otherwise exquisite ballad, "A Ballad with a Moral," we should have been glad to see the ballad metre more strictly preserved. We extract a stanza, to show what we mean :

"Drink and away!"-'twere sweet to lie
By the fountain's side, and dream
Of the verdant field, and the purple sky,
And the ever-flowing stream;
And gardens fair with perfumed air,
Nightingales warbling clear;

And Houris bright with flower-crown'd hair—
But drink-drink!-nor linger here!"

If the word "drink" in the last line were not repeated, we think the stanza would be faultless. We must part in good humour, for we have been much gratified with the volume; and we will give Mr. Willmott one more opportunity to speak for himself:"Oh, it is sad to lie and dream,

By memory's wild and fitful gleam,
Of vanished beauty; while the glare
Of dying reason fires the air;
Lighting the ruin'd temples old,
The intellectual shrines of gold!
Oblivion sleeps on Fancy's grave;

The choir of warbling thoughts depart;
And flaming swords of terror wave,

Before the garden of the heart."

We find that Mr. Willmott has announced a poem for publication, entitled the "Four Ages of Human Life," in four books, to which we shall look forward with interest.

The Personal History of his late Majesty George the Fourth, with Anecdotes of Distinguished Persons of the last Fifty Years. By the Rev. George Croly, LL.D. Second edition, in two volumes. London: Colburn.

1841.

It will be quite unnecessary to enter into any examination of a work so well known already as Dr. Croly's Personal History of George the Fourth." That a very large edition has been exhausted, and a new one called for, is a species of praise as acceptable to the pocket as to the mind of a writer. He may afford to have his works laughed at, who at the same time has them sold. But this is, as all our readers know, a very pleasant book. George the Fourth, a prince who has been more maligned than almost any British sovereign, was in truth a spoilt child of fortune and luxury; his dissipated habits during a very considerable period of his life-his growing indolence towards

*The land of imagination.

its close his habitually slight sense of religion-his tendencies to inordinate expense-are all matters of unhappy notoriety: but to say, as do his slanderers, that he was a mere selfish voluptuary-a cold-hearted and degraded sensualist-is not only false, but absurd, because totally inconsistent with many undeniable facts. He was, as a king, not only just and constitutionally correct, but pre-eminently merciful; as a gentleman, he was most accomplished; his taste and his scholarship are beyond dispute, and the natural kindness of his heart was fully appreciated. Those who call him the British Sardanapalus will do well to remember, that among the elements which formed the character of Sardanapalus were mingled some of the noblest that can adorn human nature. We are very glad to see a new and very elegant edition of Dr. Croly's book; it is a graceful, and has been an effectual tribute of justice to the memory of a departed prince.

The Origin, Progress, and Present Condition of the Fine Arts in Great Britain and Ireland. By W. B. Sarsfield Taylor. In two vols. London: Whittaker. 1841.

We cannot pretend to offer our readers an analytical account of this work; we shall merely recommend it to them as well worthy of their attention. It is, indeed, too sketchy in its character, but on that very account the more amusing. The lives of eminent promoters of art, as well patrons and artists, are very agreeably wrought into the history of the art itself. We shall give a few instances of this, but must protest against such inaccuracies as this:-"He (Gibbs) built the doric portico of King's College Chapel, Cambridge," " he built the quadrangle of All Saints College, Cambridge!" Mr. Taylor should, at all events, have read the Cambridge Guide. We shall take a pleasant extract, and it shall be "anent" the strange drapery adopted by painters during the reign of George I., on which topic our author's remarks are exceedingly good::

"The straight-cut coats and waistcoats with long flaps, the short tights, which gave a most unnatural stiffness to the appearance,-the ladies' tight-laced waists, and immense hoops, hair drawn straight up to a great height, with flappets flying behind,-were the unnatural or rather burlesque objects which the portrait painters of that time were obliged to encounter in their painting rooms. It was a day of triumph to the tailors and milliners of fashion, who had succeeded, as they generally do, when not controlled by the common sense and good taste of their customers, in rendering the finest forms, and the most graceful and beautiful of the Creator's works, not only stiff, unnatural, and awkward, but in reducing them to a state of actual deformity, which was only not laughable because it was expensive and artificial.

"To get rid, in some degree, by a flank movement, of those barbarous appearances, which none of the painters at that time had the energy or genius to attack in front and demolish, the artists contrived a sort of mock drapery, which flew about their sitters in all shapes and directions, except natural or graceful ones. It does not appear

that these flimsies were imitated from any real object; they were evidently produced by a rapid, haphazard-like whisk or two of the brush, and were done long before they could be thought of, like much more of the painting at that time. It would, of course, be too much to expect these independent draperies could be recognized as belonging to the costume of any tribe or nation, savage or civilized; but from the arbitrary and slashing manner in which they were flung about, it would seem as if an entire confusion of ideas in these matters prevailed very generally amongst the painters of that school."

The Art of Needlework from the earliest Ages, including some notices of the Ancient Historical Tapestries. Edited by the Right Hon. the Countess of Wilton. Third edition. London: Colburn. 1841. An extraordinary press of matter was the sole cause that we have not previously noticed this very excellent and agreeable work. The Countess of Wilton has presented her fair countrywomen with what cannot fail to be an acceptable present to them; for she has not only given them an interesting and learned-perhaps somewhat too learned-history of needlework, but she has adorned it with admirable morals. We quote the following, as concerning the clergy. Our bachelors of arts in the present day do, it seems, reverse the good Wolfstan's taste, inasmuch as they rather affect cat-skin or rabbit-skin for their hoods, in preference to lamb's wool:—

"The skin of the wild cat was much used by the clergy. Bishop Wolfstan preferred lamb-skin; saying, in excuse, Crede mihi, nunquam audivi, in ecclesia, cantari catus Dei, sed agnus Dei; ideo calefieri agno

volo.'

