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will be a pleasing and valuable acquisition; and some time may elapse before the reader will feel the incumbent weight.

REVIEW.-Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopedia, Vol. XXII. Silk Manufacture. 12mo. pp. 354. Longman, London. 1831. THE Contents of this volume are, in a variety of respects, of considerable interest and value. No person who contemplates the beauty of silk, can be indifferent to the history and manufacturing process of this important article, nor can the worm itself, by whose labour the raw material is produced, be deemed too insignificant for the most profound philosophical investigation. Into the natural history of silk, and of the insects to whose industry we are indebted for this elegant commodity, the author fully enters; and the process of the manufacture is detailed with much ability, in all its branches. The whole volume is replete with details and observations, in which both science and commerce are equally interested.

The anecdotes interspersed throughout the pages of this volume are both numerous and amusing. Some very singular calculations and experiments at times appear, and estimates founded on unquestionable data are formed, which seem astonishing in their results. The following paragraph will furnish a pleasing specimen.

"Consumption of Silk.-The quantity of this material used in England alone amounts in each year to more than four millions of pounds weight, for the production of which, myriads upon myriads of insects are required. Fourteen thousand millions of animated creatures annually live and die to supply this little corner of the world with an article of luxury! If astonishment be excited at this fact, let us extend our view into China, and survey the dense population of its widely-spread region, whose inhabitants, from the emperor on his throne to the peasant in the lowly hut, are indebted for their clothing to the labours of the silkThe imagination, fatigued with the flight,

worm.

is lost and bewildered in contemplating the countless numbers, which every successive year spin their slender threads for the service of man."

REVIEW.-Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopedia, Vol. XXIII. France, Vol. III. 12mo. pp. 390. Longman, London. 1331. THIS volume includes the eventful period in the history of France which extends from 1792 to the dissolution of the empire, than which few eras can be found more astonishing in the annals of the world. Throughout these twenty-two years, we perceive little less than one continued political and military fever, sometimes bursting forth with terrible but unnatural energy, and at all times preying upon the vitals of the constitution, undermining the

citadel of life, and finally terminating in

dissolution.

In every page of this volume, we find something either to stimulate excitement, Movement follows movement in rapid sucor to prevent it from growing languid. cession, and event presses on event, eager to obtain a hearing, and to command the attention of the reader. This closely compacted manner of narrative diffuses a thrilling interest through every paragraph. A single page sometimes comprises materials which, with a little dexterity and care, might easily be expanded into a volume. The author is a spirited writer, and appears to have an intimate acquaintance with the causes, occurrences, and incidents which he describes.

REVIEW.-The Christmas Box, a Juvenile Annual, for 1832. pp. 215. Marshall, Holborn-bars, London.

THE annuals have been occasionally censured by sundry antiquaries, and readers of the old school, for their alleged want of utility. In the short space allotted to this review, we cannot take up the question; or we would speedily prove the assumption to be fallacious; first, as regards the annuals intended for "children of a larger growth;" and, secondly, as to those designed for the express amusement and instruction of such as are of tender years. In former times, the juvenile portion of society was overlooked and neglected, in that mental feast which art and literature had been yearly providing; but now, viands are placed before them, seasoned to their infantile taste.

"The Christmas Box," the editor remarks, in his admirable preface, is again presented to his young friends, "as a fund of instruction blended with amusement, well calculated to neutralize the contagion of lowering skies, and convert the long hours of a winter's evening into a midsummer night's dream.'" Even a cursory examination of this annual will prove the justness of this sentiment. Its title, being remarkably appropriate and familiar, will fix itself in the

memories of the thousands of little masters and misses for whom the volume is intend. ed. Its list of literary contributors and artists would grace an annual of much higher pretensions. Bernard Barton, Miss Agnes Strickland, Mrs. Moodie, and Miss Isabel Hill, have not thought it unworthy of their talents to contribute to the edification of the young. The following specimen of the poetry is illustrative of an engraving entitled "The Farmer's Boy." The young rustic is seated on a sack of grain, eating his dinner, with his horse on one side of him, and his

faithful dog on the other. Altogether, the of the Atlantic, and also among the natives scene is a snatch of true nature.

THE FARMER'S BOY.
By Bernard Barton, Esq.

