spirituous liquors, tobacco, and snuff, the last two very considerable, being computed at a million and a half sterling,

The relative price of the French funds is greatly beneath ours, their five per cents. continuing below seventy, although the payment of the interest is made half-yearly in Paris, with almost as much regularity as in the case of our own dividends. This continued depression is owing partly to the habitual distrust of Frenchmen in their government, but more to the sudden accumulation of burdens which has accrued within the last few years, and which was dreadfully aggravated by the bad harvest of 1815. Money was borrowed in that year to pay a bounty on foreign corn; and it must be borrowed every year till 1822, to meet the contributions to the allies and the maintenance of their troops.

While we bear a favourable testimony with regard to the matter of this volume, we must express a very different opinion as to the mode of composition, the language being far from elegant, or even correct; and the punctuation so bad as often to obscure the sense. Mr. M. does not shine in observations on mixed society, on the habits of the upper classes, or on the fine arts: the merit of his book rests on other grounds, on the discussion of the topics which we have submitted to the consideration of our readers. He deals sometimes (p. 179.) in remarks which must be termed commonplace; and in point of style we were surprized at meeting with such vulgarisms as of an evening,' of a morning,' or such pleonasms as absolutely on purpose,' or 'verbatim at length.' Another and a much more serious fault is a habit of bold assertion and precipitate inference: in proof of which we have merely to mention that he attributes to spite the heavy duties imposed by the French government on Flemish manufactures; or to quote the following passage from his account of Antwerp, where he took an opportunity of walking along the quay, and examining the shipping of different nations:

"The English and Americans were lying alongside, like brothers. So it is always the case in foreign ports. The American government and our government may fall out, and engage the people in war, but they cannot destroy the friendly sympathy which, in spite of every political difference, subsists between individuals. The same language, the same love of freedom and contempt of foreign slavery, the same religion, the same laws, and substantially the same form of government, compel Englishmen and Americans to feel for each other a mutual respect and esteem.'

That these causes will, at a future time, bind together in harmony our countrymen and the Americans, we both hope and believe but at present the case is very different; and REV. Nov. 1817.

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much

much of mutual jealousy and even of rancour is observed between them when they happen to meet in foreign ports. With these qualifications, we can safely recommend Mr. M. as a spirited and interesting traveller.

ART. VIII. Narrative of a Residence in Belgium during the Campaign of 1815; and a Visit to the Field of Waterloo. By an Englishwoman. 8vo. pp. 358. 10s. 6d. Boards. Murray. 1817.

AF

FTER all the accounts that we have had of the battle of Waterloo and its accompanying circumstances, a notice published so long since the event would be intitled to little attention, had not the fair author been a personal witness of the scenes described; and had she not a farther claim to our attention from having been the editor of the collection so well known under the name of "Circumstantial Details of the Battle." She has now made her appearance, after an unexplained delay, in the character of an original writer, and has contrived to cast an interest over an oft-told tale by the vivacity of her descriptions and the various advantages arising from actual observation. She landed, with several relations, at Ostend on the night of the 11th of June, and, proceeding by Bruges and Ghent, reached Brussels on the 15th, just as news had arrived of Bonaparte's attack on the Prussians. Scarcely had the fair traveller and her sister retired to rest when they were awakened by the sound of the bugle, the beating of drums, and the marching of regiments; and this scene was followed by an anxious parting with military friends, all of whom were about to "mix in deadly fray" in the course of a few hours. Next came that suc

-

cession of rumours and counter-rumours, which perpetually prevails in the neighbourhood of the scene of action: at one time, the British were defeated and in full retreat; at another, a body of French cavalry had passed into the rear of our army, and were advancing full speed towards Brussels; and some time afterward they were said to be at the gates.

It was half-past twelve; and hopeless now of hearing any further news from the army, we were preparing to retire to restbut rest was a blessing we were not destined to enjoy in Brussels. We were suddenly startled by the sound of the rapid rolling of heavy military carriages, passing at full speed through the Place Royale: a great tumult instantly took place among the people below; the baggage-waggons, which we knew were not to set off, except in a case of emergency, were harnessed in an instant, and the noise and tumult became every instant more alarming. For

some

some minutes we listened in silence; faster and faster, and louder and louder, the long train of artillery continued to roll through the town: the cries of the affrighted people increased. I hastily flew out to inquire the cause of this violent commotion. The first person I encountered was a poor, scared fille de chambre, nearly frightened out of her wits. "Ah, madame!" she exclaimed, "les François sont tout près; dans une petit demi-heure ils seront ici-Ah, grand Dieu! Ah, Jésus! Jésus! que ferons-nous! que ferons-nous !" In vain I eagerly asked how she knew, or why she believed, or from whence this news came, that the French were near? She could only reiterate, again and again, "Les François sont tout près les François sont tout près :" my questions were unanswered and unheard; but suddenly recollecting herself, she earnestly besought us to set off instantly, exclaiming, " Mais, mesdames, vous êtes Anglaises — il faut partir tout de suite, tout de suite."

At the bottom of the staircase a group of affrighted Belgians were assembled, all crowding and talking together with Belgic volubility. They cried out that news had arrived of the battle having terminated in the defeat of the British; that all the artillery and baggage of the army were retreating; and that a party of Belgians had just entered the town, bringing intelligence that a large body of French had been seen advancing through the woods to take Brussels, and that they were only two leagues off.'

