Mr. Landor must be for Sootchmen and half-Scotchmen! But if he proceed at this rate, how or where are they to catch such an arrogant egotist? It is unnecessary for us to attempt it, especially after the alarming profanity with which he appeals, in the above extract, to his readers. We therefore hasten to the close of his rigmarole letter, to let him show a little more of his pugnacity and incorrigible vanity. After informing his readers that he had much extended his remarks on the subject of spelling in that volume of the "Imaginary Conversations" which contains the dialogue between Tooke and Johnson, and of detaching its materials from the body of the work, that they might be published apart, he turns his ire against a certain Penciller by the Way, whom he describes and exposes in the following cutting, because, we believe, truthful style and strain.

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"At this time an American traveller passed through Tuscany, and favored me with a visit at my country seat. He expressed a wish to reprint in America a large selection of my Imaginary Conversations, omitting the political. He assured me they were the most thumbed books on his table. With a smile at so energetick an expression of perhaps an undesirable distinction, I offered him unreservedly and unconditionally my only copy of the five printed volumes, interlined and interleaved in most places, which I had employed several years in improving and enlarging, together with my manuscript of the sixth, unpublished. He wrote to me on his arrival in England, telling me that they were already on their voyage to their destination. Again he wrote, informing me that a friend, a nameless one, had left them at an American merchant's in Florence. I inquired there, and found the man indignant at such a charge against his punctuality he declared he never had seen or heard of them. Without a question in regard to the anonomous friend, I told the American traveller in a few words that they were lost, and requested him to take no more trouble on the occasion than I myself should do. I never look for any thing, lest I should add disappointment, and something of inquietude, to the loss. I regret the appearance of his book more than the disappearance of mine. My letter of introduction to Mr. R. (whom he simply and unceremoniously calls a barrister) procured him, at my request, admittance to C. L. and his sister, both of whom he seems to have fidgetted. My letter of presentation to Lady B. threw open (I am afraid) too many folding-doors, some of which have been left rather uncomfortably ajar. No doubt his celebrity as a poet, and his dignity as a diplomatist, would have procured him all those distinctions in society, which he allowed so humble a person as myself the instrumentality of conferring. Here and there are persons, great and small, who interest me little yet I wish the traveller had spoken in a slight degree more respectfully of my friend R., the most courageous man in existence, who determined to resign his profession when he had acquired by it ten thousand pounds, and who did then resign it, when he was gaining ground daily. We should raise a statue to every lawyer of such integrity: we might do it without fear of indictment for obstructing the streets. Another wish is, that the ingeni

ous and good-natured traveller had represented somewhat less ludicrously, C. L. and his sister; not knowing or not minding that he is the most exhilarating and cordial of our writers, and she the purest. If, amid the accidents of human life, the anonomous friend be living; and if it hath pleased God, by the sea-voyage or any other means, to have restored to him the blessing of memory, so that he may recollect where he deposited the volumes and manuscripts; and if he will consign them to my publishers, I shall be happy to remunerate him handsomely for the salvage. Should we be unsuccessful for the present, I am yet confident that, either in bottle or bladder, the unpublished portion, however mutilated and disfigured, will be cast upon the shores of the Atlantick, and reach the hands to which it was entrusted. I have always found my ink grow paler by trans. fusion; and I cannot tell how it may stand in America after an exposure so corrosive.

"Greatly as I have been flattered by the visits of American gentlemen, I hope that for the future no penciller of similar compositions will deviate in my favour to the right-hand of the road from Florence to Fiesole. In case of mistake, there is a charming view of the two cities, and of Valdarno and Vallombrosa, from the iron-gate at the entrance to my grounds: I could not point out a more advantageous position."-vol. ii, pp. 340-343.

