for England in the identical galliot which had carried him to the Maes. Till the interdict which prevents our Countrymen from visiting Holland and its neighbourhood, shall be taken off, we must probably content ourselves with the view of its existing circumstances as they are here drawn. Sir John Carr's tour was certainly rapid, and made under many disadvantages; but we are confident to say that in anecdote, and the correctness of its pictures, it will not very soon be superseded. The Views which illustrate it, engraved by Mr. Daniel, are extremely elegant. They are of the Hague, Rotterdam, Delft, Scheveling, Leyden, Haarlem; the Stadt-house, Amsterdam; the Pyramid at Zeyst, Utrecht, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Bonn, Andernach, Coblentz, and Ehrenbreitstein, Boppart, Bibberich, Mayence, Frankfort, and Darmstadt. Prefixed, is a Map of the Rhine, from Dusseldorf to Mayence. Another work of merit will be found in Mr. HERIOT's "Travels through the Canadas," a residence in which, for a series of years, afforded the author opportunities not only of entering minutely into the civil and domestic history of the provinces, but of viewing nature in her wildest forms, and of witnessing the modes of life pursued by many of the tribes which are so numerously scattered through the extensive regions of America. Having opened his Travels with an account of the Azores, Mr. Heriot proceeds in the second chapter to Newfoundland, where the manners of the Eskimaux Indians form a short but curious digression. In the third chapter he enters the St. Lawrence, taking a rapid view of the objects and scenes up the course of the river to Quebec. The falls of Niagara, which follow the description of the comm try to the Westward of Quebec, afford one of the most striking relations in the volume. They appear to surpass in sublimity every description which the powers of language can supply, and form the most wonderful and awful scene which the habitable world presents. The ninth and tenth chapters are entirely devoted to the Canadas. As far as they themselves are concerned, their commerce and administration, Mr. Heriot speaks entirely from his own knowledge. But in the second portion of the volume, where he enters into a comparative view of the manners and customs of the Indian nations, he has had recourse to various authorities; to the documents found in the Jesuits' College at Quebec, and to Memoirs, Travels, and other works of credit, which have been published at different periods, as well in the English as in other languages. Where the subjects are so numerous and involved, a particular analysis of twenty chapters cannot be expected. It may be sufficient perhaps to point out a few of the more striking parts. The account of the domiciliated Indians of Jeune Lorette is at once pleasing and animated: nor will the philosopher be less pleased than the politician, with the information Mr. Heriot has collected from various sources relating to the American Aborigines. Their domestic customs, superstitions, warfare, sports, and diseases, are all enlarged upon; and at the close we have some valuable information on the Indian languages. The plates which accompany the work, are numerous; from drawings by Mr. Heriot himself. They afford views of scenery, with which none but those who had visited the Canadas were before acquainted. Altogether we deem it one of the most curious publications that have of late appeared. MEDICINE. The productions of the medical profession, furnished by the last half-year, have been still fewer than ever. One of the most important in the list will probably be found in "The Sketch of the Revolutions of Medical Science, and Views to its Reform,” by P. J. G. CABANIS, translated from the French by Dr. HENDERSON. The second chapter comprises in itself an extensive Survey of the History of Medicine; beginning with the early cultivation of it by the chiefs of savage tribes, by the poets, priests, and first philosophers, and by the schools of Greece, especially that of Hippocrates. M. Cabanis next gives an account of the state of the science among the Romans, continuing it to the time of the establishment of the Arabian schools, and thence to its introduction into Europe. After noticing the Jewish physicians, and the first sect of chemical physicians, he speaks of the revival of Learning, and the Hippocratic system of Stahl and Van Helmont, of Sydenham, Harvey, Boerhaave, Hoffmann, and Baglivi; concluding with an account of the new Schools of Medicine at Edinburgh and Montpellier. On the subject of medical reform, it is impossible we should here give an analysis of the 4 N 2 author's author's observations. It may perhaps be enough to say they are in general judicious. A work, not only much extended, but materially improved also, occurs in the new edition of the "London Medical Dictionary," originally compiled by Doctors MOTHERBY and WALLIS. Though broken into articles, the different subjects are