Oh! who would pine to be a lord,
And dine each day off plate;
And see, around a sumptuous board,
A troop of menials wait?
How many share a lot like this,
With far less real joy,

If health, content, and peace are his,
Than this blithe Farmer's Boy.
What dining-room is half so grand,
At Blenheim, Stowe, or Kew,
As Nature for his use hath planned,
Or boasts so fine a view?
Compared with his, each proud saloon
Seems but a tiny toy;

So rich has been kind Nature's boon
Unto her Farmer's Boy.

What liveried menial half so true
As his companion there,

Who seems his master's meal to view,
And watch to claim bis share?
Meanwhile, in patient gentleness,
Released from his employ,

His horse stands near, whose looks express
He serves the Farmer's Boy.

Further afield the eye may mark
The harrow dragged along,

And, high in air, the mounting lark
Outpours his merry song;

Around, bees hum o'er many a flower,
Till sweets that cannot cloy
Combine to bless the dinner hour

Of the glad Farmer's Boy.

The prose is very attractive, and its style well adapted to the juvenile class which it is intended to amuse and edify. Adverting to the plates, we think they are much too good for the little folks whose Christmas tasks and testimonials render them candidates for the paternal gift of "The Christmas Box." "Alfred and his Dog," painted by Cooper, engraved by Davenport, is delightful; the dog is quite a chef d'œuvre. "The Fisherman" has considerable merit. "The Portrait" is a scene of boyish humour. "The Young Shepherdess," an engraving replete with simplicity and rurality. "Little Red Riding Hood" will be a favourite, we opine, with the possessors of this tasty little gift. "Disturbed by the Nightmare," is from the painting of the facetious Theodore Lane.

For the laudable exertions which the editor of this juvenile annual has made, to form a simple yet elegant and varied bouquet for the young, he is entitled to the gratitude of every parent who wishes to blend, with the asperities of instruction, the sweets contained in these minor tomes of tale and song.

REVIEW.-A Visit to the South Seas, in the United States' Ship Vincennes, during the years 1829-30, with Notices of Brazil, Peru, Manilla, Cape of Good Hope, and St. Helena. By C.S.Stewart, M.A. 12mo. pp. 456. Fisher & Co., London. 1832. IF Mr. Stewart is not a citizen of the world in its common acceptation, it cannot be denied, that he is well known on each side

of the islands scattered over the vast expanse of the Pacific. About two hundred years since, the man who circumnavigated the globe was viewed as a prodigy, on his return, and regarded with astonishment by his countrymen and associates during the remaining part of his life. Of late years, however, adventure and enterprise have become so familar, that hazard appears without novelty, and novelty in a great degree without its charms.

Mr. Stewart, a native of America, resided for many years as a missionary among the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands, and, having noticed their manners, character, and customs, together with the vegetable and geological phenomena of the regions he visited, concentrated his observations in an interesting volume, which, after obtaining an extensive circulation in his own country, was republished in England, where it has acquired imperishable renown.

The ill health of Mrs. Stewart compelling her to leave their missionary station in the islands of the Pacific, she, with her husband, repaired to America, in 1825. Here they remained until 1829, when Mr. Stewart embarked as a chaplain on board the Guerriere, an American frigate, bound for the South Seas, where he was transferred to the Vincennes, another ship, returning to America by the way of the Cape of Good Hope. During this voyage, which occupied about two years, Mr. Stewart collected additional materials, that published in America, in two volumes, which, in the work before us, are now concentrated into one.

were

From the numerous accounts which have been published of late years, respecting those distant regions, we seem to have become familiar with their inhabitants and productions; but, whoever reads this volume with the attention it deserves, will soon be convinced, that something new is to be gleaned by every voyager, and that even the stores of originality are far from being exhausted. The circumnavigation of the globe is, indeed, an extensive range, and that man must be very inattentive to passof nature and art, who cannot, on his reing occurrences, and the varied productions turn, furnish out an entertaining volume.

confer, Mr. Stewart is fully entitled, but To all the praise which amusement can this forms only a small portion of his merit. His observations on the diversified subjects which present themselves, have always an eye to the moral condition of the world. Subservient to this, the extension of com→

merce, and the facilities of intercourse between tribes and nations, appear among the great objects of his solicitude, to promote peace, extend civilization, and elevate the general character of man.

To the style in which this volume is written, no one, we presume, will find any occasion to object. It is vivacious without levity, and sedate without ceasing to be Allurements to the reader are sprightly. scattered through every page; incidents keep attention constantly on the alert; and much useful information is the reward of perseverance.

