habits. He gives a satisfactory statement of the degree of his success in surmounting the disadvantages of his being only an A. B., and therefore debarred from the use, as matter of right, of the books and manuscripts in the public library.'

He then goes deep into the antiquities, the progressive enlargements, the successive charters and privileges, and the changes and stages of theological and philosophical faith, of this illustrious seat of learning. The story is deduced in due order and connexion, in the following series of sections.

Part I. History and Antiquity of Cambridge-University and Town. Dissentions-Charters, Privileges, and various Regulations Transactions in the University during Henry the VIIIth's, Edward VIth's, and Mary's reign-Queen Elizabeth-Charter-- University Statutes-Queen's Visit-James I.-His Regiæ Literæ and Injunctions-Graces of the Senate-Charles I.-Parliament-Their new Arrangements in the University-and Ejection of the Royalists -Charles II.-NewArrangements and Ejection of the Oliverians— Dissentients.

Part II. Britons-Saxons-Colleges-Universities-Literature of the Monks Age of Wickliffe, and Progress of Literature-Revival of Literature-Erasmus, and other eminent Men, classical Scholars -Progress of Classical Literature-Bentley, and others-Oriental Literature-Theological Literature-Age of Science-PhilosophyBacon, and others-Mathematics-Barrow-Sir I. Newton, Whiston, and others-Appendix, first to University Literature-Mr. Ray and Dr. Harvey-Reflections arising from the preceding Chapter, being Appendix Second-Present State of Professorships.

Part III. Public Walks-Attempt at Improvements-Public Buildings-Botanic Garden-Appendix.'

And then there is the latter portion of the work, the biographical history of each of the colleges distinctly.

Amidst the thankless toil of investigating the origin of the University, the historian amuses himself with the extravagant legends respecting its antiquity, the most favourite one of which is, that the place was formed into a seat of literature by Cantabar, a Spaniard, several centuries before the Christian

æra.

Very early they introduce into it Grecian philosophers to give it literature: they people it early with Christian doctors: it is soon destroyed, and soon revives; and in purifying it from heresies, and in promoting astronomy, with other sciences, they lead us on with a tolerable to the grace of Christ 529.'

year

After a good deal of traversing of fables and doubtful records, he concludes there is no ground for commencing the history before the time of Siegebert, in the seventh century.

Thus we shall begin with a king as our patron, we shall

have clerics as our guides, and what can a Cambridge man wish for more?

It is said, then, that Siegebert, on his return from Gaul, formed a plan, from what he saw there, for a school; and we suppose, it being most probable, that this school was at Cambridge, though this is not asserted by Bede. In addition then to what has already been observed of Siegebert, it may be further said to those prepared to receive him as the founder of our original schola, that he was raised to the supreme authority over the East Angles, among whom Cambridge lay, A. C. 630. He only reigned two, or at most, three years, when, resigning the ensigns of royalty, he became a monk.'

From this royal origination the Author accompanies the fortunes of the institution down through the successive reigns of the princes that chose to be its benefactors. It acquired great consequence under Edward III. as a privileged corporation, armed with authority enough to make it respected, feared, and arrogant. It was substantially in an ecclesiastical character that it sustained this authority; it could not be slow in acquiring all the haughtiness which in those times peculiarly distinguished the church; and one natural consequence was a violent competition with the civil authority of the town, in which it was not less natural that the literary-ecclesiastical acquired the predominance.

There are a considerable number of facts illustrative of the superstition and the literature of the dark popish ages, which will interest the general reader; but also a large proportion of details relative to charters, and college regulations, which will require readers both imbued with antiquarianism, and feeling a special interest respecting the university.

The historian has maintained a most exemplary impartiality throughout. There was a very strong test for this virtue in the eventful age of puritanism and the civil war; and he has passed through the history and biography of those times as a simple relater of facts, and an accurate explainer, so far as his limits allowed, of the principles of the respective parties, and the most distinguished individuals. We think no man of any party can have cause to censure him.

His sketches of the changing modes of philosophy, display the same honest adherence to truth, and an extensive reading. The plates, to the number of thirty-two, are on a rather small scale, but of very fine execution; and by this and their faithfulness to the objects, add very greatly to the value of the book.

Art. XIV. Clássical English Letter-Writer: or Epistolary Selections; designed to improve Young Persons in the Art of Letter-Writing, and in the Principles of Virtue and Piety. With introductory Rules and Observations on Epistolary Composition, and Biographical Notices of the Writers from whom the letters are selected. By the author of "Lessons for Young Persons in Humble Life" 12mo. pp. xxiv. 362. price, bound, 5s. Longman and Co.

1814.

IT must strike every person on opening this volume, as an omission wholly unaccountable, that in a selection of Letters designed, not only to form the taste, but to improve the moral principles of young persons, the letters of Cowper should not once be referred to ;-that compositions exhibiting almost every variety of Epistolary excellence, uniting the ease vivacity and playfulness of the French models, to the substantial qualities of a vigorous understanding and an affectionate heart, written in pure and correct English, and, in fact, answering in all respects, the description which the Preface gives, of the letters which should compose such a Selection, should not have been allowed to supply one specimen illustrative of the Art. The praise which the commendable design and respectable execution of this volume are in other respects entitled to, must on this account suffer a considerable deduction.

