The Professions, with other Pieces; in Verse.

From the author of this little work the parson, the doctor, the lawyer, the soldier, and the sailor get some very hard knocks in very easy verse. The poems are a medley of the satirical and the didactic, not without a certain degree of merit, that must ensure much respect, personally, for the writer, but they have no chance of procuring him anything resembling popularity, or, what is of most consequence, pecuniary profit. They would have been much more appropriately published in some periodical of reputation; and, we think, this would have been the only means of attracting that attention to them that they certainly deserve.

Geoffrey Rudel, or, the Pilgrim of Love. By JOHN GRAHAM, Author of "A Vision of Fair Spirits," and other Poems.

This poem, in all the requisites that go to make up excellency, is of a very superior description. The tale that the muse of Mr. Graham has thus beautifully adorned, and, we trust, made popular, is very highly romantic, yet bears upon it the impress of being as authentic as it is surprising. Geoffrey Rudel, the Prince of Blaye, near Bourdeaux, falls in love with a certain Countess of Tripoli merely by the force of his imagination, on hearing the high encomiums that were lavished on her beauty. Tripoli had been recently taken from the Saracens, and was, at this time, erected into a Christian feudatory. Well, Geoffrey takes the cross and embarks, but, just as his voyage is about to terminate, sickness assails him; he is believed to be dead, and, as a corpse, is deposited in the first house that the mariners could attain. However, love had sufficient power to keep his heart in action until the countess, hearing of this devotion, comes to look upon the body of one who had loved so well. He has just life enough to discover and be sensible of her embrace, and to thank God for having thus given him his heart's desire--and dies. A nunnery and a speedy dissolution, is the fate of the countess. All this is narrated, and at some length, in very sweet verse, and we hope will find a deserved patronage from all those who love good poetry.

A Compendium of Natural Philosophy; being a Survey of the Wisdom of God in the Creation. By JOHN WESLEY, A.M. Revised, corrected, and adapted to the present state of Science. By ROBERT MUDIE, Author of "A Guide to the Observations of Nature." 3 Vols.

We have as yet received but the first volume of this work, and find it every way adapted to work out the ends which Mr. Mudie proposes, and in which all good men must concur. The preface, which must on no account be omitted by the reader, will at once not only give the views of the work, but also the very valid reasons that influenced the talented editor to take so many liberties with the book of such a man as was John Wesley. We are, as yet, but infants in reading the manifold and instructive lessons of the Creator, as they are so amply, so beautifully, and so graciously unfolded in all his works. Notwithstanding the acuteness and the extensive reading of Wesley, we have been permitted to decypher

a few not unimportant pages since he lived and wrote; a revision, therefore, of his excellent work was necessary, and thus far it has been excellently done. This first volume treats of man, and of his origin and his soul, and then in its second part proceeds to discuss the laws of animals, so far down-for we must have gradations, though all grades are perfect in themselves-as fishes. It forms the fifty-sixth number of the Family Library, and is not only a great accessory, but also a necessary to this clever series. We have but to mention this work to excite a great desire in all to possess it.

The Fellow Commoner. 3 Vols.

With the first portion of this novel the readers of the "Court Magazine" are already familiar. It now, in the more imposing shape of three goodly-sized volumes, aspires to a wider circulation, and more varied classes of readers. In many respects it deserves it; yet it certainly has to labour with one great disadvantage throughout its progress, it treats of characters and scenes with which the great mass of readers will shrink from sympathizing. Those classes, if we may call those classes who are the outcasts of society, that would much rejoice in having so clever a chronicler of their misdeeds as is the author of these volumes, will never read them, and none of the more civilized ranks of society will care much to store their memories with cheats, tricks, and successful robberies, always excepting those who have a prurient taste for this sort of Newgate Calendar lore. Works of this description can only become popular among the mere populace, but even to achieve this, the writer, by writing too well, has defeated himself. He should either have modelled his work upon the history of Bamfylde Moore Carew or have left it alone altogether. Having thus expressed our disapprobation of the general character of this publication, a more pleasing task remains,—to eulogize highly the very excellent manner in which it is executed. There is a strong interest attached to the "predestinated rogue" from first to last, and that part of his adventures, wholly unconnected with his thievish and plundering propensities is of a very superior order. We allude especially to the Robinson Crusoe-like portion, which is eloquently narrated, and will make an indelible impression upon the memory. Many parts of this novel abound in humour, though we must confess, that we have never detected the author in rising to that nicety of mental sportiveness that may be denominated wit. We frankly confess that, with all our respect for the varied talents of the author, we do not wish to see this particular work become popular, as we think that, though so well performed, it is conceived in a very faulty taste; and a successful work or two framed after this pattern, would tend to inundate the press with coarse imitations, that, wholly wanting the sterling merits of "The Fellow Commoner," would rival it only in multiplying scenes of human depravity, and in intruding upon the ears, and familiarizing to the minds of our sons and daughters the slang of a vocabulary, with which to be unacquainted we hold to be an honour. We trust that these, our well-meant animadversions, will be taken in good part. We wish to excite in the author's bosom a nobler ambition than to record the misdoings and the escapes of a rogue, although that rogue ultimately reforms, and renounces at one and the same time both his moral and religious delusions, and from being a supralapsarian, becomes an excellent episcopal communicant. There are interspersed through the volumes several sweet pieces of poetry, principally from the almost unread and too little known old English poets, which come in very quaintly as quotations.

