greater part of the rich, the noble, and the high of this world. We behold a King whose reign had been uncommonly splendid, whose arms had been attended with signal success, and whose renown was singularly extensive, employed-in what? In proclaiming his own greatness, in boasting of his warlike exploits, and thus displaying the vanity of his heart? In saying, Is not this great Jerusalem, which I govern by the might of my power and for the honour of my majesty? No: David was not only a great, but a good man; not only a King but a saint. Instead of vaunting the extent of his power, the glory of his victories, and the splendour of his character, he appears in all the humility of a dependent on the bounty, and a suppliant at the throne of God. He pours forth the language of one who felt his own insignificance, and the exclusive happiness of those who can approach the throne of grace in the confidence that their prayers are accepted by God. "Give the king thy judgements," &c." 1 Art. XXIV. Leisure Hours; or Morning Amusements, consisting of Poems on a variety of interesting Subjects, Moral, Religious, and Miscellaneous: with Notes. By W. Steers. 12mo. Sherwood and Co. 1811. FROM a short biographical preface, we collect that the author of the present volume is a young man in an inferior station of life, the narrowness of whose circumstances have withheld from him those advantages which are usually deemed nearly essential to the accomplished poet. Though we regret that he has been led to a somewhat premature publication of his compositions, we are disposed on the whole to consider them as not remarkably discreditable to his talents and industry. His attainments in theology, we are sorry to say, are much too superficial to qualify him for a writer of "religious" poems. Art. XXV. 1. Specimens of Greek Penmanship, with Directions for forming the Characters, according to the Methods adopted by the late Professor Porson, and Dr. Thomas Young. 2. An Introduction to Writing, exhibiting clear and concise rules for the Formation and Combination of the Letters. To which are added, some Sketches of English, Latin, French, and Italian Grammar, intended for Learners to impress in their Memories by transcribing. 3. Definitions of some of the Terms made Use of in Geography and Astronomy, intended for Learners to impress on their Memories by transcribing.. 4. Running Hand Copies, containing a Sketch of the Geography of England, intended for Learners to impress on their Memories by transcribing. By John Hodgkin. Darton and Harvey. 1811. SOME time ago, we recommended Mr. Hodgkin's Calligaphia Græca, as likely to be of considerable use in assisting students to acquire an easy and elegant method of writing the Greek character. The first of these publications proposes the same object, but is of much smaller size. The nature of the others, which consist chiefly of copper-plate ex amples, will be sufficiently understood from the titles. The plan of storing the memory by the same process which improves the hand writing, has always appeared to us judicious; and Mr. Hodgkin's labours will probably facilitate its adoption in Schools. The style of writing is hardly equal to what we have seen in some other copper-plate examples. Art. XXVI. The Widow and the Orphan Family. An Elegy. By Miss very benevolent purpose for which these verses are composed, must be allowed to protect them from any severity of critical remark, The case which Miss Stockdale has undertaken to record is one of deep distress; and her exertions in behalf of the sufferers (to whose relief the profits of this publication are appropriated,) merit the highest praise. Art. XXVII. An Account of the Ravages committed in Ceylon by (the) Small Pox; previously to the Introduction of Vaccination: with a Statement of the Circumstances attending the Introduction, Progress, and Success, of Vaccine Inoculation in that Island. By Thomas Christie, M. D. Member of the Royal College of Physicians, London, and of the Royal Medical Society, Edinburgh and lately Medical Superintendant-Ge neral in Ceylon. 8vo. pp. 104. Price 2s. Cheltenham, Griffith, Murray. 1811. THE substance of this pamphlet first appeared in the Ceylon Govern ment Gazette, in the form of occasional reports on the state of vaccination in that island. The intention of these reports,' says Dr. C. having been in a great degree fulfilled, by the expulsion of small-pox from Ceylon, the general adoption of vaccination by all classes of its inhabitants, and the establishment of that practice on a broad and firm basis, by the liberal and decisive measures of Government, I had considered the question as at rest; and the more so, as in an extensive communication and correspondence with the medical men in different parts of India, I never heard of one who had the smallest doubts, as to the preservative efficacy of Cow-Pox, or the propriety of the general system of vaccination, there adopted. On my return to England last year, I was greatly surprised to find that some degree of scepticism and incredulity still existed about the efficacy of the practice; and several of my reports having found a place in different periodical publications, it has been suggested by some of my medical friends, and particularly by the great author of the disco. very, Doctor Jenner, that an essential service might be done to the community, by a detail of the circumstances attending the introduction of vaccination into Ceylon, in August, 1802; its progress there, and success at the time of my quitting the island in February, 1810. Since this pamphlet was put to the press, I have received a copy of the report of the National Vaccine Establishment, for the year 1810, laid before Parliament, in which the Board have done me the honor to include my report of the State of Vaccination in Ceylon, for 1809; and at times, I confess, I am not without a hope, that the expulsion of Small-Pox from so large an island as Ceylon, may excite considerable attention in Great-Britain, and that the measures pursued by the Government there, for prohibiting vario 320 Martin's Treatise on the Art of Dying Woollen Cloth Scarlet. lous inoculation, and encouraging vaccination, may be thought worthy the attention of the British Legislature,' Such is the nature of this publication which contains many interesting details, and may possibly contribute to decide the opinions of the very few persons who retain any doubt upon the subject. The ravages of the Small Pox in Ceylon, were most deplorable. Villages in which this pestilence appeared, were presently deserted by all but the sick and dying, who were lefta prey to wild beasts. Inoculation hospitals were established in 1799, and the prejudices of the natives were at length overcome. The disease was considerably checked; but the number of deaths, among the inoculated patients, was at least 1 in 40. By the substitution of the vaccine inoculation, the disease appears to have been almost totally extirpated. The number of persons vaccinated in 1809, was 25,697. Art. XXVIII. A Treatise on the Art of dyeing Woollen Cloth Scarlet, with Lac Lake. By William Martin. 