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PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY HENRY SMITH, ST. ANN'S-SQUARE.

1823.

ILLUSTRATIVE ENGRAVINGS.

MR. HORNER'S OBSERVATORY, 69.-ST. MARY'S CHURCH SPIRE, 160.-SPECIMENS OF ENGLISH GRASS FOR STRAW PLAT, 213..
EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF KING GEORGE III. 341.

The following additional Pieces of Music may be placed either in the respective numbers with which they
were given, or at the end of the volume.

No. 60." What is there that this earth can give." 62.--" When Wild War's deadly blast was blown."

Abdallah and Sabat, 105.

Accumulation, on 162.

Acrostics, 291, 380, 411.

Adelphi, the 409.

67.- O dark, dark is this midnight hour."

Barythymia, 171.
Bear, the polar 147.

Beauty, the sleeping 108,-a portrait

154.

Adventare, successful 123,-Sancho Beckford, Wm. memoir of 333.

Sensitive's 150.

Africa, Owen's expedition to 193
Age, the Augustan 1, 17, 54,-letter
on 43.

Alderman, court of 23.

Alehouse, the Yorkshire 216.

Alfonza and Ella, 296.
Alpine, 269.

Alps, the 163,-Hannibal's passage
over the 267.

Amusements, Russian 106.

Anagrams, 60, 282, 356.
Andorre, republic of 121.
Annus Mirabilis, 15.

Antipathies, 346,- reply to 364.
Antiquities, 13, 147, 179, 212, 226,
410.

Appearances, supernatural. 240, 320.
Armies, meeting of the French and
English 202.

Beggar, the 234,-the literary 331,-
the 374.

Bell, the vesper 409.

Belles, the Manchester, a quadrille,
177, the Salford, a quadrille, 185.
Belzoni, letter from 235, 268.
Benevolence, letter on 80.
Biography, singular of the-Rev. R.
Walker, 23,-Henry Wellby, 122,
-David Whitehead, 178,-Jedi-
diah Buxton, 274,-Joseph Fowke,
Esq. 360,-Mrs. Gally, 377,-Rev.
Mathinson, 416.

Blin, Father 322.
Bloomfield, Robt. memoir of 293.
Boerhaave, notice of 195.
Bonaparte, Tallerand, and Lord Whit-
worth, 81.

Bonaparte, anecdotes of 75, 180.
Boots, a dandy's 196.
Bouts Rimez, letter on 32,-answers
to 40.

Boys, apothecaries' 264.
Brave, a Prawnee 194.
Brief, my maiden, 319.
Bronze, age of, r 119.
Broth, eulogy on 345.
Brooking, notices of 319.
Brutes, inhumanity to 150.
Burns, Robt. verses on 112,-lines

after 355.

Army, bivouack of an 196.
Arts and Sciences:-Sir H. Davy's
electrical discoveries, 5,-Crayon
pencils, ib.-New theory of the
blood, 24,-Comparative properties
of food, 28,-Calculi in the blad-
der, ib.-Preservative from death
by skaiting, ib.-Preservation of
leather, ib.-Royal institution, 51,
-British museum, 145, 196, 220,
-Green colour from coffee berries,
187,-New printing machine, ib.-
Animal electricity, 234,-Philoso-
pher's stone, 235,-Removal of a
house, 242,-Pillar in bonour of
His Majesty, ib.-Volcano of bar-Cabbage, on plagiarisms, 145.
ren islands, ib.-Varnish for wood,
275,-Russian voyage of discove-
ry, 307,-Obstruction of blood in
the lungs, 308,-Gas-lights in In-
dia, ib.-Mine of virgin iron, 337,
-Mission to discover the course of
the Niger. ib.-The eye, 338,-
Lathocromy, ib.-Telegraphs, ib.-
New theory of the earth, 379,-
Gas, ib.-New barometer, ib.-Im
proved lamp, 403,-Account of a
carnation, viewed through a micro-
scope, 410,-Manufacture of dia-
monds, 411.

