rocks. But to go on to the other passage, which presents these words, "I am not quite sure that I understand what is meant by the agency of God, but I am quite prepared to deny any secondary instruments in the work of creation, because I find no mention of them in my Bible." We are not going to argue the question with the author; but we cannot but declare, that while believing in the authenticity of Scripture as fully as the author can do, we also are convinced that the truths discovered by science, legitimately pursued, must not be dreaded merely because these may militate against certain existing creeds. It is absurd to suppose that the works and the word of God can be opposed to each other. All discrepancies must be attributed to inadequate interpreters; and surely this is one of the strongest reasons why men should strive to learn how such apparent contrarieties may be reconciled, without, however, departing from the best methods known in such investigations.

By the bye, though Mr. Fennell professes himself to be an implicit believer in the Bible, he is not very consistent in his interpretation of it. At p. 39 he says, he "did not believe (for Scripture was silent as to the fact) that there were any carnivorous beasts previous to the deluge: but at p. 68, in a note to a grandiloquous extract from a manuscript poem, about to be published with copious notes, astronomical, geological, and religious," he says," We maintain, on the authority of Scripture, there were no carnivorous animals before the Noachic deluge." It does not require more than we have said and quoted, to show that the author is much more likely to injure the cause which he espouses by such inconsiderate assertions and doctrines, than to befriend it.

ART. XXII. Jerningham;

or, The Inconsistent Man. 3 vols. London Smith, Elder, and Co. 1836.

WE have often occasion to call the attention of our readers to the fact, that of late years a vast deal of genius, talent, fine feeling, and fine writing has shone in English novels; and that, were it not because they are so numerous, and come so rapidly upon us, many of them would deserve a review of a much more extended and laboured character than we can afford to "The Inconsistent Man." We, however, have no hesitation in declaring that to those persons who experience much more rarely than we do, the pleasure of novel-reading-sometimes, instead of pleasure there is pain and toil inseparable from our office-the present production will not only repay a first but a repeated perusal. There is boldness in the attempt to make the character and genius of Shelley subjects of development in an intricate tale, which is a principal feature in the work. Perhaps the execution is not equal to the fancy. We think there is sometimes a want of power and liveliness in the narrative-a want of dramatic effect. But still there is such a display of poetic thoughts, of tender and becoming feeling, of graceful diction, and such evidences of a highly cultured mind, as well as of an acquaintance with human nature, to be found throughout these volumes, that it will be impossible to read them without being improved, and highly gratified. Originality, which is the great criterion of genius, must not be denied to "Jerningham." To a certain extent this novel strikes out a new path and an unexhausted field

for the disportings of the imagination; and therefore affords another proof in behalf of the opinion that there has been of late, and that there does now exist, an immense wealth of mind in this country, which is employed in framing mirrors in which the virtues and magnanimous deeds, as well as the foibles and vices of humanity are to be beheld; while these said mirrors now-a days exhibit all the varieties of style, form, and substance which are characteristic of our age, where there is no end to the division of labour.

ART. XXIII.-The Young Divine; or a Plain and Easy Introduction to the Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. By the Rev. W. FLETCHER, F. R. A. S. London: N. Hailes. 1836.

THIS is a very plain and practical exposition of some of the truths inculcated by holy writ, and we hope will obtain that circulation which is the aim of the author, and of which it is worthy.

ART. XXIV.—1. The Cabinet Library of Scarce and Celebrated Tracis. No. IV.-2. The Students' Cabinet Library of Useful Tracts. Nos. XIII., XIV., XV. Edinburgh: Thomas Clark. 1836.

We have before had occasion to speak of these tracts with high commendation, both as to the plan of them and the articles selected. A valuable, condensed, yet extremely varied library may in the course of years be thus published and acquired; at the same time very many rare pieces may be rescued from the libraries of collectors, and become of the easiest access; while useful morsels that sometimes only form a small portion of an expensive and voluminous work may readily be obtained.

Belonging to the first series, we have here" Sir William Scott's Judgment in the case of Dalrymple v. Dalrymple," which for many years has been so celebrated by lawyers on both sides of the Tweed, and which is so famous even among the judgments of one whom Mr. Justice Story has called a splendid jurist-adding these words," the ornament, I will not say of his own age and country, but of all ages and countries; the intrepid supporter of neutral and belligerent right, the pure and spotless magistrate of nations."

