REVIEW.-The Pleasures of Home. with other Poems. By R. Porter, Second Edition, 8vo. pp. 139. London, Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy; Longman, and Co. 1821. THE Pleasures of Home are not altogether unknown, even in savage life ; but it is in civilized society, uncontaminated by artificial refinements, that we must expect to find domestic felicity blooming in perfection. To describe these pleasures, many prosemen and verse-men" have employed their powers, with considerable success; but such are the nectarious streams which flow from this perennial fountain, that it is incessantly nius can fully exhaust. teeming with enjoyments that no ge The work before us is an amiable production of the muse, abounding with simplicity of scenery, and exhibiting, in appropriate language, a considerable degree of strong natural feeling. The only philosophy to which the author makes any pretensions, is, the philosophy of nature, which rises superior to the sophistications of metaphysical intricacies, and sheds a lustre around it, without the blandishments of art. The diction is flowing, easy, and harmonious; and the features of rural and domestic life, are exhibited in pleasing variety. The following passage will exemplify the truth of some of these remarks. "There is a time, which each revolving The pathetic story of Henry and Anna is told with much artlessness of expression. It is a tale, in the issues of which, most readers, we conceive, will feel an interest; and he, who, having begun the narrative, is willing to leave it without seeing its termination, must possess a bosom which sympathy never warmed. To the dictates of humanity and compassion, and a solicitude for the welfare of mankind, the author has added many sentiments of genuine piety. The leading truths of revelation are interwoven in numerous paragraphs. These truths he strongly recommends and enforces; and he directs such as smart under the miseries of life, to seek happiness in those sources of consolation which the gospel unfolds. with avidity, every book which professes to deal in this article, from no other motive than that of gratifying a malignant appetite, there are others, who, from more laudable principles, indulge a hope of seeing this bane of domestic peace, this source of local misery, fairly dragged into light, and, in its native deformity, exposed to the detestation of mankind. The work before us, which is calculated to meet the views of readers of this latter description, is divided into eight chapters, the contents of which stand in the following order: "Scandal and its causes : on the danger of trifling with the characters of others: on scandal directed against religion: on scandal amongst professors of religion: on anonymous letters: on popular characters: on scandalizing the dead:" and terminating with "general reflections." This prefatory exhibition excited our expectations, and we concluded our perusal without conceiving that we had made an improper estimate of its worth. The situation of the blind boy, can scarcely fail to awaken our commiseration; and the character of the village pastor we should rejoice to find of universal application. The conduct of the seducer is described in strains as much calculated to excite our ab- In the first chapter, the author traces horrence, as the condition of the un- the evils which he reprehends to the happy victim of his brutality, is de- distinct sources of envy, pride, repicted in language to extort our sighs. venge, and self-interest. On each of On the committee and supporters of these he has dropped some excellent the London Female Penitentiary, he observations, in language that is bold, has bestowed a justly merited eulo- nervous, expressive, and harmonious. gium for their benevolent exertions in The diction of this chapter we conattempting to wipe the tear of contri-ceive to be superior to that of any tion from the eye of repentant sorrow, other in the book. and for nobly aiming to diminish the miseries of suffering humanity. This little volume contains several other poems of minor importance, which are not without their respective merits; but our limits inform us that we have no room to analyze their excellencies. "The Pleasures of Home," has already passed through two editions; and if these are not succeeded by a still greater number, we conceive it will only be because the merits of this pleasing publication are not sufficiently known. It is not our intention, however, to insinuate, that the style is despicable, in which the subsequent chapters are written; nor do we mean to intimate that they are deficient either thought or judgment. On these points the reader will be able to form his opinion from the following extract: in "But it too often happens, that injurious epithets are employed merely from a consciousness of superiority. The tongue of scandal is sometimes considered an harmless weapon; and perhaps to indulge ourselves in the moments of vexation, we fix a stigma which time will not remove. How many of the lower class of mankind have been ruined by hasty expressions or wilful misrepresenREVIEW.-An Essay on the Evils of very impure sources, and coloured by a still tation; a hasty charge drawn perhaps from Scandal, Slander, and Misrepresen-more improper temper, has plunged its hapless tation. 