Burton's, the Rev. C. Bardiad, r 133.
Bust, address to Dr. Johnson's 329.
Byron, Lord, memoir of 111,- anec-
dote of 164.

Arundel, Earl, memoir of 302.
Associations, 416.

Astley, John, memoir of 314.
Autographs, royal 106, 204,-Poeti-

cal 114.

Australasia, a poem, 229.
Ayscough, Rev. S., memoir of 65.
B-, Frederick, history of 344.
Bachelor, the wearied 36.
Bachelors, visits to 198.
Bacon, Roger, anecdotes of 190.
Baillie, Dr. memoir of 318.
Balloon, Mr. Green's ascent in 192,
-Margat's ascent in 292,-Sad-
ler's ascent in, from Derby, 361.
Bankers and Booksellers, 310, 318.
Bank-note, inimitable 226.
Baronet, letter of an Irish 169.
Barton, Bernard, memoir of 381.

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Caloric, cold, electricity, and mag-
netism, essay on 101.
Camelions, on human 254.
Campan's, Madame, memoirs of Ma-
rie Antoinette Queen of France, r.61
Cancer, cure for 196.
Canova, on the death of 35.
Canning, plate presented to 98.
Care, bachelor's 57.
Cards, new playing 305.
Cashmere, shawl manufactory at 235.
Cattullus, translation from 80.
Caverswell, the nuns and ale of 288.
Caviller, the 396.
Celibacy, female 142.
Celin, death of 66.
Cement, invisible 204.
Century, the nineteenth 243.
Cervantes, notice of 329.
Character, French and English 143.
Charades, 5, 41, 83, 89, 208, 260,
268, 276, 419,-Answers to 419.
Charter, Salford 338.
Chatham, (W. Pitt.) Earl of, eulogy

on, 24.

Chaucer, counsels of 193.

|

63." Angels ever bright and fair."

80." The Rose Bud of Cheetham."

Chronology, 148.

Church-yard, the 144.
Cintra, visit to 304.
Clara's tower, 245.
Cloaks, the 295.

| Club, the 9, 29, 48, 61, 77, 93,
109, 126, 169, 216, 229, 384,
400, 417.

Coat, an old 186.
Cock Robin, r 18

Colliers, the Staffordshire 330.
Comb, W. memoir of 210.
Comparisons, beware of 227.
Concert, Mr. Renney's 300.
Conde, prince de 82.
Corday, Charlotte, memoir of 410.
Corpse, the 152.
Cot, a homely 73.
Cotton, Dr. fable by 407.
Country, a wish, 358.
Coxcomb punished, 233.
Craniology, Buonaparte on 161,-
lines in praise of 368,-anecdote
of 412.

Crime, statement of 75.

Eliza, a fragment, 237.
Ellen, a fragment, 366.
Elmo, St. Fire of 242.
Elocation, 354.

England, the poets of 145,-remarks <
on 305.

English actors and Scottish reviewers,
V. P.'s letter on 32,-reply to 43,.
-V. P.'s second letter 52.
Enigmas. See charades.
Epigrams, 84, 88, 345.
Epistles, poetical 86, 278.

Epitaphs, 73, 89, 107, 135, 153,
172, 195, 227.

Erskine, Lord, memoir of 397.
Esthonians, superstitions of the 239,
257, 266.

Evidences of Christianity, r 34.
Eyam-banks, 151.

Facetiæ, Coggeshall 136, 164.
Fare, Bachelor's 46.

Farewell, 91, 109-the chieftain's 304
Farquhar, Mr. 59.

Fashions, female 12, 49, 84, 115,
153, 188, 220, 260, 292, 324, 371.

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Customs, 314.

Dandy, the London 342.

Dandymania 390.

Danvers, Sir J. anecdote of 92.
Dawson, Jemmy, ballad of 12,
| Death, a thought on 400.
December Tales, r 26.

Deep, the treasures of the 260.
Diary, weekly 6, 14, 22, 30, 39, 50,
74.

Dictionary, a new 408.
Digestion, remarks on 249.
Dinner company to let, 47.
Dinner engagements, 37.
Dissection, on human 67, 73, 90, 99.
Diver, the 183.