The White Man's Grave; a Visit to Sierra Leone in 1834. By F. HARRISON RANKIN. 2 Vols.

The title of this work, "The White Man's Grave," is given half in derision; and the two volumes, while they afford a vivid description of Sierra Leone, and every thing connected with it, may be said to be an apology, if not a panegyric, of an over-traduced country. Few narratives ever displayed more vivacity. Mr. Rankin tells his story in excellent spirits, and even over this grave is as facetious as any sober-minded traveller ought to be. He is a painter who uses only bright colours, or, if a shade or two will obtrude upon his picture, it is either for the sake of harmony or relief, slightly touched in, and soon forgotten amid the blaze of the surrounding brightness. That other portraits have been too gloomily wrought out we can well imagine; but the facts-the stern facts-continually stare us in the face; for if this Sierra Leone be a terrestrial paradise, the white man, according to other authors, is only permitted an average life of three years to enjoy it, and die. The world, however, should be grateful to the author for throwing so many new and important lights on the subject of this colony, which, after all the disasters that it has occasioned to the English, will ever be the noblest monument to our philanthropy that any nation ever erected, or any history recorded. In saying this, we look only at the sublime intention, that of not only relieving the actual race of slaves from their present fetters, but by planting in the very arena of slavery a free society, thus affording a nucleus and example of liberty that humanity will, in due time, entirely spread over the African continent. The facts, we must admit, are disheartening. Under the very eyes of the Governor of Sierra Leone, and at the distance of only five miles from his house, on the Bullom shore, slavery flourishes in all its horrors. Nay, the liberated are nightly kidnapped from Sierra Leone itself. It is a trade that flourishes as much as smuggling on the Kentish and Devonshire coasts. The exports of this black merchandize have not decreased; but the manner of it is now infinitely more cruel than when the traffic was deemed lawful. Every one knows that Great Britain is compelled to permit it south of the line, and the young and liberal France will not permit our cruisers the right of search of any vessel bearing the tricolor flag, whatever may be the presumption that she is a slaver, north or south of the line or anywhere else. There is also a horrible cruelty that we ought ourselves to remedy. When the captured slave vessel arrives, why is not the miserable, the diseased, and the dying cargo landed immediately? Four bare walls, as a lazaretto, would be infinitely preferable to these boxes of living pestilence, the ships' holds, where the wretched beings are forced to remain until the mixed commission decide whether the captured vessel be a lawful prize. There is another thing in this clever work that we cannot understand: either Mr. Rankin has been grossly deceived, or somebody ought to be impeached at home. One of these slavers, a schooner called the Black Joke, being surprised and taken, was fitted out as a cruiser against the other fast-sailing vessels employed in this inhuman traffic. The Black Joke overtook, by her superior sailing, and captured everything. This Atlante of the seas captured herself more slavers in one year than all the other cruisers put together. Well, what does the simple reader think the people in office at home did concerning this vessel?-order half-a-dozen more to be built upon her model? No such thing-but to be burnt--for a witch, we suppose. Mr. Rankin says, "The Black Joke was condemned and burnt, and a melancholy sight have I considered it when passing by her long eighteen, that still stands above water in the bay at half tide." This is most unaccountable: why burn her? Were her materials worth nothing? Are long May 1836.-VOL. XVI.—NO. LXI.

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eighteens so plentiful? Let us grant it--but why endanger the navigation of the bay by such an artificial shoal? The whole matter is inexplicable to us, but not the following paragraph. "So efficient were her services, that many a negro who had been liberated by her, is said to have wept on beholding the conflagration; and it is notorious that, from the Rio Pongas to the Galba, continual feasts and rejoicings amongst the slave merchants bore witness to the feelings with which they regarded the destruction of their scourge." All this we most potently believe. This work demands the public attention.