Mr. Landor! you must now be prepared for bullet or steel; for ourselves, however, it would be much more pleasant to pass through the iron gateway at the entrance of your grounds, to-we doubt not-your hospitable Villa of Fiesolana, than, under false pretences, either obtain or be condemned again to read any portion of the present volumes but those that belong to the age of Pericles and Aspasia. Whether, we now ask, is a Landor's silliness, or a Willis's vulgarity, forwardness, and ingratitude, the more apparent? But then a weakness and irritability of temper are not incompatible with exalted powers of mind, great attainments, and generous sentiments, such as shine and triumph in Pericles and Aspasia ; while the latter character can neither be elegant, nor the abode of moral excellence.

ART. XI.-Sketches of Germany and the Germans: including a Tour in parts of Poland, Hungary, and Switzerland. By An ENGLISHMAN resident in Germany. 2 vols. London: Whittaker. 1836. We regret that this interesting work came so late to hand, as to preclude us from doing anything like justice to it, whether by way of remark, and, as is our wont, by a pretty copious introduction of extracts, which is, after all, the fairest method of reviewing. It is a method, at any rate, in perfect accordance with the general character of this journal, the object of which is, to give a full and correct account of the current literature of the day, without bias in favour of any party, and without being subjected, in the slightest,

degree, to any sinister influence of publishers or booksellers. These sketches particularly require to be abundantly exhibited by extracts; because, independent of the eloquence and good feeling with which a vast variety of subjects are treated in them, the extent of the author's travels is so great-not a few of the places and things described being novel-that nothing short of tracing with him in outline, the whole of his tour-quoting morsels on the way-can amount to a review of the work. The season, however, is on the wing; and that the patrons of literature may not leave town before being apprised of the value of these sketches, and knowing where to find many a summer's hour of pleasant and instructive reading, we shall do what we are able for them and for the author. One thing may be safely said of the work; that all who desire to have an enlightened conductor to the almost innumerable places and objects of high interest contained within the wide circuit expressed in the title, whether the tour is to be in person, or in spirit, ought to become intimately acquainted with it. It may be objected, with justice, perhaps, that the writer travels too rapidly and widely to be able to give the reader more than the most superficial observations. But then he tells us, that he has resided for a long time in Germany; he must, therefore, be presumed, especially when it is seen what he does, to have been previously well acquainted with the German character, with her institutions, language, manners, and the principal subjects of interest described within an extensive range; and when he goes beyond that line, we find he carries with him that sort of armour best adapted to clear his way easily and satisfactorily. Perhaps it may again be objected, that we have had enough and to spare of mere surface tourists. Our opinion, however, is, that the author is much more than a skimmer, although his pencil gives rapid dashes. But our readers must endeavour to judge from the following examples, or rather be induced to examine for themselves, from such specimens, the entire publication, and say, whether we have given a just, though very general, character of it. Here follows a picture of a rare class, and though not sublime, one that is absolutely beautiful. It belongs to the isle of Rugen.

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Wherever we move through this fairy island, our admiration is excited, for we perceive the usual features of nature, not only most highly finished, but at the same time modelled upon the most reduced scale. one time we are wandering through the silent recesses of a small ravine, skirted on either side by the dense foliage of a forest, or overhung by a romantic elevation, having every characteristic of Alpine scenery, except size and eternal snows; we then pass into a Lilliputian valley teeming with fertility, or enter a tiny glen, fringed with a tangled mass of thorns, briars, and wild flowers, which fill the air with a fragrant perfume; at another time our vision grasps the whole island, its chalky cliffs and the surrounding islets.

"Bergen is the capital of this little world, where villages are dignified with the appellation of towns, and hamlets with that of villages. Even here we have a little bath for the beau-monde, prettily situated near Potbus, on the brow of a hill overhanging the sea, and united by a fine avenue of noble trees to the extensive park of the Prince von Potbus."