Diving-bell, 266, 292.
Doctor's bill, how to pay a 67.
Doctor, Grecian, portrait of 81.
Doctor, superstition the best 227.
Drama, 8, 13, 21, 32, 44, 52, 60,
68, 73, 84, 92, 100, 108, 116, 124.
132, 140, 148, 153, 164, 172, 180,
236, 244, 252, 268, 276, 284, 292,
308, 316, 332, 338, 346, 372, 380,
412.

Dramaticus, letter of 34,
Dramatic exhibitions, essay on 101.
Dream, the Bachelor's, with music, 81.
Drink, the pyramid of 152,
Duelliste, lesson for 228,- remarks
on 231.

Duels, prevention of 219.
Duties, on parental 253.
Earth, partition of the 300.
Economy, female 279.

Editors, the comforts of 393.
Edred, 287.

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on 194.

Fatallist, the 178.

Fathers, fond 219,

Feelings, devotional 203...

Felicity, domestic 362.
Festival, Liverpool 331.
Fidelity, the victim of 354.
Fine Arts: Remarkable foreigners,.
51,-Martin's picture of Adam and
Eve entertaining the angel Raphael,.
55,-Haydon's Lazarus, 83,--Ru-
ben's Chapeau de Paille, 98,-Dr.
Crotch's lectures on music at the
London Institution, 128,-Picture
of the death of Chatham, 244,-
Wilkie's first painting ib.-Anger-
stein's Gallery, 299,-Illustrations
of the Waverly novels, 322,--Man-
chester Institution for the promo-
tion of the, correspondence relative
to, 325, 355, 363, 404,-Mr. Gib-
son, the sculptor, 338.-Mr. Fos-
ter, the profilest, 346.
Finney, S. notice of 318,
Flagellation 282.

Flowers, effluvia of 222.
Flower-spirit, the 254.
Flute-player, the one handed 156.
Folly, my first 369.

Forks, introduction of 274.
Fragment, poetical 343.
Franklin, Dr. anecdotes of 82, 90,
107,-poem by 225.

Franklin's Journey to the Shores of
the Polar Sea, r. 125.
Friday, disastrous 121.
Friends, the concentric 49, 53, 72,
85, 104,-on the loss of 230..
Friend, the 201, 214, 253, 277,-to,
the 293.

Future, an eye to the 371.

Gaming-houses, on 337,-French lines 、
on 348,-translations 354.
Gardens, Vauxhall 197.

Egypt, monuments of 31,-Slave Garnerin, M. Death of 294.

trade in 42.

Egypt, notes during a visit to, r 17
Egyptian banker, 32.

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Gentleman, query relative to 43,- | Love and reason, 38.

definitions of 51, 76, 187.

George III. equestrian statue of 341.
Ghost, a London 218.

Girardelli, the fire-eater, 378.

Gooseberry and currant trees, 418.
Grammar, Cobbett's 13, 67, 72, 83, 90
Grandson, the adopted 304.
Gratitude, the tear of 108.
Grave-stone, the 313.
Gregory, Dr. Civis on the memoir of
285,-letter of 301,-strictures by
J. M. 301,-reply by Civis 309.
Grog and sea biscuits, 259.
Guanches, horsemanship of the 82.
Guards. female 79.

Guide, the Swiss 345.

Guiomar, the death of 123.

H. the petition of abused 193.

Hallowe'en, account of 126.

Loves of the Angels, r 1.

Lucy, a tale 286.

Luigi, the honest lacquey 248.
Lunedale, the rose of 311.
Lyrics, English 153.

Pere la Chaise, 127.
Peripatetic, the 187.
Peter I. anecdotes of 131.
Peveril of the Peak, r 25.
Phenomenon, extraordinary 195.
Philosopher's-stone, 235.

Magnetism, on Clarke's theory of 51. Physic verses law, 196.
Man, the married 237, 248.
Manchester Institution. See fine arts.
Manchester, a parody, 162,-lines on
351, 375,-an allegory, 408.
Manner, 405.

