Examiner' hints that there has been another cause of the relaxation of discipline; that a spirit of hatred between the soldiers and the people has been sedulously cultivated by their officers:

We suspect that the truculent spirit boastfully manifested by the officers towards the people has had some effect on the actions of the men. Military outrages against the people have been looked upon by the officers with an indulgent eye, and hence, doubtless, an increase of such offences; and misconduct in one direction begets misconduct in another, and the soldier who has spurned the civil law, under a superior provoking the transgression which he seems to chide, soon ventures to trespass also against the military law. We could mention cases in which there has been mixed a violation of military and civil law, and in which the wrong against the people seems to have redeemed, in the eyes of the military judges, the infraction of military rule, for the punishment allotted in consideration of both offences has been far short of what it would in all probability have been had the military offence been unmingled with the other. We have put a question thus to military men: What would be the punishment of a party drunk on their march, who used their troop-horses for the sport of women picked up on the road side?—And the sentence supposed in the answer has far exceeded the punishment which was actually awarded in such a case-with this (excusing) addition, that the sword was drawn upon people who manifested their disgust at the most indecent and brutal conduct. The remark which will not want examples in various quarters is this-that offences against the discipline of the army, which would be severely punished if solely offences against discipline, are more leniently dealt with if mixed up with offences against the laws of the land. The people of the lower part of Westminster will bear testimony to the truth of this observation. But there is not only an indulgence for military riot at the expense of the public peace, but a direct defiance of the civil law is occasionally taught to the soldiery; thus a commanding officer lately ordered the barrackgates to be closed against a constable with a warrant for the apprehension of one of the privates. Whatever insubordination there now is in the army, is the natural effect of the spirit and countenance of its officers since the agitation of the Reform Bill. The license of the soldiery has extended, as license always will do, beyond the intention of those who were pleased to relax discipline for a particular object.'

We fear there is much truth in these remarks. But we conceive that the root of the matter lies still deeper. It is a vice inherent in an army or a navy exclusively officered by gentlemen, that the soldiers and sailors must be treated like brutes. If indeed the commanding officer be a man to whom those under him can look up with reverence, that reverence renders his mere displeasure so severe a punishment, that he is able to dispense with corporal torture. Nelson needed it not, nor Collingwood, nor Sir Alexander Ball; and never were ships' crews so admirably disciplined as theirs. Whether in a regiment, a ship, or a school, those only govern by torture who have not the virtue necessary for governing by personal influence. When the scourge is needed, it is always the fault and often the crime of the superior. But from almost all superiors, faults, and from many, crimes, are to be expected. No army or navy is officered with Nelsons and Collingwoods. These were rare men. The discipline of an army or navy cannot be left dependent

upon the qualities of individual men; it must be provided for by the general system of military and naval rewards and punishments.

Now rewards, in the English army, there are none; for no soldier can rise beyond the rank of a sergeant. As for punishments, for the greater military offences only three are possible: 1st, The offender must be shot; or, 2dly, Flogged; or, 3dly, Dismissed from the service. Now this last, which in almost all other armies is a punishment of extreme severity, with us is a reward. The soldier is but too happy to get his discharge, and would commit offences purposely for a very slight chance of obtaining it. Until this is remedied, discipline in the army never can by possibility be kept up but by shooting or flogging. The men will be either shot, flogged, or undisciplined, until dismissal from the army shall be a punishment and not a privilege: and a privilege it will be until the pay of the common soldier be raised beyond what any taxes which the British people will pay afford the means of, or until, as in France or Prussia, every common soldier shall have the possibility before him of rising to be colonel of his regiment.

Now, as the people of England have neither the passion of equality which distinguishes the French, nor the passion of justice which has hitherto distinguished no nation, this most desirable result will only be brought about through the passion of humanity; which, by not allowing soldiers to be either shot or flogged, will compel recourse to the only means of government fit for rational beings; and will secure, at length, for that important portion of the people the privileges of men, by not tolerating that they should any longer be treated like brutes. We therefore rejoice from our souls that the public loathing at the practice of flogging is becoming too intense to be resisted, and we most earnestly hope that every word which fell from Mr. Ellice on the insubordination of the army is literally true. We trust that the army is, and will progressively become more and more undisciplined, until the time comes when from sheer necessity, on the failure of all other means of keeping the soldiers in subjection, the oligarchy must perforce loose their hold of what will be the last and most cherished of their monopolies. They will part with it as with their life's blood, but ere many years shall have passed over their heads, they may rely upon it, it will be theirs no longer.

A.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

Origines Biblica. By C. T. Beke. Vol. I.

THIS volume is prefaced by a declaration that the author has voluntarily kept himself in ignorance of the mass of valuable materials for his researches which exists in the writings of the German divines, because he holds the heresies of those divines in horror; and also that his knowledge of their opinions has been derived, not from any strict investigation of the subject, but from the casual perusal of the current English literature.' When we add that he proceeds on the assumption of the inspired infallibility of every verse of the Old Testament in all matters of history, genealogy, geography, &c., we shall probably have said enough to make most rational persons despair of deriving much instruction from his researches in primeval history.' But if they do, they will be in error. Within the limits which he prescribes to himself, the author displays much independence of thought and diligence of research. He has lightened many obscurities, and made some discoveries, in the early history of mankind; and mooted questions which well deserve to be thoroughly discussed. It will be rather a startling proposition to many readers, that the Israelites never were in Egypt (properly so called); and that the river on which Moses was exposed was not the Nile, but the Wady Gaza, a small stream near Gaza. A very plausible case is however made out against the identification of the Mitzraim of scripture with the Egypt of profane history, in spite of all translators, from the Seventy downwards. In the next volume he promises to sketch the history of this empire of Mitzraim, which vanished so entirely even from the ancient world. He deserves at least the impartial attention of biblical students.