"At this moment several people, among whom were some English gentlemen and servants, rushed past us to the stables, calling for their carriages to be got ready instantly." Apprêtez les chevaux tout de suite Vite! vite! il n'y a pas un moment !" was loudly repeated in all the hurry of fear. These people confirmed the alarm. I sent for our cêcher, and most reluctantly we began to think that we must set off, when we found to our inexpressible joy that the long trains of artillery, which still continued to roll past with the noise of thunder, were not flying from the army, but advancing to join it. It is impossible to conceive the blessed relief this intelligence gave us.'

These alarms, however, were repeated on the next morning (the 17th), and in conséquence the author and her friends left Brussels and proceeded to Antwerp, along a road crowded with carriages, waggons, carts, and wounded troopers, mostly Prussians or Belgians, who had fought on the preceding day at Ligny or Quatre Bras. The travellers drove on absorbed in anxiety for our army, and beheld the lofty spire of Antwerp-cathedral without being conscious that it was beautiful. In the interior of the town, all was uncertainty and alarm. The morning of the memorable 18th of June commenced, darkened by clouds and driving rain; and during the whole day the pavement resounded with the arrival of horses and carriages from Brussels. The certainty of the loss of the battle of Ligny and of the retreat of the British gave rise to a general panic; so that many, even of the tender

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sex,

sex, set off on foot, and walked amid rain and darkness to Malines. The first official dispatch received at Antwerp brought the awful intelligence that "the British were about to fight on that day, that the action would be general and most probably decisive."

• We wandered,' says the fair narrator, mechanically round the town, regardless of the showers of rain or of the deep and dirty streets: it was in vain that we entered the cathedral and visited several cabinets of paintings: our persons and our outward senses were present at Antwerp, but our whole hearts and souls were with the army.' From morning till night, the great square called La Place du Maine was filled with people eagerly watching for news of the battle, the great majority being of opinion that it must be fought under circumstances of great disadvantage to the British. At length, in the evening arrived a wounded British officer of Hussars, who had been for several hours in the engagement; and who reported that the French had been repulsed at every point up to the time of his departure, but that the news of our defeat had overtaken him on the road, and he had hurried forwards, notwithstanding his wounds, to accomplish his escape. Next came intelligence of the dreadful disorder of Brussels; and at a later hour three more British officers, all of whom had been assured on the road of the loss of the battle. Such were the feelings under which this lady retired to rest after three days and nights of agitation. Next morning at an early hour she went out, attended by a servant, and was told in the street that, though no official intelligence had arrived, little doubt was entertained of the truth of the dreadful reports. Waggons full of wounded soldiers passed incessantly along the streets; litters, borne silently along on the shoulders of men, gave indication of sufferings still more severe; and all was wrapt in gloom, when, approaching the Malines gate, the fair author met five wounded Highlanders, who were shouting with joy, and who told her that a courier had that moment entered with the news of a complete victory. Never was a more sudden transition: for some moments, says the author, I was unable to speak, but I walked almost unconsciously to the hospital with the soldiers.'

The remainder of the volume is composed in the same lively style, but is, in course, of inferior interest. We pass over the visit to the field of Waterloo, with the particulars of individual disasters and escapes; and, confining ourselves to the general merits of this animated effusion, we cannot help remarking that the high note is struck too often and too long, as if the reader could never be tired of repetitions of alarm or prof

of appeals to his sympathy; and that a volume has been formed of materials which ought properly to have been condensed into the size of a pamphlet. Yet, amid these exuberances, we recognize a warm imagination and a bene volent heart. It is curious, after all these fine emotions, to find this sentimental lady doomed to take a tour in Holland, and to join the society of a plodding, money-getting, matter-of-fact-people, who reminded her of a whole nation of Quakers.' This scene was not adapted to her taste, and she did not remain above a fortnight among the Mynheers and Mevrouws.

ART. IX. A Treatise on the Nature and Cure of Gout, compre hending a general View of a morbid State of the digestive Organs; and of Regimen: with some Observations on Rheumatism. By C. Scudamore, M.D. &c. &c. 8vo. pp. 400. 155. Boards. Longman and Co. 1816.

ALTHOUGH

LTHOUGH the frequency and severity of the Gout have rendered it an object of attention with medical practitioners from a very early period, it may still be affirmed that few maladies exist among the evils "which flesh is heir to," respecting which we are more ignorant both as to theory and treatment. We do not think that this fact has been sufficiently explained: it is, indeed, but too obvious that the disease has been, at least in modern times, an especial object of empiricism, so as almost to be consigned by the regular physician to the care of the irregular or the uneducated; yet we are at a loss to conceive why this state of things should have taken place. From whatever cause it may arise, the deficiency is admitted to exist; and we therefore feel grateful to the author of the volume now before us, who has laboured with much assiduity, and with considerable success, to fill up the chasm. Before he enters on the minute detail of the different parts of the subject, he states a number of general propositions which may be considered as warranting him in his undertaking, and as proving that he has chosen a topic from the discussion of which we are to expect satisfactory results.

That the gout is a disease not only injurious to the constitution, but destructive of the organization of the particular textures which it affects; and, by such united influence, tends both to shorten and embitter life:

That it is as completely within the useful influence of medicine as any other severe disease: