the ladder, at the top of which he was received by two men, his executioners. With perfect calmness, he at first submitted his neck to have the rope adjusted; but suddenly, from the low parria looks of one of the men, he felt that his person was defiled, and for a moment he became apparently agitated. 'What!' said he, ' are you mehter?' with an intonation which it was not difficult to construe into its true meaning-Am I to be polluted by the touch of this foul wretch at the very moment of death? a filthy degraded monster, who could not have stood in my presence formerly!"

A number of illustrations embellish the work, which are more than usually felicitous and descriptive. Their graphic character proves the author to be no mean artist. These "Impressions" in short, will add to the knowledge and solicitude that exists in this country regarding Hindostan.

ART. XIII.—The Curate of Steinhollt. A Tale of Iceland. 2 vols. Lond: Longman. 1837.

We cannot speak well of this tale. The plot, if such a name can be given to its jumble of improbabilities, is silly and at the same time extravagant. The filling up of its disjointed parts, mawkish and sickly. What particular object the author has had in view when planning the story, or what satisfaction could be experienced in adding its chapters after chapter, is a mystery to us, unless it have been to introduce long dialogues and harrangues upon every forced circumstance, consisting of the most commonplace and vapid moralizings, in which, however, there is a frightful infusion of irreverent allusions to holy things, and of profane exclamations. We thought of counting how often the most sacred name is in all its fullness employed in one or two of the chapters, but found the grave offence so boldly and frequently repeated, that the process became intolerable. The third commandment is not abrogated, and surely if ever the taking of the Almighty's name be in vain, it is in a mere work of fancy where the story does not require it, and where the value of the moral does not deserve it.

The tale is laid in Iceland about the year 1783; the hero Marfrede and the heroine Thorna, being natives of the island, and mutually beloved. Marfrede, when quite a lad is sent to Copenhagen, in order to prepare for the ministry, after he and his young sweetheart have plighted their vows of everlasting affection. Of him we heard very little till towards the close of the work, farther than that by the treachery of another youth his loveletters are waylaid, thus producing a reciprocal ground of complaint between the lover and Thorna. In the meanwhile there are shocking stories of robberies, murder, and frightful caverns introduced-of earthquakes, devastation, and death. The idea of formidable bands of robbers, and wanton murderers finding Iceland a suitable or tempting country for such bold enterprizes, is somewhat incredible; but not more so than the pictures of life, and the accounts of conversations put into the mouths of the peasantry. The lisping affectation, the Minerva press refinements, and the prosy speeches of old and young in these volumes are the most unna

tural inventions that ever any simple and poor people were charged with. The author thinks nothing, for example, of making his love-sick damsels betake themselves to morning exercise in gardens, and affect to enjoy the poetic employment of tending tender plants, or of sending his men and women to their bed-rooms, or having the time of action indicated by being before dinner, just as if the poor Icelanders possessed all the comforts, and aped all the airs of Cockneyism. In no view, in no particular, can we congratulate the writer of the tale. The winding up of the plot, is perhaps the most feebly artificial thing that ever was published. We must present a specimen of the style, and the cold bombast that pervades the whole; and though the art of sinking be eminently exemplified in the extract, yet we assure our readers that the passage is a favourable one, and one too, which has cost much labour, and is highly admired by its author.

As already mentioned, Marfrede had gone to Copenhagen for the purpose of pursuing important studies, but receiving from Thorna no reply to his love letters, he neglects his learning, and whines most dolorously.

