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FIELD FLOWERS. * We are far from being disposed to discourage young writers of modest pretensions; but the fair field of literature is really now quite overrun with fugitive poetry, a great deal of which is beginning to incumber the soil, to the prejudice of more healthy and useful vegetation; nor does this volume at all conduce to alter our opinion. It contains much that is creditable to the author's heart, but little that is calculated to attract public attention to its pages. Indeed, a person who writes from no stronger impulse, or with no higher aim, than "to counteract the tedium of idleness," ought not to expect to be able to produce any thing above mediocrity. Many of the poems are deformed by a degree of affectation and bad taste, which might be tolerated in a youth, but which are cardinal sins in a writer who has a wife and family. The same may be said of the imitative character, of these productions, some of which are servilely copied from popular models, witness "Autumn in Hellas," and "Sweet Fifteen;" the originals of which will easily be recognised. A few of the verses in this volume, are, however, pleasing and pretty; we fear we cannot assign to them loftier epithets. The author intends, we suspect, to volunteer contributions to all the annual literary volumes now in preparation; for he gives us "Lines on the blank leaves of the Literary Souvenir; the Friendship's Offering; and the Forget me Not, for 1826; an "amulet," we suppose, aided by which he expects to pass into the good graces of their several editors. In his lines written in the last of these volumes, he requests of a lady, or a lady requests of him (we do not remember which), to give him "a little pledge," this is equivocal!

WALPOLE'S ANECDOTES OF PAINTING, EDITED BY THE REV. JAMES DALLAWAY. Is there any one of our readers, who can command from eighteen to six-and-thirty shillings who is not possessed of John Major's editions of "Walton's Angler," and "Lives of Donne, Wotton, Hooker, Herbert, and Bishop Sanderson?" If so, let him repair forthwith to No. 50, Fleet street, and having penetrated into the inner sanctum, or crypt, he will see therein ensconced the portly person of their tasteful, good-humoured, and most ingenious publisher; tell him, in the language of his own incomparable pen, that you have " become a willing captive to Walton's imperishable line;" and having handed him the needful, he will straight present you with two such volumes as have no rivals whatever in modern editions of standard books. The "plenishing" of your pocket will of course decide whether you shall choose large or small paper copies; but we recommend the former, should you dine with 'Duke Humphrey' for a week afterwards to make up the deficiency. As you are effecting your retreat, our excellent friend will, in all probability, solicit the favour of your attention (with a grace which is peculiarly his own), to the work whose title we have placed at the commencement of this paragraph. If he does, and you have, or pretend to have (which is just the same thing) any love for the fine arts, and are not entirely bankrupted by your previous purchases, you will inevitably become a "willing captive" to the combined seductions of the book and its publisher. It has long been a subject of regret that there should have been no good modern edition of a work which has conduced so materially to the advancement of the arts in this country, as Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting; good Mr. Major has participated in this regret, and has at length removed the cause altogether, by the production of the first volume of an edition which must sooner or later have a niche in every library of any importance in the United Kingdom. This work will be splendidly embellished with engravings in the best style of Robinson, Finden, Warren, Worthington, Engleheart, Bond, and a great variety of eminent artists. The number of portraits given to the Strawberry Hill edition will be increased, and additional literary information will be supplied by the editor, *Field Flowers; a Collection of Fugitive Poems, by the author of "Odes, Portland Isle," &c Demy 8vo. pp. 182. Relfe.

+Anecdotes of Painting in England, with some account of the principal Artists, and incidental Notes on other Arts, by the late George Virtue; digested and published from the original manuscripts, by the Honorable Horace Walpole: with considerable additions, by the Rev. James Dalaway. Vol. 1. Major.

in the proportion of one half; whose contributions to the volume under notice are of sterling value and importance. The portraits already given are fourteen in number, and are executed in the very first style of the art. There are, moreover, several beautiful vignettes in wood. If the L. P. of this book does not rise in value within six months of its publication, we are a false prophet; therefore, honest John Major, should this notice meet thy keen and most sagacious eye, be pleased to put down our name as a subscriber for a copy; and look you, John, (for we seek no more important favour at your hands) be sure that we have "very early impressions!"