The Contents are divided into two parts. The Letters in the first part are arranged under the heads of Narrative Letters, Descriptive Letters, Letters of Precept and Advice, Letters of Admonition and Expostulation, Letters of Congratulation, and Letters of Condolence and Consolation. The second part consists of fourteen chapters of Miscellaneous Letters, by Lady Russel, Pope and Atterbury, Mr. Rowe, the Bishop of Derry (Dr. Rundle), Lord Lyttleton, the Dutchess of Somerset, Bishops Hurd, Warburton, and Horne, Mr. Gray, Miss Talbot, Mrs. Carter, Dr. Johnson, and Miss Seward, and six from different persons The Biographical notices which are appended to the Letters, extend to 50 pages, and form a valuable addition to the work

We think that the Selection, if it had been extended to the 'compositions of living authors, might have received some very interesting contributions from Mrs. Grant's Letters from the Mountains. Letter-writing appears to be an accomplishment in which females are particularly qualified to excel. That sportive vivacity, facility of association, and intuitive perception of the shades of character and of feeling, which seem native to the mind of a well-educated woman, give the VOL. II. N. S. 2 R

sex much the advantage in the achievement of the lighter graces of familiar composition. The letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, though we are not wholly at a loss to account for their being passed over in this selection, may be referred to, as furnishing some of the happiest specimens of an art, to which previously the English language had been imagined to be ill-adapted. Among the works of Miss Edgeworth will be found some excellent models of the familiar and domestic style, which are not the less excellent from their being founded on fictitious circumstances. Miss Seward's Letters exhibit many of the beauties, but as many of the faults, of the Epistolary style, and can hardly therefore be safely recommended to the pupil; not only because those faults would be so much more easily imitated than the excellences by which they are occasionally relieved, but because the affectation, false taste, and pedantry, which they display, are exactly the defects into an admiration of which a juvenile writer is the most likely to be betrayed. Nothing is more fatal to all hope of attaining excellence than the ambition of writing a fine letter-the love of display so natural to the mind in the first stages of its development, if not checked by the watchful cultivation of those feelings which are the foundation of genuine taste, will find ample scope and opportunity in the simple exercise of epistolary intercourse, and its effects will be not less injurious to the moral than to the intellectual character. The introductory notes and observations prefixed to this Selection, contain some judicious remarks on the subject of letter-writing, addressed to young persons, and the specimens are, upon the whole, well-adapted to the design of the pub

lication.

Art. XV.-A Sermon, preached at the Parish Church of St. Andrew by the Wardbrobe and St. Anne Blackfriars, on Tuesday, May 3, 1814, before the Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East, being their Fourteenth Anniversary. By the Honourable and Very Reverend the Dean of Wells. Also the Report of the Committee to the Annual Meeting, held on the same day, and a List of Subscribers and Benefactors. Printed by order of the General Meeting, 8vo. pp. 240. Price 2s. London, Seeley, 1814. WE are solicitous to promote to the utmost of our influence, the circulation of this interesting publication. The rapid advancement of the Church Missionary Society, and the great augmentation of its resources and influence, must afford the liveliest Satisfaction to those who consider the simultaneous efforts of every class of christians in this kingdom, for the propagation of their

"most holy faith," as the surest pledge of national security, and as an omen of the happiest promise in regard to the destinies of mankind. It is not to be supposed, that the strong excitement of general attention to this object, the creation of various and powerful means, the vast combination of agents who have been called into exercise, and the fervent desires and rationa! expectations of religious people, will not be followed by results of so decisive a nature, and of such magnitude and extent, as shall justify the enlightened confidence of faith, and show that thes desires and exertions were " of God;"--that they were in themselves intimations of the great designs about to be unfolded.

The Sermon by the Dean of Wells is of distinguished excellence it breathes a liberal, a holy, and a devout spirit. The following extracts will enable our readers to appreciate its impressive character.

The domestic burdens, and the foreign impediments of war; the Slave Trade and its effects, in one of our chief scenes of exertion; and in the other the shackles of a government, apparently but little alive to the duty of propagating Christian Truth, have kept back the support, which we might have expected, and have retarded the progress, which, under the blessing of God, our efforts might have produced.

But at length, the crisis is arrived, which seems, in its chief event, and in all its collateral circumstances, to throw open a mighty door, beyond all precedent, and even hope, to our exertions and our success. Universal peace, with the most unusual prospect of cordiality and perpetuity, seems about to unite the Christian World almost in one community.

The exhausting drain of war, which has long absorbed so much of every man's superfluities and even of his comforts, is about to be cut off; and the fund, which supplied it, "must flow into other channels. Surely, that, which the truest love to man and the best directed gratitude to God recommends, will not fail to receive its full portion of the stream. The facility of intercourse will be revived; and even many bars and hindrances from ancient jealousies and sus picions, will, in all probability, be removed.

And here, surely, we cannot omit to direct a hasty glance at th encouragement afforded to us by a connected view of history prophecy.

At the coming of the Saviour, and the first preaching of gospel, a general peace of extraordinary unanimity and duration vailed; and seemed to usher, as it were, the Prince of Pe... his own world.

And may not this period of extraordinary harmony and tr lity, now to all appearance approaching, prove the herald an paration for another coming of the Messiah, at least in a f sense?-for another extraordinary effort to exalt his nam propagate his gospel, when truly the root of Jesse shall be for an ensign to the people, and to it shall the Gentiles seek?