On the character of the South Sea islanders, many observations of Mr. Stewart tend to throw much light. We call them savages, barbarians, heathens, and fre. quently complain of their treachery towards foreigners who visit their shores. It would appear however, from the following statement, that the civilized visitants are too frequently the first aggressors:

"Some time since, a French vessel came to anchor at that valley (at Nukuhiva.) The commander found some difficulty, from the existence, it appears, of a real scarcity, in procuring as large a quantity of live stock as he desired, and applied to the Taua for the interposition of his authority, in obliging the islauders to furnish him with more than he had yet secured. This he was either unable or unwilling to do, or exerted his influence in vain on which the Frenchman ordered him to be seized when on board, and had him bound hand and foot to the main-mast, his arms and legs being passed round it, and tied in such a manner, that his whole weight hung upon the liga: ments; and told him that he should not be released until forty hogs were brought to the ship. This took place early in the morning. In the course of six or eight hours, by great exertion, the required number, including animals of every size, was collected; when the captain, in the place of releasing the old man, demanded twenty more, before he would unbind him. It was not till night, that these also were gathered from the interior, by seizing them wherever they could be found, and despoiling the whole valley of almost every animal of the kind. Thus, after being in torture the whole day, he was unbound, and perImitted to go on shore, without any remuneration for the indignity and misery he had suffered, or pay for the hogs received.

"The next morning, a boat from the ship, with an armed crew, approached the shore for water-a volley of musketry was poured upon them from the nearest thicket; and one man fell dead in the surf, while two others were so severely wounded, that the boat barely made an escape to the ship."-p. 194, 195.

his tribe. Besides his parents, and an only sister, a strongly attached wife was left to lament his absence, and to deplore an unknown fate."-p. 226.

If time and limits would grant permission, many additional extracts might be selected from this volume. Men, who profess to be gods; sorcerers; traditions respecting the origin of the islands, and of men; and the rude funeral feast; are articles of considerable interest. But, for these developments of the human character under a variety of circumstances, and to numerous incidents which alternately impart light and shade, we must refer to the volume, in which its author will conduct the reader to the Ladrone Islands, the Chinese seas and ports, the city of Manilla, and, in St. Helena, to Napoleon's grave.

It is painful to observe throughout this work, that, while the missionaries have exerted themselves to improve the natives in civilization and morals, many voyagers, touching on their shores, have used every endeavour to re-establish their vices, and to recall that licentiousness of manners for which they were formerly distinguished, but which, of late years, has been very generally abandoned. One instance is that of an American resident accusing two branches of the royal family with incest, and recommending it, under the sanction of marriage. The young princess involved in this charge observed, "that Mr. an American, and Mr.

a British resident, had each, at two different times, advised and importuned her to marry her brother; saying, that such alliances were frequent both in America and England, and that, not long since, a British king had married his sister." p. 357.

With men of such abandoned morals, and who can make such infamous assertions, no calumny can be too foul for utterance. It is to men like these that we are indebted for the falsehoods which have been propagated respecting the state of the natives, and the

On the above detestable deed, Mr. Stew- influence of christianity upon their principles art remarks as follows:

"I fully believe this to be only one of ten thousand instances of oppression, insult, and cruelty, of a similar or far more infamous character, which would form a part of the true history of the intercourse of civilized man with the islanders of the Pacific, could it be laid before the world."

Another instance of similar atrocity, Mr. Stewart records in the following words:

"An American whale-ship approached the island, and hove-to, off one of its little bays, as if desirous of

communicating with the shore; and a large canoe with seven men put off to her. Five of them were received on board, when the vessel immediately made sail, and stood from the land. Three of the stoutest were then selected from the five, while the remaining two were driven into the sea, and obliged to swim for their lives, the canoe having fallen so far behind, as to have paddled for the shore, when the ship stood out to sea, under a belief that all on board had been carried away. One of the persons thus kidnapped, eighteen or twenty years of age, was the only son of a high chief, and a great favourite of 2D. SERIES, NO. 13.-VOL. II.

and conduct. Against such calumniators, no character is safe; and to such memorialists, no credit is due. In England, as in America, similar aspersions have been both circulated and exposed. For a while, the misrepresentations of Kotzebue were received in this country with avidity, by the enemies of missions. Mr. Ellis, however, who was intimately acquainted with the supposed facts, so effectually refuted the foreign navigator, that the slander is no longer heard.