The author goes on to say of this multum in parvo, and the other neighbouring islands, that being seldom visited by foreigners, the inhabitants are primitive in their manners, and extremely hospitable, and that the clergy consider it condescension on the part of a stranger, to accept of a seat at their frugal board, whose houses are generally of a respectable description, and, being surrounded by orchards and vine bowers, appear like so many miniature palaces studded over the islands, when compared with the comfortless buts of the peasants. The clergy, who are chiefly of the reformed religion, are therefore looked upon as superior beings, and no doubt are such, when compared with the peasantry; for besides the duties of the holy ministry, they generally exercise those of physician and lawyer. The same good men have also an admirable plan of rendering their benefices hereditary; for when there is no male heir, the widow, daughter, or niece, generally marries a candidate for holy orders, who is then inducted into the living. What a tempting spot must the isle of Rugen be, after this, to the worn-out spirit of a disappointed or broken-down Englishman (especially since, as we are informed, the language of the inhabitants could without much difficulty be acquired by one from this country), provided he could leave his feelings and habits behind him! The experiment would be no less curious, were a Rugenian transported to England -to London. We find, however, that the inhabitants of the islands referred to, are not without their vices, though they are a harmonious and hospitable people; for they are somewhat addicted to schnapps-drinking.

This same sort of drink, which appears to be common in Prussia, together with beer-soup, and butter-bemme for food, recalls some of Raumer's shrewd though tinctured opinions to be found regarding English cookery, in a previous article of the present number of our journal. Compare what the German in England, with what the Englishman in Prussia, says on the modes of living.

"Whether it be owing to the universal prevalence of parsimonious feeling, or the extreme niggardliness of the soil, which is for the most part sandy and unproductive, the Prussians are in general extremely abstem.ous; bread, butter, and potatoes, being the principal articles of consumption-the latter with the lower classes; and the former, I have seen all ranks partake of half-a-dozen times daily. If you visit a friend, it is more than probable that the lunch will be butter-bemme (bread and butter); if you go to an inn, and order refreshment, without specifying any thing particular, this will be certainly brought. Still, however popular, it divides its empire with potatoes, which a stranger taking notes, might with justice VOL. II. (1836) No I.

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enter in his pocket-book as the national food, since I have frequently seen them served in six different forms: the bread was made from them, the soup thickened with them, there was fried potatoes, potatoe salad, and potatoe dumplings; to which may be added potatoe cheese, which, by-thebye, is one of its best preparations, and will keep many years, for which we are indebted to Prussian ingenuity."

This account of the various forms into which one vegetable substance may be reduced, confirms one of Raumer's statements regarding the defective character of English cookery, which he says consists not in the want of excellent articles, but of the knowledge of art in combining and varying them, when made into dishes.

Our author's observations regarding the city of Berlin, may also be compared with the German's when in London. He says that the capital of Prussia appears to be built for effect; all that is beautiful being, as it were, gathered into one focus. In diverging from this, a great number of incongruities are observed; such as streets broad, even to dreariness. Few of the houses exceed two stories high. We may well believe him, therefore, right in saying, that though the circumference of the city exceeds five leagues, there are only two hundred thousand inhabitants within it; and that except on some public occasion, an Englishman, accustomed to the hive-like population of his own commercial cities, would be inclined to say of Berlin, the pestilence had lately been there. The circumstance of the river being perfectly level with the city, is a more serious objection, for it is incompatible with cleanliness, and probably, future prosperity. During summer, the effluvia from the sluggish gutters that line the streets, and the no less sluggish Spree into which they empty themselves, must be exceedingly pernicious to health. Accordingly, the writer asserts, that in the summer of 1834, the deaths exceeded the births by forty-four weekly.

It increases the reader's interest in these volumes, to find that the author's motive for travelling from Berlin to Warsaw, was to aid and encourage a young and noble exiled Pole, in a love adventure, which terminated happily. Let us behold the scene of the lover's restoration to his family.

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The joy of the venerable couple on seeing their brave son is indescribable that of the mother was almost frenzied, and after lavishing on him a thousand kisses, she embraced me; at that moment the door was hastily thrown open, and two lovely girls rushed in, pushed aside their mother, and nearly smothered me with kisses before they discovered their mistake, to the great amusement of our whole party. In fact, it was not surprising they did not recognise their brother, as he was robbed of his brown mustachios, and enriched with a dark red wig; at the same time his fine military figure was encased in the uniform of an English groom; the delusion was so complete, and he portrayed the character with such fidelity, that it was nearly impossible to detect the imposition."