8vo. pp. 27. Price 1s. Gale and Curtis. 1812. ACCORDING to the representations of this pamphlet, the substance called Lac Lake may be used with great advantage as a substitute for Cochineal, in dyeing scarlet. It is described to be "the colouring matter of an insect called by the natives of India, Lacca, or Lácsha, precipitated from its solution in an alkaline lixivium by a solution of alum." A very full account of the method of preparing and using it, and of the borax, tin, and alum, solutions of which are employed in the process, will be found in the pamphlet, to which we refer those who may be peculiarly interested in the subject. A few sentences may not be unacceptable to our readers in general. The Sticklac, from which the colouring matter is extracted, is procured chiefly in the uncultivated mountainous parts of Hindostan that border on the Ganges, and it is found in the same situations on the other side of that celebrated river; it is also said, that a kind more abounding in colour is brought from the kingdom of Siam. The insect that produces the substance from which the colour is obtained, is of the order Hemiptera in zoology, and genus Coccus, being a species of the same genus as the Cochineal: the species of the Lac insect is denominated Coccus Lacca; the cochineal species Coccus Cacti. The Lac insect is produced on the branches of several different kinds of trees and shrubs, among which may be enumerated the Indian fig or Banian tree, the Arabian Buckthorn, and a species of Mimosa, called by the Hindoos Conda Corinda. It is not more than four or five years since Lac Lake was manufactured at Calcutta, from which place we have received all that has come to this market. Lac Lake manufactured in the way described, when the squares are perfectly dry, assumes a dull brick colour on the outside; and after some time, a grey powder effloresces on the surface. When a square is broken, it appears of a dark chocolate colour in the inside, and the fracture is Compact, smooth and shining; scraped with a knife, the powder is of a red colour, inclining to crimson. These are the characteristic marks of good Lac Lake.' The writer recommends the use of this substance, as affording dye equal : ex in splendour and superior in permanency to that produced by Cochineal, at one-third or one-fourth of the expence as the produce of the British dominions, and the of saving £200,000 per annum now pended in procuring Cochineal from other countries; as capable of yielding the same revenue as Cochineal; as a valuable article of export; and as enabling government to clothe the soldiers in the same colour as the officers; the superior brilliancy of whose apparel is often found a fatal distinction. Art. XXIX. The Battles of the Danube and Barrosa. 8vo. pp. 90. Mur. ray. 1811. FROM a brief advertisement prefixed to these poems, we learn, that their appearance is to be attributed to the just celebrity and exten sive circulation of "the Battles of Talavera;" to the author of which, indeed, they are dedicated. It would be unjust to affirm of the pieces before us, that they do not afford indications of considerable talent; while, at the same time, it is perfectly evident they are chargeable with several heavy faults. Among the most prominent of these is a total disregard of discipline in the thoughts, which have frequently a good deal of individual. strength, but nothing more. Another offence, is a strange propensity to apostrophise to summon the reader's attention in almost every stanza, and weary him out with ah's! and oh's! with calls of hark! hark! and listen! listen! No sort of writing is more provoking than this, or more opposed to the genuine spirit of poetry. Unusual outward agitation ought assuredly to proceed from deep inward feeling, and not to be played off without any perceptible cause of excitement, As to the loose and irregular style of versification, it is, no doubt, adopted from choice; not only because the writer has placed in the front of his performance a passage from Boileau in vituperation of those authors : "Qui toujours sur un ton semblent psalmodier;" but as he professedly admires and imitates, the admirer and imitator of Mr. Scott. In support of the foregoing observations it would be easy to produce a variety of examples. This, however, we have no inclination to do. Our readers, therefore, may take the following stanzas, which are as little marked with the imperfections to which we have alluded, as any we are able to select. 'Tis dark!-a pause prevails, and lo ! The crimson flashes glare! No sound is heard along the plain, Nor aught the eye may greet, Save, where, revolving o'er the slain, Stretch'd in their tents, the warriors sleep, That Dead on the neighb'ring strand; Nature and all her works seem hush'd- With his remorseless hand! Or pillow'd in celestial dreams, Or thoughtless now the champions lie, Illume another morning-sky! 1 And many a maid her lover !'-pp. 14, 15. Beneath her eagle's flight! For ev'ry eye might cleary see Her sons were flush'd with victory; That Fame had to their Leader giv'n The wreath !—but not the wreath of heav'n!' pp. 26, 27. Art. XXX. Letters from an Elder to a Younger Brother, on the Conduct to be pursued in Life. Part the second. By William Hussey. 12mo. pp. 145. Hookham. Gale and Curtis. 1811. N an age that abounds, with readers, and advertisements, nothing but an extraordinary want of interest in the subject of a book, and of merit in the execution of it, can prevent its obtaining a moderate share of public notice. If Mr. Hussey had been duly aware of this fact, he might have been less disposed to indulge us with a knowledge of his name: which it seems is to be ascribed to the favourable reception of the first part of these "Letters." We respect the principles and motives, for which the present work induces us to give him credit; and though the sentiments and advice it contains are not always unexceptionable, nor the style free from affectation, we are unwilling to pronounce a severer sentence upon it, than that the world at large stood in no need of such a publication. |