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Art. 15. Sacred Poems, selected from the best Writers; designed to assist Young Persons to read and recite metrical Compositions with propriety; and to inculcate the most important Principles of Love to God and Benevolence to Man. By Ph. Le Breton, A. M. Master of the Academy in Poland-street. Small 12mo. pp. 144. Law and Whittaker. 1816.

These hymns and religious pieces are not prefaced by any instructions for reading or reciting them with propriety; and, as they form a miscellaneous selection, the names of the writers should have been affixed to each poem.

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Art, 16. The Ruby Ring; or the Transformations, By Eliza Lucy Leonard. 16mo. pp. 64. 4s. Boards, Hailes. 1816. Taking a well known oriental tale for the basis, the author has here contrived a pleasing, and moral little poem, and has embellished it with some elegant designs.

NOVELS.

Art. 17. Julia of Ardenfield. 12mo, 2 Vols. Ios. 6d. Boards.

Law and Whittaker.

1816..

Julia of Ardenfield' is the subject of one of those novels to which little praise or blame can be attached; the style is affected, but not often ungrammatical; nor is the morality objectionable, though it will neither be improving nor impressive: a defect which may arise from the feebleness of the plan, and from the characters and situations being such as have no resemblance to those of real life, though the writer professes to trace a picture of living manners. Art. 18. Self-Deception. In a Series of Letters. By Emma Parker, Author of "The Guerrilla Chief," "Aretas," &c. 12mo. 2 Vols. 12s. Boards. Egerton. 1816.

Miss Parker always treats us with something new in her plot, and something agreeable in her delineations: but the present story totters on the utmost verge of possibility; and it will even be said to have passed that limit by readers who are unacquainted with French manners. The two male personages, who seem to be intended to excite the greatest interest, are also made to act meanly and ungenerously. When the Count de Clairval is persuaded that his wife loves him, he pays particular attention to her unworthy rival for the express purpose of arousing her jealousy; and Mr. Eardley denies repeatedly to his friend that he loves Henriette, while at the same time he urges his suit to that lady.

In volume i., page 234, we meet with the following objectionable sentence: I love that country as my own, and having passed all my youthful years there has given it an interest superior to any other;' and page 257., I could not see any difference between the famous Barberini vase and one I had seen in Wedgewood.'

Art. 19. The Pastor's Fire-side. By Miss Jane Porter. Author
of "Thaddeus of Warsaw," "Sidney's Aphorisms," and "The
Scottish Chiefs." 12mo. 4 Vols.
Il. s. 6d. Boards.
Longman and Co. 1817.

REV. MAY, 1817.

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Something like disappointment will probably be caused by the title of this work; and readers, who expect the gentle and domestic scenes of a Pastor's Fire-side,' will be surprized at finding themselves carried into palaces and dungeons, and to fields of battle but the tale displays a great variety of incident, with much justness of thought; and the character of Louis de Ripperda is a touching and finely conceived picture of filial piety and heroic self-denial. The fair writer has, however, taken great liberties with the historical facts on which her novel is grounded. For examples: she makes a pathetic scene of the death of Ripperda's wife, whereas the Duchess de Ripperda outlived her husband; in order to place Louis in the questionable situation of fighting in a lawful cause against his father, she confounds the Duke de Montemar with the son of Ripperda; and, after the disgrace of Ripperda, she carries him at once into Africa, entirely sinking three intermediate years which he passed in England. We will not censure her for omitting all mention of "the fair Castilian" who was the companion of his flight: but we may notice her injustice to another lady, the Countess de Blaggay, who was not, as Miss Porter calls her, a woman of mean birth, but born Countess de Coblentz. Miss P. seems to have intended Philip Duke of Wharton for one of the most agreeable characters, it was injudicious to represent him as playing off an unfeeling and disgusting joke on Louis in the childhood of the latter; and we overcame not the dislike excited by this incident, till we recollected that the occurrence was impossible, because Wharton was born in 1699, and, as Louis is supposed to have been grown up at the period of his father's embassy to Vienna in 1722, he and his friend must have been nearly of the same age.