We must now take our leave of this inte resting volume, strongly recommending it to the reader's notice, as a valuable treasury of incidents and information collected during a circumnavigation of the globe.

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REVIEW.-Miscellanies, in two Parts: I. Prose; II. Verse, &c. By William Mavor, LL. D. Author of many popular Works for the use of Schools, and Young Persons. With a Portrait. 8vo. pp. 512. Oxford. Longman and Co. London.

DR. MAVOR has appeared before the world with various productions, some of which were published at first anonymously, and others with his name; but most of them have been well received, and have conferred such benefit on the public, and on the rising generation, that few writers, perhaps, can view their exertions and labours with greater pleasure than the revered author of the work before us.

We are

When he observes the great and beneficial change which has taken place in the system of education, and reflects that this change has been produced chiefly by himself, and those who have co-operated with him in the sacred task, he cannot but feel' a conscious exultation, that the days and nights which he has devoted to the service of mankind, have been so usefully spent, and that he has not lived in vain. writing no panegyric, but merely stating facts; which every man, of the least consideration, must see and acknowledge. Enviable, therefore, must be his feelings, when he looks around, and perceives, that, by means to which he has been so ample a contributor, the great body of British youth, as they advance in years, are rapidly improving in the acquirement of useful knowledge! This is a satisfaction which the good alone can enjoy; and which the world, if it were so inclined, cannot take away. It is the good man's best praise, that he has devoted his time and his talents to the service of piety and virtue, and laboured to promote the happiness of his fellow-mortals both here and hereafter.

Dr. Mavor observes, in the advertisement to the present work, that "few have written more than he has done, for the instruction or amusement of young persons;" and that "he desires no other epitaph to mark his grave, than Here lies the children's friend." "This is a title, which was conferred on him many years since, by some respectable critics; and it is a title which he so well deserves, that few, we apprehend, would wish to withhold from him the praise which is so justly his due. We hope, however, although he is advanced in years, that the time is far distant, when any memento that such a man once lived, will be necessary. We sincerely wish that Dr. Mavor may long enjoy, in the bosom of his family, otium cum dignitate.

This volume of Miscellanies is a collection of "Blenheim, a descriptive poem," which had previously been published in a separate form; and of a great number of essays and poetical effusions, which either appear now for the first time, or which had been before printed in some periodical publication. A short extract from this pleasing and interesting volume is all that our limits allow us to give; but we strongly recommend to the public, and to our readers in particular, the whole of these Miscellanies, as they will be found not only pleasing and interesting, but as inculcating sound principles of religion and virtue. The following extract from the "Prologue" to "Blenheim" has been selected, chiefly because it portrays with great truth the mind of the amiable author.

"If I may be allow'd my own bosom to know, "Tis form'd for affection's most cordial glow; To friendship attach'd, to gratitude prone, It melts at distress, and it feels all its own! The keenest excess both of pleasure and pain, Heaven taught me to taste; ah! the former in

vain.

Yet not all the ills that can press on the mind,
Estrange it from social love of its kind;

The passions malignant ne'er asylum found there

Too soft are its tones their impression to bear.

"O perish the verse, may the wit be forgot, That fixes on charity's features a blot! That sanctions the worthless, or flatters the base, Tho' e'er so exalted in fortune or place! That sharpens the pangs sensibility shares, Or sports with misfortunes, or aggravates cares; That spatters the merit it cannot attain, And plants in the generous bosom a pain!

"Yes! let my dull muse in good-nature delightI ask for no fame from libels and spite; No laugh would I raise at th expense of a sigh, No tear would I draw from the innocent eye; To friendship and virtue my verses are due; And the wreath that I twine, to their dictates is true!"

BRIEF SURVEY OF BOOKS.

1. Lael and Chilion, or Narratives illustrative of some leading Doctrines of the Bible, (Hamilton, London,) is a sort of conversational dialogue on topics which it is the interest, as well as the duty, of all to know. The subjects are highly important, and the author's views of them appear to be perfectly consonant with the analogy of faith. The language, however, is rather too florid for the occasion; and the bursts of rapturous exultation which sometimes appear, make us regret that so grave a subject had not been uniformly accompanied with a correspondent simplicity.