Manners, national 233,-Indian 265.
Mc. Leod, Mary 403.

Mc. Quin, abbe, memoir of 250.
Marriage, the miseries of enforced 326.
Mathematics, 24, 41, 49, 59 67, 74,
81, 93, 114, 124, 139, 291.
Matter, on the divisibility of 41.
Meals, opinions on 336.

Hannibal and Alexander the Great, Melody, sacred 199,-Persian 306,314

characters of 303.

Happiness, essay on 221.
Harcourt, Earl, epistle to 210.
Harvey, Dr. Gideon 76.

Hats and heads, remarks on 135.
Haydn's compositions 172.
Health, imagination on the 226.
Heart, the merry 242.
Hermit, the Glodwick 96.

Heroism, act of 194, 346.

Hindoos, burning of 345.
Honours, posthumous 239.
Hornby, Capt. anecdote of 241.
Hospital, Greenwich 138, 217, 238,
262, 280, 297, 306, 334, 352,
359, 367, 375, 400.

Hostess, the village 373.
Hottentots, account of 419.
Hour-glass, the 46.
House-sigas, 258.

Hurricane, a West Indian 141,-of
November, 1821, 415.

Husband, the justified 40,-the dissi-
pated 362.

Hutton, Dr. Charles, memoir of 45.
Hymen, petition to 393.
Hypocrisy, latin essay on 90,-trans-
lation of 105.
Ice-berg, an 282.

India, the daisy in 186,-black ants
of 218.

Inquisition, dungeons of the 307.
Inscriptions, monumental 75, 128,
172, 200, 308, 323.
Insects, luminous 205.
Instinct, animal 279.
Impromptu, 68.

Isoard, anecdote of 219.

Jam, rhubarb 188.

January, the first of 4.

Jenner, Dr. memoir of 45.
Johnson Dr. S. peculiarities of 137.
Jorinda and Jorindel, 19.
Journal, a mechanic's 209,
Kemble, J. P. death of 89,-memoir
of 97,-monody on 148.

Kibitz, 246.

King of the Peak, r 173.

Lacon, extracts from 392.

Ladies, Creole 291.

Lady, satirical address to a 127.
Lamentation, the negro's 370.
Las Cases' Journal, r 10.

Laurie, Andrew, the return of 255.
Lavalet, anecdote of 75.

Lectures, public, letters on 302, 309,

317.

Leeches, breeding of 395.
Lily of the Valley, 315.
Literature:-His late Majesty's libra-
ry, 52, 60, 144,-Bonaparte's li-
brary, 250.

Lisbon in 1822, 290.
Llewellyn, romaunt of 10.
London, spring in 128,-week in 357.
Look and see 227.

Memorandum-book, from my 200.
Mendicant, the 231.

Merlin, the pupil of 262.

Meteorology, 32, 39, 67, 105, 139.
149, 194, 250, 259, 337, 371, 395,
Mineraology, 145, 315.

Mind and body, 319.

Minstrel, the Dutch 310.

Miracles, 323.

-answer

Pictures, Garrick's 220.
Pies, query relative to 318,-
to 363.
Plagiarism detected, 99,-vindication
of plagiarism animadverted upon,

116.

Poetry, every number.

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Society, sketches of 94,-Manchester
philosophical 140.

Soliloquy, the bachelor's 136.
Solitude, the pleasures of 394.
Somnambulist, account of a 42.
Son, the chieftain's 216.

Songs, 4, 43, 73, 75, 80, 91, 105,
148, 152, 218, 321.

Sonnets, 4, 80, 169, 274, 290, 312,
364, 371.

Poetry, beauties of English 3, 14,-- Sound, velocity of 323.
nature and art in 176.

Poets, 277.

Southport, bathing at 259.
Sovereign, the term 164.

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Miseries, more 56, 74,-French 298, Pyoneers, or the Sources of the Sus-

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quehanna, r 182.

Quadrille and country dance, 208.
Quadrilles, on 378.
Quakers, 195.