An Essay towards an easy and useful System of Logic. By Robert Blakey.

SOME useful observations may be found in this work, but as a whole it wants precision, clearness, and consistency. It is very imperfect, either as a description, or a specimen, of that greatest of all arts, the art of reasoning.

Geographical Questions and Exercises. By Richard Chambers.

An Introduction to Arithmetic. By the Same.

THESE little books have gone through several editions, and deserve to go through several more. They are very convenient for the purpose to which they are immediately directed, and convey besides a wonderful quantum of information incidentally. Every example, in arithmetic, is made the occasion of imparting some portion of historical, geographical, or other instruction.

seen.

The Radical Peerage.

A BRIEF peerage, but a plain and true one, and the cheapest we have ever It contains a rapid sketch of the legislative history of the Lords, with accounts, not very flattering, of the origin of some of the most conspicuous privileged families. Such a pamphlet as this would, if anything could, shame those who, even yet, try to corrupt children's minds, on the very threshold of history, by stories of virtue rewarded and hereditary patriotism.

Moral Instruction, addresssed to the Working Classes. Part I. 'ORIGIN and beneficial effects of Sunday-schools; importance of moral instruction to young persons; advantages of knowledge; duty of being serviceable to each other; propriety of conduct, and the duties of apprentices and servants; amusements; diligence; obedience; honesty; truth and sincerity: these are the topics discussed in this publication, which consists of lessons which were actually employed, between thirty and forty years ago, for the mental and moral improvement of the working classes at Birmingham.' They have, no doubt, aided in the production of the desired effect. The operatives of that town have been essentially benefited by the School Society, in connexion with which these plain and sensible lectures were delivered. An admirable peculiarity of those Sunday-schools was, that their influence was prolonged into after life, and they were made to furnish their own succession of teachers out of those who had enjoyed their advantages as pupils. This arrangement, combined with the peculiar aptitude of Mr. Luckcock and others interested in them, made them an instrument of good, incomparably more efficient than the feeble and generally sectarian institution which the term Sunday-school is employed to describe.

Political Christianity.

THIS is one of the best collections of facts, which are accompanied with suitable and spirited reasonings, on the religious condition of Ireland, that we have seen. Its object is set forth in a descriptive title-page, as follows: State Patronage and Government Support, in National Establishments of Religion, not only ineffective as a means of propagating divine truth, but pernicious to the Nation, and obstructive to the progress of Scriptural Religion; illustrated in the Political, Ecclesiastical, and Educational Statistics of Ireland.' Although only a pamphlet of 136 pages, this publication contains a mass of historical matter, relative to the Catholic and Protestant Churches of Ireland, the Presbyterians, and minor sects, the various charitable institutions for education, and their present condition and influence: all lucidly presented, and demanding alike the consideration of the legislature and the public. The Chapter of Conclusions, in tabular form,' is particularly striking; nor can the accounts of the actual workings of the education societies be read without strong interest.

The Book of Aphorisms.

MOST of these aphorisms are meant to be witty, and many of them are humorous. Truisms and falsisms are very impartially blended. There is much smart twaddling and twaddling smartness, intermixed with better stuff. Very sound is the seventy-first aphorism: The most difficult thing in the world is to talk good nonsense;' nor is it strange that the author of 675 aphorisms, all written in the evenings of September, 1832, for the purpose of whiling away a few idle hours,' should not have always succeeded, either in sense or nonsense. Still the book will do very well for an afternoon in the post-chaise pocket. The last aphorism is, 'Next to the Bible, the best book in the world is the Book of Aphorisms.' We beg, on behalf of the Jewish and Christian revelations, to return thanks for the exception.

Statistics of the United States. By T. J. Tredway.

A VERY useful book for emigrants, or those who think of becoming so. The compiler is a native and resident American, who has devoted many years to the topography of the States; and, so far as we can judge from the work itself, he has performed his task with impartiality and diligence.

Illustrations of the Bible. By Westall and Martin. Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4. EIGHT Wood-cuts for a shilling, from the productions of such masters, is certainly rendering the fine arts cheap enough, so far as quantity is concerned. The question of quality is, however, of much more importance. The first number disappointed us; we believe partly from our not being favoured with good impressions; with the subsequent numbers we have been highly gratified. In most cases the wood has done its duty admirably, and the pictorial effect is satisfactorily realized. The merits of the designs cannot be discussed in the limits of a notice; they are such as the names of the painters will sufficiently avouch.

Biographical Sketches of Eminent Artists. By John Gould. MR. JOHN GOULD appears to be a diligent compiler, and so far as this qualification goes, his book is meritorious and useful. We cannot praise his style or his philosophy; and an alphabetical index to an alphabetical dictionary, is a sheer waste of paper.

L'Echo de Paris. By M. A-P. Lepage.

As much as a book can teach an English learner, of familiar conversation in French, may be acquired from this book. How much that is, or of how much use, is a different question.

Birmingham and its Vicinity. By W. Hawkes Smith. Nos. 1 and 2. 2s. 6d. each.

ALL our large towns, and our manufacturing or commercial districts, should promptly imitate this spirited publication; the agricultural districts may be allowed to follow more slowly. Mr. Hawkes Smith has