"His closet, which served, him for a study and dormitory, was the witness of his sorrow; he thought and wept; then wiped his eyes, and thought and wept again. How many poor creatures spend their hours in corporeal or mental anguish, while the world-the busy, bustling, selfish world-knows nothing of it! How many members of a family have painful days and nights appointed to them, while their relations, separated by distance, know nothing of it! How many a man is destined for great suffering, while a mere point of time stands between him and the dreadful consciousness! The traveller may laugh and talk, and make himself merry over the very mail-bag which contains intelligence of the loss of his property, or that of his dearest friend. In the former instance, space, in the latter, time, is the barrier; but the latter progresses, and we soon know the reality; the former does not, and we remain, in respect of the evil, for ever ignorant. Poor Marfrede was sitting in his room one night, reflecting on his solitary and unhappy condition; the lamp was extinguished; the beams of the moon, bright and beautiful, illumined his chamber. The same moon,' he said, as he turned and looked on her tranquil face, that shines on my beloved Thorna. Oh! that it were possible for thee, thou lovely wanderer! to convey one ardent wish, one burning thought, to the neglectful maiden who has, perhaps unconsciously, caused my pain. Oh! that my words might float on thy silvery rays up to thyself, and then, choosing a new channel of light, glide down to the ears of my beloved Thorna! Convey, I entreat thee, this sentence -Marfrede is still faithful, but unhappy. How much evil by thy means might be prevented-how much anxiety, pining away, and death-if thou wouldst become the medium of conveying thoughts and wishes, the explainer of mysteries, the dispeller of suspicion, the herald of peace! But no, he continued, after a few moments, thou canst not-Thou art deaf, thou art blind, thou art glittering, but cold-Thou art like the gods of the heathen, and regardest not. The God-the Creator of thee and of all things-is the only being, whose ear is open to the sigh of distress; and to him will I address my prayers.' Then suiting the action to the words, he bowed himself before the Father of Heaven, and prayed for a speedy deliverance from his troubles."

Now, if this rhapsody be not very fine, let us ask what is? It is rather too bad, however, to fall foul of the moon, and chide her for being not only cold, and deaf, but blind. It is still worse, to make Marfrede, who is studying for the ministry, and who we are told, is a pious youth, address the Supreme Being in the way intimated, on such a love-sick matter. It may be very true that the lad's pain, sorrow, anguish, distress, and troubles, or by whatever word the effects of the Iceland peasant girl's supposed neglect deserve to be named, were very trying, but it is not usual in works purporting to inculcate religion, to find these feelings made the subject of solemn prayer.

ART. XIV. The Great Metropolis. Second Series. By the Author of "Random Recollections of the House of Lords and the House of Commons." London: Saunders and Otley. 1837.

REALLY this is rather going beyond the score. We have hitherto spoken of the author of these works candidly, and at the same time leniently; because, observing his cleverness, and, not unfrequently his picturesque power of description, it appeared to be our duty to lend whatever encouragement lay in our sphere to forward in his case the interests, or rather the legitimate grounds, for the high ambition of an aspirant after the honours of literary conquest. But there is a possibility and a danger, where talent is either limited or superficial, that he who puts it often to the stretch will be found to become a tiresome mannerist, or, perhaps, a mere hammerer out of the old metal, till it becomes too thin for bearing the weight of criticism. The conjecture may not directly or fairly apply to our author; but of this we are convinced, that he has neither added, in the present volumes, to his fame by anything that is different in style or feeling from that contained in his previous productions, nor that seems to us equally felicitous. There is a predominance of the defects and faults that might easily be detected in his former works, without a due admixture of the merits; while, at the same time, the style of excellence has not acquired any adjuncts to constitute an adorning or enriching feature to his pictures.

It is due to the author-while we would counsel him to write less and think more-to correct his information rather than to extend it-and to husband as well as to concentrate his powers-to say, that he is seldom or never dull-that though he deal in caricature and bombast, he always gives readable matter, which, especially where there is no means of nicely correcting his statements-is sure to be welcomed and often consulted by people at a distance from the scenes described. Sometimes, indeed, he displays an extraordinary amount of information on topics that few ever think of or are capable of investigating. But, without farther preamble, or any opinion as to its accuracy, we present a specimen, certainly not an unfavourable one, of the author's powers and feelings-where literary men, yea, and women, in the Great Metropolis, are the theme.

"The number of individuals who live in London entirely by their literary labour, has been variously estimated. It is impossible to say with confidence what the exact number is. Among the various conjectures which have been made on the subject, that which computes the number to be about 4,000 appears to me to be the nearest approximation to the truth. Of this