The other three tracts belonging to the Useful series, are biographies. Of the first, it is sufficient to say that it contains the life of Carsten Niebuhr, the distinguished traveller, by his still more distinguished son the historian of Rome. The second gives the life of Emanuel Kant, by Professor Stapfer, of Paris, in which, though the view of the philosophy of the great transcendentalist be much more simple and intelligible than has generally been afforded, enough will be found to puzzle the brains of the generality of readers. The fault, however, attaches not to the biographer, but to the author of the system. At the same time, in a Students' Library, it would be a great defect were such a life, and a compendium of such a philosophy as Kant's, wanting. The third biography before us is that of Madame de Stael, by Mrs. Child; and we are sorry to say, that such a bald and badly compiled work of the kind we have scarcely ever read. It gives us pain to say this of a female writer's work, but the truth must be told; and when we assert that the performance

is totally unworthy of the series of which it forms a part, not merely as respects the writer's capacity for grasping and analyzing the character of such a personage as the author of Corinna, but as regards the use of the English language, it is saying nothing more than what every paragraph which has come from the biographer's pen strongly illustrates.

ART. XXV.-Home; or the Iron Rule. By MISS STICKNEY. 3 vols. London: Saunders and Otley. 1836.

THE present work of Miss Stikney we consider the most finished of her productions. It appears to us that she really is more at home throughout the entire of the three volumes before us, than we have ever seen her; we cannot, therefore, do otherwise than honestly recommend them to the attentive perusal of our readers, and if they do not expect the very top of excellency in this department of writing, they will close the work highly pleased with the authoress, and well satisfied with the fidelity of her pictures.

ART. XXVI.-Rhymes for the Romantic and the Chivalrous.

D. W. C. London: Whittaker and Co. 1836.

By

WHAT a charming and delightful volume! how beautiful is its binding! how enticing its outward appearance! we exclaimed when we took this neat little work into our hands. But how was our admiration increased upon a perusal of its pages, glowing with all the freshness and beauty of true and genuine poetry. We cannot do otherwise than recommend it to all in whose heart a poetic flame is enkindled, and who wish to meet with a responsive feeling in others.

ART. XXVII.-The Art of Cookery. By JOHN MOLLARD. 2nd Edit. London: Whittaker and Co. 1836.

THE author, who is, we are told, a very clever professor of the culinary art, has in a very simple and concise manner unfolded its hidden mysteries and revealed to common eyes the secrets of the kitchen. We therefore say to all neophytes in this conservative branch of business, as well as to learned and profound palaticians, that they will find in the volume under notice many things worth knowing; consisting of curious recipes, and numberless other articles so interesting to the gourmand.

ART. XXVIII.-Tales of the Woods and Fields. A Second Series of The Two Old Mens' Tales. 3 vols. 8vo. London: Saunders and Otley. 1836.

THOUGH the author, or authoress, whichever it is, has not been able in the present work to sustain the interest and answer to the full the expectations excited by the former series, yet, to our minds, it is all that could reasonably be required from a young novice in the art, who, no doubt, upon his or her first production, bestowed the labour and attention

of, perhaps, years, There is another thing to be taken into account, which is, that in a first undertaking the public know, in general, nothing of the previous merits of the candidate for their favour; and, to propi. tiate a kind reception, vast and unwearied labour is often given by authors to their first literary efforts, which is impossible oftentimes for them to bestow upon their second undertaking; taking this into account, we pronounce the volumes before us far above mediocrity.

ART. XXIX.-Histoire de France. Du petit Louis. Par MADAM CALLCOTT, Auteur de "L'Histoire d'Angleterre. Du petit Authur." London: Moxon. 1836.

We have many objections to make against the great increase of children's books of late. What really can be the aim of thus multiplying in such quantities these elementary works? No good, we are sure, can result either to the children or to teachers, from the vast addition that is con

stantly being made to juvenile literature. Are those for whose supposed good this accumulation of volumes is created, any better or more acquainted with that knowledge which is essential to their happiness than were their fathers? certainly not. It more generally is the case, that such knowledge as is taught by these kind of books, has only to be unlearnt by them in after life. A few good elementary works would be a desideratum.

ART. XXX. Schloss Hainfield; or a Winter in Lower Styria. By Captain BASIL HALL, R. N. London: Whittaker and Co. 1836. THE enchanting interest with which Captain Basil Hall continues to invest the most trifling things, has always been considered by us a proof of his surprising excellency as a narrator and we are certain that the present, on many accounts, very interesting volume, will not diminish the fame which he had previously acquired in this department of our literature. It has a very particular degree of interest, from the supposed fact that the Lady of Schloss Hainfield is no other than the original of Sir Walter Scott's most radiant and fascinating creation, the mysterious Die Vernon. The circumstances which appeared to the Captain to identify the widowed proprietor of the Schloss with the caged bird of Osbaldiston Hall are the following :

Amongst other things, it seemed very odd and unaccountable, that of all the works of Sir Walter Scott, the only one she had not seen was Rob Roy; and upon questioning her as to the cause of this, she mentioned that it was the only one which he had not sent her. Now, on the supposition that the heroine was drawn from her, this is readily to be understood but scarcely otherwise.

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Of course, we lost no time in bringing this novel before her, and while we read it to her, we carefully watched the effects it produced. She was much more deeply interested with the story than she had been with that of any of the other novels. She took particular interest in the descriptions of the scenery; and with all that part which lies in Cumber land she seemed perfectly familiar; and as we read on, she repeatedly ex

claimed Oh, I know that scene-I remember describing it myself to Sir Walter Scott. That anecdote he had from me-I know the man that character is taken from,' and so on, through the greater part of the book. But, what was most remarkable, she never once made an observation on the character or proceedings of Die Vernon. So completely, indeed, were we persuaded, from all the circumstances, that she herself was conscious of the likeness, that we felt afraid to take the liberty of speaking to her directly upon the subject. Many times, however, we dropped hints, and gave her openings, but though she was quite communicative on every other point, she was resolutely silent upon this. And what made her reserve the more remarkable was, that when any other of Sir Walter's novels was read to her, she let not a single character pass without the minutest scrutiny-and very often stopped us to relate other characteristic anecdotes of the persons mentioned, and which she said she knew belonged to the same parties from which he had made his sketches.

"For the rest, I shall only add, that I cannot conceive anything more exactly like what we may suppose Die Vernon to have become in her old age, than was our excellent friend Madame Purgstall at seventy-eight. Nearly forty years of expatriation, during scenes of war, pestilence, and famine, with the accompaniment of military despotism and civil tyranný, had in no material degree damped the generous spirit, or tarnished the masculine understanding, which early won the future Great Unknown's confidence and regard; and which, in the meridian of his power and fame, he afterwards traced in one of his most original and striking characters."

It would appear from this, and many other parts of the volume, that the Countess of Purgstall was really the type from which the Northern Magician drew his intensely interesting character of the Heath-flower of Cheviot."

ART. XXXI.— Wilson's Historical, Traditional, and Imaginative Tales of the Borders. Part XXII. Published for behoof of the Widow of J. M. WILSON. Edinburgh: Sutherland.

THESE Tales are deserving of public patronage, and accordingly they have an extensive circulation. The great body of common readers, after all, form the best tribunal by which a literary work is to be judged. The pictures of life and manners in the fictitious sketches that have already been published in this periodical, exhibit much variety, taste, and talent. Their principal recommendation in our eyes, is, that they are in excellent keeping with that which they profess to be, viz. short but effective stories, in which the strong and characteristic sentiments of the people, in perhaps the most interesting section of Great Britain, are embodied, and which are by turns melting, comic, and arousing. The tales are therefore national as well as provincial, and they fail not to convince us, that the writers of them are not only fully imbued with the legendary lore that is so rife in the romantic district they have set themselves to glean from, but that they are determined and able to gather in, for the sake of the passing and coming generations, the abundant harvest ready for their hands, which is to be found in the characters, the popular feelings, and the arresting events that are current, and that are descriptive of the Borders in the present day.