almost every rank of society. They charm alike by the harmony of their numbers, and the purity of their diction. They exhilarate the gay, and interest the serious, according to the different kinds of subjects upon which the poet is employed. Professing neither the precision of analysis, nor the copiousness of system, they have advantages, which, among the

ordinary classes of writers, analysis and system rarely attain. They exhibit human imperfections as they really are, and human excellence as it practically ought to be. They develope every principle of the virtuous in morals, and describe every modification of the decorous in manners. They please without the glare of ornament, and they instruct without the formality of precept. They are the produce of a mind enlightened by study, invigorated by observation; comprehensive, but not visionary ; delicate, but not fastidious; too sagacious to be warped by prejudice, and too generous to be cramped by suspicion; they are distinguished by language adapted to the sentiment, and by effort proportioned to the occasion; they contain elegance without affectation, grandeur without bombast, satire without buffoonery, and philosophy without jargon.'pp. 77, 78.

We give the following defence of apparent inconsistency, on account of its force and justness.

It is unjust to say, that inconsistency is, in all cases, the infallible criterion of insincerity. It is unjust to tie down manhood to those tenets which have been ingenuously avowed, but perhaps hastily adopted, in youth. It is unjust to shackle men of genius with any other restraints, than those which are necessary for the observance of decorum, honour, and the strictest fidelity. It is unjust to debar any human beings from the moral or intellectual benefits which may arise from greater accuracy of information, or greater maturity of judgment. It is flagrantly unjust to blame them for discharging those new duties which are really imposed upon their consciences, by new and disinterested views of controverted and important questions.'-pp. 81, 82.

Dr. Parr's character of Sir James Macintosh, though perhaps a little too partial, is, upon the whole, just. In its style, however, it is a caricature, in which the school cannot be mistaken.

In Macintosh, I see the sternness of a republican without his acrimony, and the ardour of a reformer without his impetuosity. His taste in morals, like that of Mr. Burke, is equally pure and delicate with his taste in literature. His mind is so comprehensive, that his generalities cease to be barren, and so vigorous, that detail itself becomes interesting. He introduces every question with perspicuity, states it with precision, and pursues it with easy and unaffected method. Sometimes, perhaps, he may amuse his readers by excursions into paradox; but he never bewilders them by flights into romance. His philosophy is far more just, and far more amiable, than the philosophy of Paine, and his eloquence is only not equal to the eloquence of Mr. Burke. He is argumentative without sophistry, fervid without fury, and sublime without extravagance.'pp. 103, 104.

Some Latin epitaphs, written by Dr. Parr, in memory of Sumner, Fox, Burke, and others of his distinguished friends, are appended to the volume. They are remarkable for their elegance. There is a lithograph portrait of the doctor opposite the title page, which is very delicately executed, and forms an appropriate ornament to the work.

105

ART. XII. A Grammar of the Portuguese Language. By John Laycock. 12mo. London. 1825.

THIS grammar is compiled from the best foreign works on the Portuguese language, of which, in this country, notwithstanding the continual commercial intercourse that has subsisted between us and Portugal, we have had, hitherto, only one grammar-that of Vieyra. The pronunciation among the Portuguese, however, has so much changed, that a new grammar has become necessary, especially for Englishmen, who desire to instruct themselves in that tongue. For such persons the present grammar seems peculiarly adapted. It gives ample rules and examples relative to the parts of speech, and contains a vocabulary, dialogues, extracts in prose and verse, and what is, perhaps, the most useful of all to persons likely to study Portuguese in this country, many specimens of mercantile letters.

ART. XIII. A Concise Exposition of the Method of Instructing the Deaf and Dumb in the Knowledge of a Written Language. By J, R. Young, Master of the Private Establishment for the Deaf and Dumb, Peckham. 12mo. London, 1826.

MR. YOUNG'S plan seems to be a very good one, and he has here explained it simply and perspicuously. The pupil is recommended to begin at about the age of five to trace the forms of the letters, and while so employed, his teachers are to lead him to acquire their mute articulation. He is then to associate the symbol contained in a written word with the object itself, and to articulate the word as well as he can at the same time; adjectives are next to be taught with the usual conventional signs.

We must refer to the book itself for the details of Mr. Young's plan; but we can safely recommend it as very simple and rational. Those who have a serious and immediate interest in the subject, will, perhaps, be obliged to us for mentioning, that the terms of his establishment, prefixed to his volume, are very moderate.

ART. XIV. 1. Butler's Geography of the Globe. 12mo. London. 1826. 2. Fulton's Pronouncing Vocabulary. 12mo. Edinburgh. 1826. 3. Nixon's English Parser. 12mo. London. 1826.

MR. BUTLER's design has been beyond mere topographical description, to give biographical sketches of eminent persons who have figured in various countries-notices of historical events-and brief statistical accounts, intended to afford the scholar some ideas of the different products, surface, and character of the globe. These are interesting additions to a pupil's geographical studies, which we must not omit to say are greatly facilitated by the author's regular and gradual progress from one cardinal point to another, describing the divisions of a country from east to west, or from north to south. The recent changes in the distribution of continental provinces have been carefully marked; there are some useful problems and questions subjoined, and upon the whole, we do not hesitate to pronounce Mr. B.'s geography an accurate and useful book.