2. Scripture Illustrations for the Young, (Tract Society, London,) the author seems to have adapted to the wood-cuts with which they are embellished. This method may captivate children, but we fear that it is cal

culated to give the scriptures an accommodating appearance.

3. Brief Views of Sacred History, from the Creation of the World to the Destruction of Jerusalem, by Esther Copley, (Darton, London,) may be considered as a religious school-book, filled with valuable materials, and divided into short chapters, on which questions are proposed, to exercise the memory of the pupil. The whole is a condensed history of bible transactions, through the long period expressed in the title-page.

4. Small Rain upon the Tender Herb, (Tract Society, London,) is a kind of Liliputian quarto, about an inch square, and a quarter of an inch thick. It contains short passages of scripture, is neatly bound and gilt, and will be a pretty present for children just learning to read.

5. Memoirs of Miss Elizabeth Spreckley, late of Melton Mowbray, by R. Woolerton, (Simpkin, London,) is recommended to public notice by the exemplary piety of the young female, whose life, christian experience, and triumphant death, it records. Though filling only a humble walk in life, Miss Spreckley displayed talents, as well as piety, which would have conferred an honour on a more exalted station. The narrative is chiefly extracted from her diary. Her history is given with much simplicity, and is well deserving the attention which it solicits. 6. The Travels of True Godliness, by Rev. Benjamin Keach, (Wightman, London,) wants no other recommendation than what its well-earned reputation can supply.

7. Memoir of William Fox, Esq., Founder of the Sunday School Society, by Joseph Ivimey, (Wightman, London,) brings this genuine philanthropist before the world, not as the rival of Mr. Raikes, but as a benevolent individual actuated by the same principle, and co-operating in the same design. Mr. Raikes had the honour of founding Sunday schools, and Mr. Fox that of imbodying them into a society. The memoir before us, places the character of Mr. Fox in an amiable light; but all who had the happiness of his acquaintance will readily acknowledge that the picture is not too highly coloured.

8. Morning and Evening Prayers, adapted for Family Worship, by W. Dransfield, (Simpkin, London,) we have examined with some attention; and, we may add, with a due degree of satisfaction. Orthodox in their principles, and fervent in their expression, they may be used in families of congenial spirits, with the ardour of genuine devotion, and the concurrence of an enlightened understanding.

9. Population Census of the West Riding

of Yorkshire for 1801, 1811, 1821, 1831, by W. Parson, (Baines, Leeds,) is a large, neat, and closely printed map, laid out on canvas. It has been a work of much labour, as each department, amounting in all to 203, has its population distinctly marked through the four decennial periods. The aggregate of the whole West Riding is as follows:-In 1801, 563,758; in 1811, 650,583; in 1821, 800,240; in 1831, 974,500.

10. The National Preacher, or Original Monthly Sermons from Living Ministers, edited by Austin Dickinson, A. M. (New York, America,) originally appeared in four volumes. They are now incorporated in two, neatly half-bound, and present to the eye a pleasing exterior. The discourses appear very excellent, but we find no publisher's name on this side the Atlantic; and New York is too remote for most English

customers.

11. United Efforts, a Collection of Poems, the mutual offspring of a Brother and Sister, (Sherwood, London,) have little beyond their moral tendency to recommend them. "Form" and "thorn," "alone" and "roam," are bad rhymes, and the rules of grammar are often violated.

12. Outlines of Fifty Sermons, by a Minister of the Gospel in London, (Harding, London,) may be considered as skeletons of discourses, which the reader may fill up with corresponding matter. They are adapted for preachers who have little time for study, but who address congregations, to whom plain scriptural truths will be more useful than finished compositions. passages chosen as texts, are of a practical nature, and the divisions point out the natural and leading topics which present themselves for elucidation and development.

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13. An Appeal to the Clergy, &c. on the State of Religion, Morals, and Manners, in the British Metropolis, (Holdsworth, London,) is both spirited and powerful. The moral condition of the metropolis is drawn in colours at once frightful and appalling. The bishops and dignitaries of the church of England are addressed in a strain of masculine eloquence, and called upon, by the duties which they owe to their God and their country, to come forward in this awful crisis, "to the help of the Lord, against the mighty." We ardently hope that the author will not have to lament that he has spent his strength in vain.

14. Scripture Prints, with Explanations in the Form of Familiar_Dialogues, by Mrs. Sherwood, (Seeley, London,) come before us in a pleasing form. The dialogues are twenty-three in number, and include

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