SIR JOHN CHIVERTON.* This tale, written, as we have already mentioned by a young gentleman of Manchester, of the name of Ainsworth, reflects notwithstanding the numerous blemishes and negligences of style which are to be found in its pages, great credit upon its author. There are parts of the plot, and several descriptive passages, the hawking scene and the catastrophe more especially, which are not unworthy the pen of an older and more experienced writer. It is the misfortune of Mr. Ainsworth, to mar the ingenuity and force of his conceptions, by the crudity and slovenliness of the diction which he employs as their vehicle. Let him but devote himself a little to the study of composition, and the grammatical construction of his native language, and he will then, no doubt, be capable of producing a work which, with all the merits (and they are numerous) of Sir John Chiverton, will not be disfigured by the negligences and absurdities, which so unhappily deform its pages. The book is dedicated, in some pretty, but somewhat affected stanzas, to (we are told) the beautiful daughter of its publisher, who cannot fail to be highly gratified with the compliment.

ESSAY ON MIND. This poem is said to be the production of a young lady; and if so, it does her very great credit. It is clever, but too ethical to be popular. Indeed, we question much if Pope's Essay on Man would have succeeded to any great extent, had its publication been delayed until now.

GASTON DE BLONDEVILLE. Notwithstanding the puffs preliminary of this posthumous production of a deservedly celebrated authoress, it has hitherto met but with very indifferent success. It is, in fact, greatly inferior to Mrs. Radcliffe's best novels, although superior perhaps to her Sicilian Romance, or Castles of Athlyn and Dunblane. As for the supernatural agency employed in the work, it is far from skilfully managed; having little of power or novelty to recommend it; neither can we say much for the biographical notice of Mrs. R., which precedes the tale. It is extremely bald, and uninteresting, and exhibits popular authoress in a much less favourable light than we have hitherto been accustomed to regard her. She seems to have been dreadfully afraid of its being known among her acquaintance that she had written a book ;-this is an extremely paltry feeling for a woman of real genius to have indulged in; had she lived in these days she would have been totally cured of such nervous apprehensions. Two of the volumes are occupied with poems, the most important of which is little more than a tame imitation of Sir Walter Scott.

BERNIER'S TRAVELS IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE, BY IRVING BROCK. This is a translation from the French, of an extremely curious and entertaining book. A hundred and seventy years have elapsed since Bernier's Travels were given to the world, consequently the manners, and even the face of the country he describes, must have undergone very considerable alteration. It is, therefore, rather as a work of amusement than one of correct information, that we are induced to direct the attention of our readers to its pages. The historical narratives are exempted from this objection, and are highly in

* Sir John Chiverton, a Romance, Post Svo. pp. 317. Ebers. Essay on Mind, with other Poems, pp. 152. Duncan.

Gaston de Blondeville; or, The Court of Henry III. keeping festival at Ardenne, with St. Alban's Abbey, a metrical tale, and other Poems, 4 vols. Colburn.

Travels in the Mogul Empire, by Irving Brock, 8vo. 2 vols. W. Pickering.

teresting and important. The portion of the book which contains the relation of the various scenes the author visited, and the extraordinary persons with whom he associated, is, however, far more to our taste. The version by Mr. Brock is very respectable; and the biography of Bernier, introduced in the preface, forms a pleasing addition to the work; nevertheless, we scarcely think it possessed of sufficient attractions to warrant the sum which is demanded for it.