8vo. p. 144. Westley, Offor, Baynes, and Co. London, 1821. THERE is a certain magic in the word scandal, at the sound of which every reader pricks up his ears. But although there are too many who seize victim into ruin. Were the walks of vice diligently searched, how many individuals would be found whose ruin could be traced to an evil report; a popular odium had been fixed upon their character which could not be removed, and which left them no solace but to mingle with persons of a description which they would have originally shunned. That the dishonest and the impure should be held up to public censure, we do not deny; but it requires much caution in exposing such, lest we should make them the very characters, by unjust suspicion and hasty condemnation, which they before held in abhorrence. The servant who is cast upon the world without recommendation, (and especially if, in addition to this, he is wrongfully accused,) may justly charge his future delinquencies, arising from that injustice, on those who robbed him of his good name; not that their accusation against him is an excuse for his irregularities; but by preventing him from convincing another of his innocence, he may be led, in the moments of phrenzy, to plunge into a line of conduct, which would have been otherwise detested. "A respect for the characters of the lower classes of mankind, is obviously important; for while any sense of its worth remains, it acts as a barrier which keeps them from the perpetration of crime. But when once the sense of dignity, which arises from a conviction of innocence is destroyed, they are prepared for every purpose of injustice and cruelty." p. 27 to 29. This extract, which may be considered as a fair specimen of the author's talents, both as a writer and a moralist, cannot but set his work in a favourable light. The truth of his observations appears in every sentence; and no reader of discernment but must acknowledge that the world abounds with melancholy evidence to confirm his propositions. By means of anonymous letters, the author observes, Many a servant has been ruined, many a child chastised, and many a wife defamed, when, had their accuser been known, the accused could have related circumstances which would have justified themselves, and covered their adversary with shame." p. 83.-" The writers of anonymous letters are like those instruments of death which accomplish their purpose without giving the usual alarm. They may be justly styled Anguis in herba,' they bite the unwary traveller, and retreat into the thicket. They are like secreted foes in the field of battle, who aim at individual destruction unseen, while the more noble and courageous meet face to face. These are the canker worms at the root of reputation, who conceal themselves in dark abodes, and take that aim which promises to do the greatest mischief." p. 90. On the topics which form the subjects of the subsequent chapters, the author's remarks are equally judicious, pointed, and ingenious. We had fixed our eye on several other passages, but we have no more room for quotations. No one, we conceive, can examine this book attentively, without feeling indignant at the cha racter of scandal, and forming a resolution never to be found in her company. COMPLAINT OF J. F. IN our Number for December, 1821, col. 1144, we inserted a critique on a publication, said to have been written by "a member of the church of England." In this work the author attempts to prove that eternal punishment consists in annihilation, and that the immortality of the human soul depends upon spiritual regeneration. Some time after the above critique appeared, we received the following letter from the author, who signs himself J. F. requesting that it might appear in our Supplement, with which request we could not possibly comply, the last sheet being composed when his letter reached us. He will, howliest opportunity of meeting his views; ever, perceive, that we seize the earand to prevent all accusations of partiality or injustice towards him, we insert it without animadversion or comment. We have only to add, that Mr. J. F. must form a very erroneous idea of our official situation, if he imagines we can enter into a controversy with every author who happens to be dissatisfied with our criticisms. EDITOR. MR. EDITOR. SIR,-The numerous claims to your attention, which are incidental to your situation, as Editor of a periodical work, may oblige you to peruse hastily the books you notice; and as such, account for your not doing full justice to writers who may offer views that impugn your own opinion on subjects, on which, perhaps, you have never doubted. Such, I consider to be my situation, as the author of the Treatise on Eternal Punishment, reviewed in your number for December. I am fully aware that the doctrine I oppose is advocated as of Divine authority, and that I must appear to you as opposing a revealed truth. I am aware it was natural you should have opened my book with a bias against it and its author; and I will apply myself rather to efface this impression, than to complain of it. Holding in common with you the Divine authority of the Bible, and, perhaps, not materially differing from you on any of the great questions of revelation: the fall of man, the atonement. salvation through faith in Christ, and the immortality of the children of God: I hope to interest you so far in the views I entertain of the nature of man, as the child of fallen Adam, as to procure from you an explicit statement of the scripture grounds, on which you hold the natural man, in contradistinction from the spiritual man, to be immortal. You say, "I know a little, and presume a great deal:" I, like most other men, have a great aversion to presumption in the abstract; but I may not be sensible of it in my own case: you will oblige me if you will state more specifically, whereon you ground your charge of presuming a great deal. I have further to request you would point out to me those quotations which I have adduced from the scriptures, of which you do not perceive the relevancy-perhaps you may have forgotten, that it was necessary you I have expressed what I felt, a should concede, for a moment, the strong conviction of the truth of the possibility that the inspired writers opinions I have offered to the world: may have spoken of man as mortal- If they are erroneous, I shrink from I must despair of convincing any one no test to which they can be subjectwho refuses to admit, for argumented; but I entertain them too honestly sake, the possibility of that, which I am to prove; and, this being granted, I think I can shew, that every verse I have quoted bears upon the question. You do me injustice when you say that "I insinuate that the assertion of one Apostle is not much worthy of credit." My argument is, (as a reference