Quentin Durward, r 165.
Queries, on 192.
Races, Epsom 188.
Rainy-day, thoughts on 413.
Recollections, fugitive 197,-2q1.
Reid, Alexander, life of, r 114.
Relations, poor 154.
Reminiscences, fighting 170,-380,
388, 396.
Repartee, 68, 415.

Reptiles, benefits derived from 66.
Residences, ancient 394.

28,- Perkins' 28, 149, 226.
Stenography, 91, 131.

Stevens, Miss, Liston, and Mrs. Da-

venport, 155.

Stonehenge, 206.

Suicide, remarks on 238.
Surnames, on 224.

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Swaffham, the tinker of 335.
Swallows, account of 172.
Sweden, iron mines in 201.
Switzerland, fallen son of 78.
Tale, affecting 256,-a Persian 333.
Tarantula, the 151, 211.

Taste and genius, essay on 119.
Taste, genius, and criticism, essay

on 119.
Tattle, table 199.
Tempest, the 255.

Thiers' Pyrenees and South of France,
r 115.

Thieving, dexterity in 260.
Things, melancholy state of 143.
Times, the good old 218.

Return, the 64,-the soldier's 189, Titles, antiquity of 161.

the wanderer's 272.
Reynard, defence of 216.

Newton, Sir I. anecdotes of 163,- Rhumatism, cure for 195.

birth-place of 179,
New-year, rejoicings on the 7.
Niger, exploring the 250.
Night-cap and slippers, 361.
Nightingale, history of the 189.
Ninette, story of 231.
Nollekins, Mr. notice of 156
Northern Expedition, Capt. Parry's,
.74, 82, 235, 292, 346,-return of
the 349, 361,-Table of the 411.
Noses, Sketch on 343.
Nubian, portrait of a 42.
Observatory, Mr. Horner's 69.
Ode on the use and abuse of Poetry,
r 2, to solitude, 55,-of Horace,
57, 70,-to Evening, 122,-198,-
to meditation, 352,-to morning,
377,-to J. G. 392.
Old man, the 126.
Optics and characters, 399.
Oration, funeral 170.
Oratory, Brougham and Canning's
252,-letter on 282.
Orthoepy, Grammaticus on 347,-

Gimel on latin 355.-S. X. on latin
363.

Orthography, 16, 38, 71, 104.
Owl, the Coquimbo 299.

Rhinoceros, manners of the 219.
Richard I. effusion of 227.
Ringan Gilhaize, r 158.
Road, rules of the 220.
Rodrigo, 382.

Rogers' astronomical lectores, letter
on 124,-lecturer's vindication 131,
-reply to vindication 139.
Room, my own 374.
Roses, the 155.
Rubbigliard, notice of 319.
Russia, late empress of 194,-ice-
hills of 211,-silver-mines of 211.
Russian, the incomparable 362.
Scalding, 41.

Scales, the philosopher's 96,-philo-
sophical 140.

School, Manchester free grammar 323
Schoolmaster, the 390,-village 409.
Scintillation, epic 47.
Scoresby's Voyage to the Northern
Whale Fishery, r 117.
Scott, Sir W. memoir of 69.
Sea, productions and inhabitants of
the 161,-colour of the Arabian 220.
Seasons, the 62.

Seneca, translation from 328.
Senetaire, Madame de 378.

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Treacle, Diana, letter of 33.

Turner, Mr T. vase presented to 268.
Ugliness, advantages of 243.
Ultramarine, 234.
Umbrellas, on 264.

Uncle Trim, letter of 356.
University, proposed new 381.
Valentine s-day, 50.

Varieties: every number.

Veritas, on theatrical receipts, 73.
Vesuvius, eruption of 41.
Vindicator, letter of 73.

Virtue, the power of 205.
Vision, the 130.
Vow, Nora's 70.

Voyage, the poet's aërial 414.
Wake, an Irish 138.
Warwick, Countess of 76.
Wattie and Jonnie, 212.
Watty, letter of 80.
Waverley novels, on the 55, 269.
Well, St. Elian's 257.
Wernerian society, Edinburgh 74.
Whale, instinct of the 122.
Wigs, 267.