DR. JOHNS'S PRACTICAL BOTANY. This is a very admirable little volume, and one which must, we think, ere long be in the hands of every lover of the study to the simplification of which it is devoted. If to divest science as much as possible of terms purely technical, (those bug-bears to the uninitiated) be entitled to praise, Dr. Johns has most undoubtedly performed a very acceptable service; for such terms as he has been compelled to employ in the pages of the above work, he has divested of the hocus pocus sort of mystification in which botanists usually contrive to involve their instructions. His great aim appears to have been, to obviate as far as he could the difficulties which have deterred so many persons from entering upon this very delightful study. The plan of this little book, however, would seem to have been in some measure suggested by Galpin's Compendium, although it is in its construction essentially different. The aim of Dr. Johns is:

1st, To facilitate the study of botany by the employment only of such terms as are introduced in the more practical portion of the work-the tables of the genera-which may be considered in fact as a continuation of the elementary instructions; and,

2dly, To supply the proficient with such a view of the generic characters, that he may, with this volume in his pocket, walk out into the fields and ascertain in a moment, by a reference to its pages, the genera of whatever

plants or flowers may fall in his way; a convenience which every practical botanist will duly appreciate.

Although, however, the writer proposed to give only the generic characters of plants in the second part of his work, we find at the foot of each page such concise remarks, as not only acquaint the student with a great number of the species, but also of themselves furnish much interesting matter, hitherto scattered through a variety of expensive and elaborate works; or such hints as have occurred to him in his own perambulations. Several illustrative engravings are introduced, notwithstanding which, the volume is sold at an extremely moderate price.

THE STANLEY TALES. This is a very amusing little periodical. In external appearance it resembles in some degree, that scissors and paste publication, the Percy Anecdotes, and like it is to be of monthly recurrence. It has, however, much stronger claims on public attention. Instead of anecdotes, it is devoted to short tales, original, translated, and selected; many of which are of a highly interesting character. Two numbers of the Stanley Tales have now made their appearance, and, if we except now and then a little slovenliness in the versions from foreign languages, they afford very favourable specimens of what in future may be expected from the work. The parts already before the public contain about twenty stories, and form one volume. They are neatly printed, and published at a very moderate price. These are bad times for new projects, but we trust, nevertheless, that the Stanley Tales will succeed, the more especially, as it is the maiden speculation of a very respectable young man who has only just commenced business for himself.

+ Practical Botany; an improved arrangement of the generic characters of British Plants, with a familiar introduction to the Linnean System, by W. Johns, M. D. F. L. S. Post 8vo. pp. 156. The Stanley Tales, original and select, chiefly collected by the late Ambrose Martin, of Stanley Priory, Teesdale,

MILLER'S BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. * These sketches should have been confined to the object for which, we are told, they were originally intended, namely, the illustration of the author's portfolio of engraved portraits; for a more wretched attempt at authorship, we never happened to meet with, diluted as this production is into two quarto volumes. If Mr. Miller had contented himself with merely cutting slices out of the newspapers, he would have shewn considerable wisdom; for it is clear, that he can scarcely write a sentence in his native tongue grammatically.

A HISTORY OF THE MAHRATTAS, BY JAMES GRANT DUFF, ESQ. † A valuable contribution to our store of information respecting a highly important colony. Captain Duff's observations were formed during a prolonged residence at one of those places where the most authentic intelligence could be procured, and are now given to the public in a popular and convenient form; there is, however, somewhere about a volume more than there need have been.

REFLECTION, BY MRS. HOFFLAND. This is a very pleasing volume, from the pen of the authoress of that charming story, the "Son of a Genius," Mrs. Hoffand is a writer to whom the rising generation are greatly indebted. She usually avoids those strained and unnatural incidents to be found in most modern novels, and which are so apt to vitiate the taste and enervate the mind. Reflection is the fourth of a series of tales written on the same plan.

CHIT-CHAT; LITERARY AND MISCELLANEOUS.

WE have been induced to withdraw from our present number an article entitled "The Secret History of Tremaine and Vivian Grey," from a wish to present our narrative in as complete a form as possible. In our next number we shall fully enlighten our readers on the subject; meanwhile we may just inform them that Tremaine is by the Honourable Mr. Ward, whose attorney's wife carried the M. S. with a great deal of mystification to Mr. Colburn. Some time afterwards the same lady made her appearance at the great publishing mart in New Burlington street with the manuscript of Vivian Grey, and as she did not state that the said production was not from the pen of the "man of refinement," Mr. Colburn very naturally inferred that it was; and upon this supposition gave somewhere about thrice as much as he would otherwise have given for the copyright. Of course it turned out in the event to have been written by young D'Israeli. There is a story in circulation respecting the unauthorised transcription of a certain private diary, belonging to the Honourable Mr. Ward, to which we shall have occasion to refer more particularly in our next publication. The "circumcised" must have strange notions of common honesty, if they can countenance such proceedings as this.