The monk of Chaucer had

his sleeves purfiled, at his hond,

With gris, and that the finest of the lond.'

"It is not till about the year 1 204 that there is any specific enumeration of the royal apparel for festival occasions. The proper officers are appointed to bring for the king on this occasion a golden crown, a red satin mantle adorned with sapphires and pearls, a robe of the same, a tunic of white damask, and slippers of red satin edged with goldsmith's work; a baldrick set with gems; two girdles enamelled and set with garnets and sapphires; white gloves, one with a sapphire, and one with an amethyst; various clasps adorned with emeralds, turquoise, pearls, and topaz; and sceptres set with twenty-eight diamonds.'

"So much for the king; and for the queen-oh! ye enlightened legislators of the earth, ye omnipotent and magisterial lords of creation, look on that picture, and on this.

"For our lady the queen's use, sixty ells of fine linen cloth, forty ells of dark green cloth, a skin of minever, a small brass pan, and eight towels."

Sketches in Ennis and Tyrawly. By the Author of "Sketches in Ireland" and "A Tour in Connaught." Dublin: Curry. 1841. THESE sketches are exactly adapted to the season; they are light, pleasant reading-full of characteristic remarks and anecdotes. One of the most amusing is the trial of Biddy Lavelle (see p. 390), who borrowed her neighbour's ass for the purpose of kissing it. Her object in this extraordinary freak was to get rid of a tooth-ache which she was taught to believe would, by this proceeding, be transferred to the unoffending animal. At the same time, her natural benevolence inducing her to do what she could to mitigate the poor beast's supposed sufferings, she poured down his throat a good part of a bottle of whisky. The next day the poor animal died; and the action alluded to was, in consequence, brought against Biddy. We must give one very interesting legend :—

"It is time for me to go back to Downpatrick promontory and Poulnashanthana.

"I presume (said I, to my companion) that there are many scals along a coast perforated by such caverns as this.'

"Yes, certainly, and, taking them along with bird catching, was a favourite though dangerous occupation of the young people, but they have given up seal hunting for this some time.'

"Perceiving a sort of smile on my companion's countenance, I asked, "And why?'

"You'd laugh, sir, if I told you the reason?'

"Then let me laugh, if you please, by all means.

"I don't exactly know whether it was in this Poulnashanthana, but it was in one of the caves that are found between Downpatrick and Kilcummin Heads, and which can only be entered when the tide is out, and then you must use lights, and at all times it is fearfully dangerous, for there is a terrible swell even in the greatest calm, and if the wind was in the least to rise with a point to north or north-west, they and their boat would be ground to atoms. Well, on a calm fine evening, two young fellows had urged their curraghs into a cave where the seals were known to breed, and they had brought besides poles to knock down the creatures, plenty of dry bog fir to keep up a blaze; and having got far in, the place was alive with seals, and the poor things were toddling about amongst the round stones at the end, and the boys were busy enough striking them on the head, and all they could reach were finished off and ready to be brought out; when in the farthest end of the cavern, and sitting up on its bent tail in a corner, just as you may suppose a tailor would sit on his board, there sat a fellow, his head as round as a man's, and it looked white, shining, and bare, with a flat nose and two grey eyes, just like an old fellow who was laid up

past his labour in the chimney corner. So one of the boys was just making up to him to strike him down with his pole, when the seal cried out, with a squeaking, snivelling, supplicating voice, Och, boys! och, my bouchals! spare your old grandfather, Darby O'Dowd.' You may suppose that the boys were not a little astonished and frightened when they heard a seal speak: but one of them, plucking up courage, accosted the creature, and said, 'Now, that is all a joke, you're no grandfather of ours, for Darby O'Dowd is long ago, long ago in his grave and God be merciful to him; he lies in Dunfeeny churchyard.' You may say that, and thrue it is for you, grandson Tim. It's thrue I was dead, and dacently buried; but here I am for my sins, turned into a sale, as other sinners are and will be. See what comes of selling mangy sheep for sound bastes, and swearing away before a coort a neighbour's good name; and Heaven is just, and here I am making my purgathory as a sale; and if you put an end to me and skin me, as I see you are for, maybe it's worser I'll be, and go into a shark or a porpoise, or some fish that will never have the honour or glory of sitting as I do now on firm land. Mind my bidding, then, boys avick; lave your ould forefather where he is, to live out his time as a sale. Maybe for your own sakes, for they say every dog has his day, you will ever hereafter leave off following and parsecuting and murthering sales, who may be nearer to yourselves nor you think.' It may be supposed that the young seal hunters gave up their occupation, and left their grandfather alone; at all events, let there be what foundation for the story there may, it is universally believed, and on the strength of it the people have given up seal hunting.'

A History of British Starfishes, and other Animals of the class Echinodermata. By Edward Forbes, M. W. S., For. Sec. B. S., &c. Illustrated by a wood-cut of each species, and numerous vignettes. London: Van Voorst. 1841.

We have already had occasion to speak of the beautiful style in which Mr. Van Voorst sends forth his publications. In this respect we know no publisher superior, and but few equal to him. The merit of the work is, however, in general equal to that of the typography. This exquisite volume one of the most interesting which we have seen for a long time on any point of natural history-is devoted to the consideration of the British starfishes; and few persons are aware how delightful the subject becomes when treated by able hands. The opening words of Mr. Forbes's treatise give a promise amply redeemed by the contents of the book:

"One of the most remarkable phenomena displayed to us by the researches of the geologist, is the evidence of the existence, in primeval times, of animals and plants, the analogies of which are now rare or wanting on our lands and in our seas. Among those tribes which have become all but extinct, but which once presented numerous generic modifications of form and structure, the order of crinoid starfishes is