Mr. Fulton's vocabulary consists of a set of lessons, printed on one

page, according to the common orthography, and on the opposite one agreeably to a simple species of notation explained in the introduction. Practice alone can, of course, enable one to decide upon the efficacy of the plan—but Mr. F., who has tried it during thirty years, and whose assertion there is no reason to doubt, assures us, that his mode has succeeded admirably with all teachers who have adopted it, and that it is no uncommon thing for pupils, after six months instruction, to be able to pronounce any word in his spelling book.' There is a great deal of amusement and instruction in Mr. F.'s exercises, and some rules on grammar at the end contribute to the value of his little volume.

Mr. Nixon styles his book, with some reason, 'an original system of parsing; and we can add, that it is an effective and a simple one. Besides the parsed example, Mr. N. has subjoined many additional examples, agreeing in form with the parsed model; and for those for whose farther advanced practice this part of the book may be considered too easy, the author has subjoined miscellaneous examples of a more difficult description. The plan of the book seems to be, to give, as nearly as possible, a brief history of England in parsing sentences, thus combining two studies; and it seems to us an admirable one. As a specimen of the merits of Mr. Nixon's book, we beg to refer to the exercise on the collective noun (pp. 120-3), which will at once give a fair and favourable specimen of his work.

ART. XV. Old English and Hebrew Proverbs, explained and illustrated. By William Carpenter. 32mo. pp. 115. 1s. 6d. London. Booth. 1826.

THIS is a neatly printed collection of some of the best proverbs that are to be found in the English and Hebrew languages. Those from the former are principally selected from Ray, Dyke, and Bailey, and accompanied, for the most part, by the illustrations of these writers. The Hebrew proverbs, of course, have been taken from the Old Testament. Together, they form a mass of practical wisdom, with which the young should be made acquainted betimes, and of which those who are advanced in life cannot be reminded too often. The illustrations, or explanations, of the meaning of each aphorism are drawn up in a clear and concise style, and have usually the merit of being extremely happy. We shall give a few as specimens, for the double purpose of doing justice to this useful little volume, and of diffusing still wider the sound precepts which it contains.

'As you brew, so you shall bake.-This proverb is applicable to such as act without due consideration in matters of moment, or engage in important undertakings without availing themselves of the counsel and advice of others: all the mismanagements, failures, and afflictions of both old and young, through rashness, or oversight, are exposed to this bitter taunt,-as he has brewed, so let him bake.

"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Gal. vi. 7. 'The belly has no ears.-This proverb intimates that there is no reasoning a matter with hunger, which is the mother of impatience and anger. It is a prudent caution not to contend with hungry persons, or

contradict their irritated tempers, by ill-timed apologies or persuasions to patience. It is a law of civility and politeness, not to disturb a person at his repast, or trouble him with unseasonable addresses at meal-time.

'Cut your coat according to your cloth.-This proverb advises persons of all ranks, to balance accounts between their expences and their income, and not to let their vanity lead them, as we say, to outrun the constable.

"The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way." Prov. xiv. 8. 'Faint heart never won fair lady.-This proverb is an incentive to constancy and resolution, in an honourable undertaking, having a more extensive meaning than the one expressed. It intimates the injuriousness of being low-spirited and despairing; as dejection of mind will, in all probability, prevent success, as it enervates or enfeebles the whole energy of man. Irresolution unfits us to meet difficulties; but courage conquers those which at first appear insurmountable.

6.66

ix. 10.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." Eccles.

'Birds of a feather flock together. The truth of this adage is known to every fowler; but it has a more extensive meaning than the association of irrational creatures. It intimates that society is a powerful attractive; but that likeness is the lure that draws together people of the same dispositions. A covey of partridges in the country, is but an emblem of a company of gossips in a neighbourhood; a knot of sharpers at a gaming table; a pack of rakes at a tavern, &c. That one fool loves another; one fop admires another; one blockhead is pleased at the assurance, conceit, and affectation of another; and they, therefore herd together.

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own." John xv. 19. Every man thinks his own geese swans.—This proverb intimates that an inbred self-love runs through the whole race of men, and that it is the source of pride, vanity, and mistake. It bends the understanding, perverts the judgment, depraves the reason of the otherwise most modest discerners of truth and falsehood. It makes a man so conceited of himself, that be prefers his own art for its excellency, his own skill for its perfection, his own compositions for their wit, and his own productions for their beauty. It makes even his vices seem to him virtues, and his deformities beauties.

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Phil. ii. 4.

'Jack will never make a gentleman.-This proverb teaches, that all are not gentlemen who are so called: there is more than the bare name required to make him what he ought to be by birth, honour, and merit. Though a man may possess himself of money, he cannot purchase gentility, but must remain JACK still, without learning, virtue, and wisdom, to enrich his mind, to enhance the glory of his wealth, or to ennoble his blood. But what money will fail in doing, may be accomplished by application and industry. These will raise a man above the level of his original station, and fit hm for any company.

"How much better is it to get wisdom than gold? and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver ?" Prov. xvi. 16.