properly connected; a systematic arrangement of each having been first formed on given principles. The references attached to each article point out the original writers on the different subjects. Another work, of which the title only was mentioned in our last, is Mr. JonNSTON'S "Practical Observations on Urinary Gravel and Stone; on Diseases of the Bladder and Prostate Gland; and on Strictures of the Urethra." The different combinations under which these discases appear, tend very much to perplex and embarrass the medical practitioner. Mr. Johnston, however, has endeavoured to point out distinctly the circumstances attending each modification, and to explain the practice which has been found, or may be considered most likely, to remove or alleviate complaints so formidable and distressing. In the treatment of gravel and stone, alkalies appear to be the chief remedies recommended. In respect to the principal diseases of the urinary organs, Mr. Johnston has accurately detailed both the theory and practice of several men of eminence. SCARPA'S "Practical Observations on the principal Diseases of the Eye," translated by Mr. BRIGGS, will be found a work of considerable merit. The subject of Cataract forms the most interesting chapter in the volume. Mr. CARMICHAEL'S "Essay on the Effect of Carbonate of Iron upon Cancer; with an Inquiry into the Nature of that Disease;" seems to have been hardly formed upon sufficient data. He considers Cancer as an animal. There are a few detached observations in Dr. CUMING'S " Naval, Military, and Private Practitioner's Amanuensis Medicus et Chirurgicus," which probably may prove instructive; but we cannot give a general commendation of the work. Some of the most important diseases, both in medicine and surgery, are wholly overlooked by the author; while others are but very superficially examined. POETRY. "Specimens of the later English Poets, with preliminary Notices," by ROBERI SOUTHEY. Mr. As a Sequel to Mr. Ellis's Specimens of the carly English Poets,' we cannot give the three volumes here noticed, the commendation we could wish. Ellis's Specimens were chosen with the most exquisite taste, and criticized with a truth, a delicacy, and a neatness of expression, which have not frequently been equalled: while the materials of Mr. Southey's work seem to bave been brought together in a more hurried man ner, and the Poets of a later day criticized with more harshness that might reasonably have been expected from a brother bard. In the Preface, Mr. Southey tells us, that many worthless versifyers are admitted among the English Poets by the courtesy of criticism, which seems to conceive that charity to wards the dead may cover the multitude of its offences against the living. But that there were other reasons for including in this work the reprobate, as well as the elect. His business was to collect specimens as for a Hortus Siccus, not to cull flowers as for an Anthology. After a rapid sketch of the progress, or rather the changes of our Poetry from Chaucer to Akenside, the Specimens commence; consisting of samples from the works of every writer whose verses appear in a substantive form, and find their place upon the shelves of the collector. The preliminary notices prefixed to each, however, afford in some instances only a criticism or a censure. Indeed, Mr. Southey says in his Preface, that "of a few great writers it was unnecessary to say any thing, of some ignoble ones sufficient to say what they had written." Although of a few lives more ample sketches are afforded: those of Otway, Mrs. Mauly, Budgell, Relph, and Carey, in the first volume; Miller and Jones, in the second; and Wilkie, in the third volume; are perhaps among the best. In regard to the Specimens themselves, we may observe, that, though unequal in merit, they certainly afford an opportanity of giving a few extracts superior ta any we can select from the productions of the day. The following is entitled, "The Wish," from the Poetry of Jakuz HUGHES. Ye pow'rs who sway the skies above, A dance A dance of pleasures, hurrying by, From the second volume of these Specimens we quote the "Life of a Fool," by Mr. James Millar, who died in 1744. A fool enjoys the sweets of life, If Fortune smile, as smile she will, But reaps the present good. Or should, thro' love of change, her wheels He weighs nor gains nor loss. Since free from sorrow, fear, and shame, Is to be over-wise. And from the third volume we select a longer Specimen in "The Bramble," from the Poetry of the Rev. Samuel Bishop. While wits thro' fiction's regions ramble, While bards for fame or profit scramble: While Pegasus can trot, or amble; Come, what may come,—I'll sing the Bramble: • How now! methinks I hear you say, Why? what is rhyme run mad to-day?" No, Sirs, mine's but a sudden gambol; My muse hung hamper'd in a bramble. But soft! no more of this wild stuff! Once for a frolick is enough; So help us rhyme, at future need, As we in soberer style