An Introduction to Phrenology, in the form of Question and Answer: with an Appendix and Copious Illustrative Notes. By ROBert MACNISH, Author of the "Anatomy of Drunkenness," and the "Philosophy of Sleep," and Member of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

In the commencement of every species of knowledge, the human mind gropes, at first, in dark and devious ways, mistaking, in its early path, every corruscation for the light of truth, and when the journey is but begun, resting in the pleasant seat of error, crying out proudly, Eureka ! -we have discovered all. In some such state, we conceive, is the most forward of the phrenologists. They will not consent to believe that, as yet, phrenology is not a science, but merely an hypothesis-a clever one, and one based upon truth we will readily admit, but an hypothesis after all. The advocates of this science are, doubtlessly, right in their general principles, but in their applications, in all the ramifications of detail, we fear that they are completely and even palpably wrong. We well know that with mere logic we cannot confute them. The same may be said of them as was so quaintly observed of Bishop Berkley, "It is impossible that he should be right, but it is equally impossible to prove him wrong." Let us take one case for an example: we will produce ten, twenty, or fifty persons who shall have the bump of music awfully developed, who will not be able to comprehend the rhythm of the simplest tune, and be as impervious to music as a millstone. Now this shall no way in the world disconcert our friends, the phrenologists. The quantity of the brain is there, we will admit, but not the quality, is their triumphant reply; but if (oh, that if!)—but if the quality had been equal to the quantity, cæteris paribus, &c. &c., and so of every other function. There is no arguing against this: certainly we will not attempt to do it. We repeat that, with their general principles we have no quarrel; we merely beg to insinuate to them that, by some remote chance, they are still wandering in ignorance, and that they may perhaps be presumptuous in asserting, that this particular patch on the skull is "self-esteem," or that the love of approbation.' They say that they have got an organ, No. 12, that they call cautiousness. By all means let them cultivate its increase, and not build up the elaborate superstructure of their science before they have sufficiently dug away the earth of ignorance in order to receive its fitting foundations. As to the work before us, we confess it is well done, and very lucidly explained are all its doctrines. We must, however, gently reprove that affectation of throwing scorn upon the incredulous, which blemishes, here and there, this talented work. It is only upon unproved and unprovable questions that people get angry. We believe that there is no instance on record of a man being seriously in a passion because he could not convince another that ten times ten make one hundred. We think too well of this infant hypothesis to imagine that it will require persecution to bring it into repute; therefore there is no occasion to tempt it by violence or invective. As we really wish to cheer the

phrenologists on in their researches, heartily and in all friendship do we counsel them to retrace many of their late and, we are sure, too precipitate steps, and not publish maps of countries not only unconquered, but still unknown.

The Despatches, Minutes, and Correspondence of the Marquis of Wellesley, K. G. during his Administration in India. Edited by Mr. MONTGOMERY MARTIN.

We have received this first volume and perused it with delight. They may truly be called national records of which England may be justly proud, and the very best materials for history, if it be not history itself. Not only do these documents throw, almost in every page, new lights upon imperfectly known subjects, but give us fresh facts, with all the multiplicity of their remote causes. They tend to uphold the English character, and do infinite honour to the gallant marquis, whose wise government they so well illustrate. This is the best field in which to study the oriental character-how little it is to be depended upon, how loose is the hold that moral restraints have upon it, is verified in almost every transaction. These papers relate to so far back, as when regenerating France attempted to excite the native powers to rebel against us, and by their unwearied, and, we must aver, skilful machinations, placed the Marquis of Wellesley in a very delicate position, from which nothing but British honour, British wisdom, and British courage could have extricated him. All these plottings and intrigues led ultimately to the overthrow of Tippoo, and the memorable storming and capture of Seringapatam. No invasion was more just or more necessary on our part than this, which we brought to a conclusion so triumphant. The papers reach no farther down than to the close of the year 1799. Much other authentic and valuable information may be expected in the succeeding volumes. As to the labours of the editor, we know not whether they have been light or onerous, but the name of Mr. Martin is a guarantee that what he undertakes will assuredly be well done. We are, therefore, not surprised that in the getting up of this volume there remains nothing to be wished for. It is decorated by a frontispiece, containing a very well engraved bust of the gallant marquis, with a fac-simile of his signature, which seems to have been copied from one written with a remarkably good pen. It is engraved by Finden, after the bust by that strange old genius, Nollekens. There is also a good map of English India, which is very useful in understanding the various military operations referred to in the dispatches, and also a plan of the attack upon Seringapatam. Indeed, the volume is complete, and will not only give satisfaction, but just pride, to the British public.

Poetic Illustrations of the Bible History, containing the Conspiracy of Absalom, the Battle at Ephraim's Wood, and the Dispute between the Tribes after the Battle. By the REV. JOHN HOLT SIMPSON, A.M. of Pembroke College, Cambridge.

We will, much honouring the motives that induced the author to give these verses to the public, refrain from doing more than recommend him to confine the copies that have been printed to a circle as select as he can, and which will respect him sufficiently to take good intentions for deeds, and who may value genuine piety more than the meretricious gaudiness of poetry.