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We need not trouble our readers by mentioning any farther incongruities but we must notice a few verbal inaccuracies; such as, (vol. i. page 89.) is there no terms to be kept?'-(Page 113.) He who Cromwell sent to the scaffold.'-(Page 152.) A man who 'he loves.' (Page 273.) Their vapoury lights lit him along.'(Vol. ii. page 58.) To engloom an evil prospect.'-(Page 65.) The sovereigns themselves were principles, and that they should be principles was astonishing.' — (Page 134.) Icy peaks of the glaziers. (Page 298.) The Queen knows how ably you fulfilled your duties, and herself suggested to the King rewarding your zeal.'(Page 302.) The colonnades were lit up.'-(Page 355.) Yourself has separated us,' &c. &c.

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Art. 20. The Absent Man, a Narrative. Edited by Sir Peter
Plastic, Knight of the Order of the Tower and Sword. 12mo.
4s. Boards.
Baldwin and Co. 1817.

The strokes of humour in this book are so mingled with the improbable, the absurd, or the unintelligible, that we cannot prophecy much popularity to the Absent Man:' yet the writer appears to possess talents, which would amuse and interest if they were exerted in the developement of a clear and connected story. Art. 21. The Cavern of Roseville; or, The Two Sisters. A Tale; translated from the French of Madame Herbster. By

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Alexander

Alexander Jamieson, Author of a Treatise on the Construction of Maps. 12mo. pp. 174. Law and Whittaker. 1817.

A translation of a pleasing little French tale, which may safely be recommended to young readers, notwithstanding some verbal improprieties; such as you will travel in his barge much more agreeable than in a waggon,' (page 52.) we are too young, are my sister and I,' (p. 53.)—and some passages in which the French expression has been too literally rendered; viz. the soul enjoys it with so much felicity that she is happy a long time after,' (p.75-)-a round visage-her sweet physiognomy,' (p.84.)-'may they encounter none but serene and happy days,' (p. 174.) &c. &c.. Art. 22. The White Cottage, a Tale. 12mo.

Cadell and Davies. 1817.

PP. 344. Boards. The ground-work of this performance is rather new, the misfortunes of the principal character arising from physical instead of moral causes: but, if the tale inculcates no virtue, still it depreciates none, and it will probably be relished by those readers who love a short and melancholy story.

Art. 23. Eglantine; or the Family of Fortescue. By Charlotte Nooth. 12mo. 2 Vols. 12s. Boards. Sherwood and Co.

1816.

Though far from being devoid of faults, this tale may be commended as evincing the fair author's literature and general information, conveyed in a lively animated strain, and containing some portraitures of considerable merit. In the story of Miss de Broke, those discomforts which frequently attach to the situation of a governess are so feelingly exhibited, that we wish this delineation of them to be read by every lady who engages the services of such a dependant: the circumstances of a meeting between two lovers, after a separation of twenty years, are naturally and strikingly depicted in the second volume; - and the narrative of Mrs. Fortescue may afford an useful warning against imprudent marriages, although the recapitulation of her husband's errors does not proceed gracefully from this lady's lips when addressed to her daughter; nor is Miss de Broke's detail of her mother's foolish and harsh conduct a becoming communication to a new acquaintance on the first day of their meeting.

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Some grammatical errors must also be noticed; such as (Vol. i. p. 177.) These he sold to a considerable loss:'-(p. 206.) having ran over with her eye:'-(p. 229.) I had not seen the place since Repton was had down?' If you would have rode over:-(p. 235.) a sweet place just done up,' &c. In Vol. ii. p. 26., the fair writer shews that it "is a dangerous thing" for ladies to make Latin quotations, since she there talks of the "disjecti membra poeta."

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Art. 24. The Tale of Edward and Anna, a Fragment. By Florio. Small 12mo. Pp. 144. Longman and Co. 1816.

A turgid and disjointed style marks the composition of this tale, and some Scoticisms and inaccuracies are also perceivable; such 'some pages were amissing, his eyes sparked fatefully

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wild,' she was bed-rid,' elogies, for eulogies, &c.: but the latter part of the story is pathetic.

Art. 25. Angelion, or the Wizard in Elis. A Romance. Taken from the German, by Maria de Geisweiler.

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1816.

i2mo. 3 Vols.

18s. Boards. Sherwood and Co. "We are sorry to describe this work as a singular and wearisome medley, displaying much of the sickly sentiment and strained antithesis of most German novelists. The hero is an accomplished Briton, who is extremely surprized and wounded' at not finding still extant in Greece the gods of Phydias, Lysipus,' &c. for so the names are here spelt; and, after some rambling in search of them, he receives as his bosom-friend the man whom he knows to have murdered his father and seduced his mother. All this surpasses the extravagances of Augustus Pottingen himself. Of the aphorisms, the following may serve as a specimen: (Vol. i. p.157.) Mankind in general seldom expire under the point of a dagger, but how often are they tortured to death by the pricking of needles!' Among other inaccuracies, in Vol. i. p. 2. the Parthenon is called the Pantheon, and in p. 210. the context seems to represent Guido as an antient Greek painter.