number, perhaps about 700 are, in one way or other, connected with periodicals. Many of them, I need hardly say, have no better than chameleon's fare three days out of the seven. The joke of being poor was formerly used only in reference to poets; they have always been so remarkable for their poverty, that the words poet and poverty have almost become synonymous. Now the evil of poverty is unhappily felt by the writers of prose as well as poetry, to an extent unparalleled in by-gone times. Grubstreet was formerly supposed, by a sort of poetical fiction, to be the only locality of poor authors; now a dozen Grub-streets would not contain the number, even supposing they were to adopt the principle so strictly acted on among the Irish inhabitants of St. Gile's, namely, of a dozen of them vegetating in the same apartment. Now-a-days there is hardly an attic in the humbler localities of the metropolis, but at present has, or has lately had, its poor author as an inmate. I have spoken of 4,000 as being the supposed number of persons who live by their literary labour; were I to include those who have tried to live by their literary exertions, but have been obliged to abandon the profession,' because they found they could not earn by it what was sufficient to keep soul and body together, I should have to double the number. There are scenes of destitution and misery, ever and anon exhibited among literary men-aye, and literary women too, which would make the heart sick. And it ought not to be forgotten that want comes armed to them with aggravated horrors. They are of necessity persons of more sensitive minds than the majority of other sufferers from the ills of poverty; and what adds to the pungency of their distress, is the circumstance of their slighted intellectual efforts being almost invariably mixed up with their physical destitution. I myself could detail cases of wretchedness among literary men, which have come under my own observation, at the bare mention of which every rightly constituted mind would stand appalled."

ART. XV.-Colonial Policy of the British Empire. Part I. By the Author of the "History of the British Colonies," &c. London: Allen and Co. 1837.

MR. MONTGOMERY MARTIN has, in this first part of a new publication, commenced what he promised, and that which is, indeed, a necessary sequel to his great work on the British Colonies. It is to extend to six parts, of one hundred pages each-the present treating of the Government of these possessions. After this is to follow-the Commercial branch of the subject -thirdly that of Emigration and Penal Settlements-fourthly, an examination of the colonies of France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, &c.-fifthly, an inquiry as to the influence of colonies on a nation's rise and progressand lastly, statistical Charts and an Appendix of all official and public documents relating to the subjects discussed. It will hence be seen that the work is to be upon an extensive and systematic scale; and certainly there is not a man belonging to the British empire, or in the world, who from his past habits, and acquaintance with the subject, in the widest sense, that can at all be supposed equally prepared for the task with the author.

In the Part before us, in treating of the Home Government of the

Colonies, he proposes, instead of leaving the whole of our immense colonial interest to the controul of a perpetually shifting secretary of state, that a Colonial Board should be formed, somewhat similar to the Treasury and Admiralty Boards. That some congruous and stable system of legislation should exist for the benefit both of the people at home, and those stationed in these settlements cannot be doubted; that Mr. Martin's proposed plan is deserving of immediate and earnest consideration, we also assert, and recommend its details, as found in the portion of this his new work, to all who care about these important national concerns. In reference to Lower Canada, he gives very strong reasons for not instituting two elective chambers. This part of the work is the more interesting on account of the late debates in Parliament in relation to the colony in question.

People are in the habit of hearing and speaking of the immense extent of territory and amount of population subject to the British crown, without having any very definite idea of these things, or comprehending the amazing thoughts which such commonplace phraseology should suggest. But read the hundred pages now on our table, and the themes now alluded to will become enormous and magnificent in a manner that is calculated to exalt the mind of the contemplator, and leave upon it imperishable traces that cannot be dissevered from many other noble sentiments. In this way, such a work as this, which is to grasp and detail the component parts, as well as the necessary connexions of the subject under consideration, while it must benefit those having a direct interest in those things, cannot but enlighten and engage all who regard the welfare of the British empire, ar of mankind, in no ordinary degree. The work is as much deserving of the attention of the popular reader as it is of the merchant, and will, no doubt, be, like the author's former valuable productions, extensively, nay almost universally, read.

ART. XVI.-Sequel to Sematology: being an Attempt to clear the Way for the Regeneration of Metaphysics; comprising Strictures on Platonism, Materialism, Scotch Intellectual Philosophy, and Phrenology; Brougham's Additions to Paley; Logic at Oxford, and in the Edinburgh Review, &c. By the Author of "An Outline of Sematology, or an Essay towards establishing a new Theory of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric." Unpublished Copy.

THE volume, and it is but a thin one, which bears the above verbose and formidable title, has lain for months beside us; and more than once have we taken it up to give our opinion of its contents at considerable length. But there are so many things in it on which the author and we disagree, and such a want of clear elucidation of principles on his part, arising, perhaps, from a defect as to his full comprehension of these principles, that a work of much greater length than his own would be required to do justice to all our views on the many abstruse subjects broached; and after all, in a journal chiefly devoted to popular literature, who would read such a paper?

The author's ingenuity is considerable, and we are ready to admit that he has reflected much on the abstract subjects discussed; but we believe his labour will be lost. One great error, we think, attaches to a principal