proceed. All subjects of nice disquisition Admit two modes of definition; For every thing two sides has got, What is it? and what is it not? Both methods, for exactness sake, We with our bramble mean to take; And by your leave, will first discuss, Its negative good parts,-as chus. A bramble will not, like a rose, To prick your fingers, tempt your nose, When'er it wounds, the fault's your own, Let that, and that let's you, alone. You shut your myrtles for a time up, Your jasmine wants a wall to climb up; But bramble, in its humbler station, Nor weather heeds, nor situation; No season is too wet, or dry for't, No ditch too low, no hedge too high for't. And let the welcome-add the rest. While brambles hints like these can start, Am I to blame to take their part? Another, though a less varied collection of compositions will be found in the "Oxford Prize Poems :" a small volume, the contents of which app ear to have merit proportionate to the degrees of competition excited by the subjects of the different prizes. The Pons are on the following subjects: The Conquest of Quebec, Quebec, by Mr. Howard of Wadham College, which obtained the Prize in 1768; The Love of our Country, by Mr. Butson of New College, 1771; The beneficial Effects of Inoculation, by Mr. Lipscombe, of Corpus Christi College, 1772; The Aboriginal Britons, by Mr. Richards, of Oriel College, 1791; Palestine, by Mr.Heber of Brasen-nose College, 1803; and a Recommendation of the Study of the Remains of ancient Grecian and Roman Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting, by Mr. Wilson, of Magdalen College, 1806; of these, the Love of our Country, the Aboriginal Britons, and Palestine, are probably the best: although the beneficial effects of Inoculation, unpoetical as the subject may at first sight seem, are treated with no ordinary degree of embellishment. The following lines may serve as a fair specimen of "Palestine." When coward Asia shook in trembling woe, And bent appall'd before the Bactrian bow; From the moist regions of the western star, The wandering hermit wak'd the storm of war. Their limbs all iron, and their souls all flame, A countless host, the red-cross warriors came: E'en hoary priests the sacred combat wage, And clothe in steel the palsied arm of age; While beardless youths, and tender maids And start to see their armour's iron gleam "Sympathy, Landscapes in Verse, Tears of Genius, Cottage Pictures, and other Poems, revised, corrected, and enlarged, by Mr. PRATT; with engravings by Cardon, after Drawings by Loutherbourg and Barker." This elegant volume will be welcomed no less by the admirers of beautiful typography, and masterly engravings, than by the lovers of Poetry. The designs of Louthebourg are very finely conceived, and spiritedly executed. The Social Savage," and "The Hermit," from the Poem of " Sympathy," are chef d'œuvres in their way; both from the hands of Barker, the painter of the "Woodman," &c. Of the contents of this volume we cannot speak too highly "Sympathy," has long since taken its rank among the very best Poems of the age; and will never be out of fashion 66 while there are hearts susceptible of enjoying the best and purest pleasures of human nature. If there be any one subject better adapted than another to the Muse of Mr. Pratt, it is unquestionally that of Sympathy. "Cottage Pictures," written during a year of alarming scar city, contain much useful information and admonition, as well as much delightful poatry. Besides Tears of Genius, and Landscapes in Verse, there are in this collection several occasional Poems, of recent dates, which are pleasing proofs that the fire of imagination still keeps pace with the benevolent warmth of the Poet's heart. In short, we thank Mr. Pratt for this volume, which by its manner and matter is so well adapted to supersede the political squibs in verse, and the licentious ballads, that have too long been the nuisance of the toilette, the drawing-room, and the alcove, The circumstances under which Mr. FYFE'S "Poems and Criticisms" appear, demand peculiar indulgence. He did not live to publish them himself; and by their success the cause of the helpless is to be supported. Among the Pocins on the different months we are told, “ Febru it could not be inserted, and the mouths ary," was in such an imperfect state that "October" and "November," were not to be found. These are clear indica tions, that if the different specimens had received the author's last correction, they would have appeared to greater advan tage than at present. "January," is one of the best. The criticisms are more neatly written than the Poetry: though we think we have read the substance of several before. That which relates to a passage borrowed from Dryden, by Goldsmith, we think is hardly made out. If it is, Goldsmith improved wonderfully upon the lines he stole. The Poem, however, which seems to demand the greatest attention in our present Retrospect, is Mr. SOTHEBY'S "Saul:" in blank