Window, inscription upon a 195.
Wine, two glasses of 145.
Winter, on 4.

Witchcraft, belief in 305.

Women, receipt for making 89,-
praise of 267.

Wood-ticks, 299.

Wren, Sir. C. memoir of 86.

Writing, secret 21.

Writings and inks, 286.
Years, my early 212.
Young and Kemble, 171.
Youth, address to 405, 413.
Zoffani, 132.

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A LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

This Paper is Published Weekly, and may be had of the Booksellers in Manchester; of Agents in many of the principal Towns in the Kingdom; and of the News-carriers. The last column is open to ADVERTISEMENTS of a LITERARY and SCIENTIFIC nature, comprising Education, Institutions, Sules of Libraries, &c.

No. 49.-VOL. II.

FOR THE IRIS.

THE AUGUSTAN AGE.

No. IV.

PERHAPS no literary productions ever obtained so immediate and extensive a popularity as the Novels and Tales by the Author of WAVERLEY. For this many causes may be assigned. At the time of their first publication Novel writing was at its lowest ebb: the world was deluged and disgusted with a succession of Romances, and other works of fiction, of which it would be hard to say whether they were most strongly marked by dulness, absurdity, or frivolity. Enchanted castles had lost their attractions; ghosts and spectres were no longer viewed with terror and amazement; and errant knights wandered forth in quest of adventures without exciting the smallest degree of sympathy or admiration. But upon the appearance of Waverley,' it was discovered that a novel might be written, of which the plot should be laid in our own Island, no more than sixty years ago,'-the characters and incidents such as experience and history tell us, have had a real existence, which should be capable of affording amusement blended with instruction. The historical turn of Waverley,' and the other works of the same author, was one great cause of their success. With the desire of becoming, in some degree, acquainted with the history and manners of their ancestors, many have been induced to take up these volumes, who would turn disgusted from those highly seasoned, and unnatural productions which-as Dr. Johnson would have said,-" are fit only to amuse savages in the dawn of literature, and children in the spring of life." Another cause of the popularity of the Waverley' school of novels, is their nationality. The poems of Ossian and Burns had introduced a rage for the scenery, manners and language, of Scotland; and this was abundantly satisfied in the novels of which we speak.-By the way we beg to remark, that the fondness for the barbarous idiom of Scotland's rudest peasantry, argues strongly against the good taste of the present age. Our own much-abused Lancashire dialect is in no respect its inferior; and as being, with little alteration, the language of our early poets, deserves more attention. Yet, whilst the former is carefully sought after, and introduced at every turn, the latter is never spoken of but with ridicule or contempt. We are no advocates for the use of the uncouth idiom of Lancashire, but we do think that its merits are at least equal to those of the barbarous Scotch dialect now so much adinired.

The real merits of Walter Scott (we presume he is the author of Waverley) are not amongst the smallest causes of his extensive popularity. He is, without dispute, amongst the best of British Novelists. In particular he possesses, in an enviable degree, the talent of what in the vocabulary of Doctor Spurzheim, would be

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knew the value of a good idea too well to wast e its strength by dilation. He is therefore replete with profound remark, pure wit, and beautiful illustrations. These are easily committed to memory; they have been adopted into common life, and of themselves would preserve the remembrance of their author, though every written memorial of him perished.