We understand that a gentleman well-known in the literary world, a friend of the late Dr. Parr, is preparing for the press, extracts from his published and unpublished works, which will be accompanied by an authentic and interesting

memoir.

A vague rumour has reached us of the intended marriage of the New Times with Mr. Murray's Representative. The story given is that they are to be

Biographical Sketches of British Characters recently deceased, by W. Miller. 2 vols. quarto.

Colburn.

+ A History of the Mahrattas, by James Grant Duff, Esq. Captain of the Bombay Infantry, 3 vols. 8vo. Longman.

Reflection; a Tale, by Mrs. Hoffland, 12mo. Longman and Co.

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come one flesh almost immediately, with the mutual consent of their very respectable parents. What makes us incline somewhat to credit this report is, that the young lady has lately advertised her house in Fleet street for sale. This looks as though she meditated some change in her manner of living; and she had certainly much better marry than do worse. We shall inquire into the truth of the report against the first of next mouth..

The News of Literature and Fashion, edited by Mr. Walker, has lately given up the ghost. Of the general merits of this publication we shall have something to say in our next number; meanwhile we cannot help expressing our regret at its demise, for, taking all in all, it was a very respectable, and when its editor chose to render it so, a very amusing periodical. The European Review also conducted by Mr. Walker, has like it, departed to that "bourne from whence no traveller returns." We shall present our readers with an obituary of this vast "depository of mind" in our next number.

By far the greater part of the believers in the divine science of Craniology, are blockheads, who have discovered that the conformation of their heads resembles, what Spurzheim has declared, to afford proof potential of the existence of genius and amiability. We happen to be personally acquainted with a dunce of this order, who fancies he is in possession of the bumps which the German quack is pleased to entitle the organs of imagination and constructiveness; and who, in consequence, raves incessantly of the infallible correctness of the main principles of the science. Ever since he has been bitten, this person has regularly shaved his forehead a la Byron. He, of course, sympathises deeply with those whose sconces will not bear the infallible test which he can apply with such admirable effect to his own. Thus, flattery and selflove are the chief agents in making converts to this profound science.

Revelling in the fullness of his strength Christopher North has this month put forth two numbers of his magazine, both of them of unusual excellence. In the first we have an admirable article on Gymnastics, by Professor Wilson; "My Transmogrifications," a sketch of life and manners, full of nature and spirit, and several other articles of a very able order. In the second we have a continuation of Professor Wilson's "Hints for the Holidays," worth all the guide books ever yet published; "the Awful Night," a very humourous sketch by Delta; an unanswerable letter expressing the gross inconsistency of the modern liberals; and many other articles of interest too numerous for particular notice,

Blackwood and the new Monthly, are the only thriving magazines (barring always our own) at present published. So fatal is the influenza now raging among the minor periodicals, that we may soon expect to see the field pretty clear. Of the weekly publications, the Literary Gazette and the Literary Chronicle are the only ones likely to keep their ground. The former of these has circulated, for some months past, upwards of six thousand copies.

AMONG a great variety of splendid subjects from original paintings, by Howard, Newton, Farrier, Green, Copley and Fielding, Martin, Eastlake, West, &c. &c. &c., engraved by W. and E. Finden, Charles Heath, Romney, Charles Rolls, Mitchell, Humphreys, &c., for Watts's Literary Souvenir, for 1826, is the celebrated portrait of the Countess Guiccioli, from the original picture, painted by Mr. West, for Lord Byron.

The circulation of the Edinburgh Review, once twelve thousand, has, we are confidently informed, decreased to less than five. It is whispered, that it will in future be published in London, by Messrs. Longman and Co. The Edinburgh Review published in London! we shall have the London Magazine published in Edinburgh next, we suppose!

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