verse. It has less freedom perhaps than almost any of his former productions, and is in many instances abrupt. But there is a strain of piety in it, and an occasional beauty of language which deserve our warmest commendation. It consists of two parts, in four books each. The first book opens with the symptoms of Saul's pos session with the evil spirit. Mr. Sotheby supposes the unhappy king to be haunted by a spectre which successively assumes his own form and character in the days of shepherd innocence: from time to time addressing him. In the second book, the king's despondence is supposed to be relieved in some degree by the tumult of a proposed campaign against the Philistines: and in this part of the Poem Samuel is introduced. Then we have Goliah, whose panoply is described as near as possible from Scripture. The song of the Virgins in the fourth book, celebrating David's victory, has perhaps as much spirit as any passage in the Poem. In the second part, we cannot but complain of the great licence Mr. Sotheby has used, in not merely departing from the letter of Sacred History, but in the interpolation of his narrative. David retreating into the wilderness is anointed king by Samuel, and sees the line of his descendants in a vision, ending with a prophetic hymn which celebrates the advent of our Saviour. David's alliance with Achish, however, forms no part of the poem. At its close we have this moral: "Thus the Lord From Land to Land, throughout the regions, The fame of his Anointed :-and his fear Man! obey thy God!" Mr. Sotheby has been long known as a Poet, and though in the present in stance he is not to be compared with Milton, we do not hesitate to assert, that the Poem of Saul has merit of no ordinary kind. Here also it is proper we should mention Mr. RANNIE's Poems: leaving it to the reader to determine in which line of composition he has succeeded best, whether in his Musical Dramas, his Select Poems, or his Ballads. In the advertisement prefixed to Mr. GORDON'S "Poems," we are told that "out of respect to the public, as much attention has been given to them as the author's situation could admit." We wish after such a declaration we could praise them. But we really cannot. "Simonidea," we confess, was a title which at first we did not understand; but Mr. LANDOR informs us in his preface, that he gave it to his Poems, because "the first of them commemorates the dead-a species of composition in which Simonides excelled." Among the productions here presented to the reader, there are several in Latin, though the larger portion are in English. Of these, the longest, entitled " Gunlaug and Helga," is taken from a story in Mr. Herbert's Translations from Icelandic Poetry; and has both great merits and defects. Mr. Landor's faults appear principally to have arisen from his negligence. His Latiu poetry, which is in Some respects better than his English, likewise shows marks of rapidity. "St. Stephen's Chapel," a satirical poem, by HORATIUS, is but an ephemeral production, which bas evidently been hurried to the press to catch the moment. The author's poetry appears to most advantage to his culogies: but we cannot approve the many specimens of domestic rancour which have appeared, not only in this, but in other painphlets which we shall forbear to notice.. EDUCATION. class are neither many nor important. The works which have appeared in this tainly possesses vigour of thought and Dr. CowAN'S " Anthropaideia," ceroriginality of sentiment. He firsts treats of the faculties and qualities of the human mind; and afterwards considers it as affected by external objects, natural and artificial. There are some parts of his work, however, on which we cannot bestow our commendation. Several writers of acknowledged merit, whose labours might have been useful to Dr. Cowan, work of Professor Dugald Stewart is treatare rejected or totally passed by; and the ed in a manner highly reprehensible. class, we place Mr. GOLDSMITH'S "GeoHere, also, in preference to any other graphical Copy-Book," consisting of a Set of outlines of Countries, and a Set of similar Projections of Lines of Latitude and Longitude, for the purpose of being filled These skeletons correspond in size with up from any existing maps by the pupil. the sinall atlasses, best known in schools, and also with most of the Maps contained such as Guthrie's, Walker's and Ostell's, in Mr. Goldsmith's own Grammar and Popular Geography. Another book which deserves our commendation, is, "The Art of Rhetoric by JOHN HOLMES. It is an improved edimade easy; or the Elements of Oratory," tion of a work which has now become very scarce; and contains the rules and figures of the science of which it treats, drawn up and explained with perspicuity and conciseness; and illustrated with taste and judgment. The editor of this edition is Dr. Mavor. DRAMA. First, in the Dramatic class, from its merit, we place "The Curfew," by Mr. TOBIN: the story of which is founded in the |