to it will satisfy any one,) that St. Mark's real meaning was that which I contend for: not that those who think he meant otherwise should slight his authority. to abandon them, because any man shall say that I presume. I ask for scriptural authority for ascribing to man a spiritual nature, independent of regeneration; and to no other will I defer. No true Protestant can object to this; and therefore I infer, you will not, but will hold up the candle of the Lord, to one whom you think so much in need of illumination as Your obedient servant, J. F. Kentish Town, December 10, 1821. GLEANINGS FROM LITERATURE, SCIENCE, &c. &c. You have fairly quoted the argument I employ against infinite objects being moral motives, from the human understanding being incapable of conceiving them; and you leave it unanswered. The difficulty you object is [WE purpose devoting two or three not one that a Christian will feel, for of our pages each month, to inforChrist has taught us to say that "when mation respecting discoveries and imwe have done all, we are unprofitable provements now so rapidly making servants," and that by "grace we are in every department of Science, the saved." You cannot mean to say Arts, &c. combining, at the same time, that the same difficulty attends the notices of subjects connected with the belief that God will bless us more than interests of Literature. We shall conwe deserve, as that he will punish us fine ourselves to facts only, and give more than we can deserve: the one is them so abridged, as that nothing but a necessary consequence of human the simple facts themselves may ocimperfection and divine perfection-cupy our columns. Our information, the other is inconsistent with every one of the Divine Attributes. You object that I do not state what I hold the human soul to be: I have stated, that I implicitly adopt the account given by Moses, of the nature it may be proper to state, will be gathered from the different journals of the day, and such selection only made as may tend to be of service to our readers. Every thing that may be built upon speculation only, and that has not truth and usefulness for its Director of the Observatory of Palermo, announces that he observed very distinctly the appearance of phases in the nucleus of the comet of 1819; and hence he concludes that comets are not luminous per se, but that their nucleus, their coma, and their tail, shine only by reflected light. Hydrophobia.---At Pavia, in Italy, new trials have been made, which prove the efficacy of oxygenated mu bia. Dr. Previsali has successfully prescribed in a case where the symptoms had advanced, in a liquid form, from a drachm to a drachm and a half daily, in citron water or syrup of citron.---(On this dreadful malady, see an interesting paper by James Kendrick, M. D. inserted col. 65, of our present number.) Steam-Carriage. An ingenious cotton spinner of Ardwick, near Manches-riatic acid in subduing the hydrophoter, has invented a locomotive steamcarriage, for the conveyance of goods or passengers, without the aid of horses. After repeated experiments, during the last two years, he has so far succeeded as not to leave a doubt that it will answer the purpose intended. It will go upon any of the mail roads, up hill or down, at the rate of nine or ten miles an hour; and can be guided with the greatest ease on the most difficult roads. Steam-Vessels.-These vessels are now employed in the Adriatic. One (La Carolina) goes regularly every second day from Venice to Trieste. Another (L'Eridano) passes regularly between Pavia and Venice, and with such celerity that the voyage is accomplished in 37 hours. Not long since a steam-boat ventured to sea in a violent tempest, when no other vessel could, to the assistance of a richly-freighted merchant ship. Enormous Steam-Engine.-A steamengine of the immense power of one hundred and forty horses, has lately been erected on his Grace the Duke of Portland's estate, at Kirkby, in the county of Nottingham, for the purpose of draining an extensive tract of coal. The cylinder of this stupendous machine is seventy inches in diameter; and the beam, which is twelve tons in weight, raises at every stroke fifteen tuns of water, and, when required, delivers at the surface, from the depth of the mine, which is 170 yards, between 700 and 800 gallons in each minute. Germany. A pocket edition of a series of translations from the most classic authors of foreign countries, is now publishing in Germany. Among the works already published are, Voltaire's Candide and Charles XII. Moliere's Tartuffe, Shakspeare's Timon of Athens, and Lord Byron's Poems. Astronomy.-M. Nicolas Cacciatore, Cicero.---Professor Peyron, at Turin, has discovered, in the Convent of Boblio, several manuscript fragments of Cicero's orations, by which those published by Professor Maïo are rendered complete. Milk.---It is ascertained that morning's milk commonly yields some hundredths more cream than that of the evening, at the same temperature. That milked at noon furnishes the least. It would therefore be of advantage, in making butter and cheese, to employ the morning's milk, and to keep the evening's for domestic use. The Scour in Lambs,-A correspondent in the Farmer's Journal, states, that nothing is so useful to preserve the health of lambs in autumn, or when light frosts commence, as bleeding; to be performed by piercing the nostril with a penknife. New Barometer. Mr. Barth, of Strasburgh, has published his discovery of a barometer, which will announce every change of the weather thirty hours before it happens. This instrument will likewise give notice of thunder-storms twelve hours before they occur. Physiological Phenomena. - A few weeks ago, a gentleman in the neighbourhood of Glasgow, in preparing a frog for galvanic experiments, was surprised to find, that after the heart and lungs were extracted, the animal lost none of its strength, but on being set down, leaped about with much ease and agility. He next extracted the stomach and all the remaining intestines. The frog was then placed upon |