termed descriptiveness. With a stroke of his
pen he sets before us, the human character, or
the landscape from nature with equal ease and
equal accuracy-he presents them too, in such
glowing colours, and with such an air of nature
and reality upon them, as immediately to en-
gage our undivided attention. Other Novelists
have sought to interest their readers by the un-
certainty and boldness of their hero's adven- The popularity of Sir Walter Scott's works,
tures. They have appealed to the powerful is no exact criterion of their intrinsic worth.
principle of sympathy, and have been mainly The popular taste is generally correct upon the
indebted to it for success. The author of Wa-whole; but it often receives a bias, and for years
verley has aimed higher :-he has appealed to the remains highly prejudiced. This may have been
imagination and the fancy, he has aimed at the and we think has been-the case with regard
understanding and the heart. He does not to the estimate formed of the Waverley School.
hurry us on as if fearful that his influence would
cease when we can gain time to look around,
and discover by what we are enthralled. He
suffers us to pause and admire the beauties
which he lavishly throws around. The hero and
his adventures are often cast into the shade, to
introduce some diversity of character to advan-
tage, or prepare the reader to resume the regu-
lar narrative with renewed pleasure. In this
there is something noble and generous: it de-
clares that the author is not so mean as to seek
to eject our reason that he may control our pas-
sions more easily.

It has been observed by a profound writer, that great minds, in general, go before the genius of the age in which they live, and consequently are neglected by contemporaries. In the lapse of years, when the popular mind has come up to their standard, their true worth is discovered. Shakespeare and Milton may be mentioned, amongst a multitude of others, as proving the truth of this position. Walter Scott has not been forced to share in their neglect; and will not be permitted to enjoy their lasting triumph. He is a meteor bursting into effulgence and then immerging into darkness: they are orbs of dazzling radiance gradually dispelling the mists of darkness, and still increasing in splendour as they increase in years.-But we need not carry the comparison any further. A few years will do more in deciding on the comparative merits of these writers, than volumes of controversy. Opinionum commenta delet dies, naturæ judicia confirmat. Liverpool.

REVIEWS.

J. B. M.

THE LOVES OF THE ANGELS, a Poem. By
Thomas Moore. London, 1823.

Much as we admire these productions, we are of opinion-and this opinion is by no means an uncommon one-that their merits have been vastly overrated. Nothing can be more disgusting than the untempered panegyric which has been heaped upon them from all quarters. A comparison has been invited between Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott. This is the very quintessence of flattery-disgusting to every candid and impartial mind, and we should think, to none more than the individual whom it is designed to honour. Shakespeare was a mighty genius. With little of that knowledge which is derived from the experience of other men, he possessed, perhaps intuitively, a profound acquaintance with the human character. His IT is not direct attacks, however plausibly susmind was never emptied, his stock of ideas tained, that will cause the Sacred Writings to never worn out. We never discover him dress-be generally slighted; the blasphemous daring ing up an old actor in new apparel to strut his hour once more before the world.' His masterly hand sketched a character, and when it was finished he laid aside, and never returned to the subject. He is ever new. He has but one Falstaff, one Lear, one Macbeth. On the contrary, our "second, better Shakespeare" -as he is somewhere styled-has a round of As objections may be made, by persons whose characters that serve with some little variety opinions I respect, to the selection of a subject of this for every occasion. His witches, for instance, nature from the scripture, I think it right to remark all bear a family likeness to Meg Merrilies, that, in point of fact, the subject is not scripturalfrom whom they are lineally descended. Many the notion upon which it is founded (that of the love other characters may be detected, differing in of Angels for women) having originated in an erroneLabiliments indeed, but wearing a concealed ous translation by the LXX. of that verse in the sixth identity. We look in vain in these works for chapter of Genesis, upon which the sole authority of those bursts of sentiment which indicate the the fable rests. The foundation of my story, therepresence of genius in its purest character. fore, has as little to do with Holy Writ, as have the There is scarcely a passage which is worth re-ish divines; and, in appropriating the notion thus to membering for any strong, condensed sentiment the uses of poetry, I have done no more than establish it conveys. Good ideas there are in abundance, it in that region of fiction, to which the opinions of but they are spun out and hunted down until the most rational fathers, and of all other Christian the reader is weary of them. Shakespeare theologians, have long ago consigned it.'

of a Liberal, the impious eccentricity of a Manfred, can never influence more than a very insignificant minority of intelligent readers. The seductive labyrinth is alone formidable; and this is, unhappily, the track which Mr. Moore has chosen. The apology of Mr. M shall be given in his own words;

dreams of the later Platonists, or the reveries of Jew

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