HISTORY,..

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Art. 26. History of the Campaign of the British, Dutch, Hanoverian, and Brunswick Armies, under the Command of the Duke of Wellington; and of the Prussians under that of Prince Blucher of Wahlstadt, in the Year 1815 with a Plan of the Battle of Waterloo. By C. de M. Together with an Account of the Origin of the Publication, and some Particulars regarding Bonaparte's Conduct during the Battle of Waterloo: of the Defence of Hugomont and La Haye Sainte; of the Progress of Grouchy's Army, &c. By the Right Hon. Sir John Sinclair, Bart. 8vo. Boards. Egerton. 1816.

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We find that C. de M., from whom this historical sketch of the Campaign of 1815 proceeds, is General Baron de Müffling, a Prussian officer of high rank; who commanded, during several months in that year, the part of the allied army which was intrusted with the occupancy of Paris. Nothing, therefore, but the length at which we have already entered on the subject of Waterloo, could induce us to consign this important document to a corner of our Journal; since it contains information of no ordinary nature, and apprizes us of various particulars of which we in vain sought a solution, when preparing an article on this subject for our Number of September last. Among other matters, we learn from this account that the Duke of Wellington was on the ground at Quatre Bras as early as eleven o'clock on the forenoon of the 16th of June, and that he had time to ride to Blucher's head-quarters near Ligny, and to converse with that veteran on the plan of operations, before he returned to his own troops. We have besides the highly essential admission that at Ligny the French were inferior in number to the Prussians; and that they would not, in all probability, have forced the centre of the latter, had not Marshal

Blucher

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Blucher unfortunately been induced by an erroneous report, repeatedly mentioned in this work, (pp. 9. 61. 71.) to move a mass of force round to his right at St. Amand. Again, the amplest acknowlegement is made of the unlucky mis-calculation on the 18th, the Prussians having assured our countrymen that they might depend on the arrival of the Prussian force to our assistance by two o'clock in the afternoon; that is, nearly five hours sooner than they actually reached the ground: a circumstance of the greatest importance, not only as explaining the magnitude of our loss, but as accounting for the conduct of our commander in allowing 18,000 men to remain at Halle, ten miles distant from Waterloo. This numerous detachment was posted at the junction of three roads for the purpose of covering Brussels, and would certainly have been ordered up during the night before to the main body, had not the Duke relied with confidence on early co-operation from the Prussians.

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Another interesting feature in General de M.'s publication is the censure passed (pp. 69. 150.) on Grouchy, who was expected hourly by Bonaparte during the 18th, and was regarded by him as an effectual counterpoise to the advancing force of the Prussians. At the same time, the author gives no credit to his countrymen for concealing their march, and is by no means backward in censuring their tactics on more occasions than one. Had our troops been stationed at Ligny, the result of that bloody battle would have been very different. The British,' he says, have been hardly ever defeated in the open field when ably commanded; their soldiers are vigorous, intrépid, and admirably armed: - no infantry receives the attack of cavalry with so much confidence, or is so little disconcerted when taken in flank or rear.' On the other hand, he remarks that we do not abound in light troops, nor do we make any point of aiming at excursions in the Cossack style; so that, had it rested with us to pursue the French after their defeat at Waterloo, the loss and confusion of the enemy would not by any means have been so dreadful as they were made by the impassioned and embittered Prussians. Our inattention to this (by no means unimportant) part of the art of war would be severely felt, did we not calculate on combining our operations with some continental ally whose tactics are calculated to make up for the deficiency in question.

Such is, in brief, the substance of this curious and useful publication. We are sorry to add that the translation is very defective and erroneous (see pp. 14. 25. 35. 43..49.); and that both the beginning and the end of the book are incommoded by trifling papers from the pen of Sir John Sinclair: who enters on the discussion of military topics with as much confidence, and as large a stock of blunders, as he discovered seven years ago when writing on the Bullion-question and its imaginary axioms.

EDUCATION.

Art. 27. Grammaire de Lhomond; or the Principles of the French Language grammatically explained in English, according to the

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