Слике страница
PDF
ePub

:

"

:

[ocr errors]

"

[ocr errors]

n

[ocr errors]

country they are both from Blackwood. On English history, we have one article, England in 1841, by Von Raumer," already so well known by his former valuable work on the same subject extracted from the Athenæum. Another, « Pictorial history of England, from the Edinburgh Review; good of course. From the Quarterly, an article on Mme. D'Arblay's Diary and Letters, » a severe and well-merited critique : together with The unpublished correspondence between Mr. Pitt and the Duke of Rutland, showing that great man under an entirely new point of view. There also are two very valuable articles, «Colliers and the Collieries," from the Quarterly; Mendicity, its causes and statistics from the Edinburgh; both of which we conceived to be of the highest general interest in the then state of England. There is also a review, from the Athenæum, of Memoirs of Popular Delusions, a work of great merit; together with Illustrations of two Roman Sepulchres, and the « Antiquities and Coins of Affghanistan. We have also given in the present number an article from the last Edinburgh, On the government of India, its constitution and departments, which is doubtless a subject of the highest interest at this moment; and, from the United Service Journal, «A biography of Sir Robert Kerr Porter, whose lamented death here, a few months ago, was a cause of deep grief to all who knew him.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

་་

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

On Medicine we have also extracted two articles of general interest, one on the so-called « Cold Water Cure; the other on Animal Magnetism; both calculated to put the public on their guard against two principal species of quackery. They are from two of the best medical journals. Two cases of Law appeared to us worthy of particular notice: Who is the Murderer? from Blackwood, exemplifying a very remarkable case depending on the great and difficult question of circumstantial evidence and an admirable article from the Edinburgh Review on the Trial of Madame Lafarge, showing what would probably have been the process and her sentence had she been tried by an English Jury.

:

[ocr errors]

In Voyages and Travels we have had to introduce three

[ocr errors]

new works on China: five articles on America, one of which,

:

[ocr errors]

Incidents of travel in Central America, by Stephens, reviewed by the Quarterly, contains much new and valuable information on the original inhabitants of that country and Dickens's new work on America. That indefatigable writer Mrs. Trollope has also furnished us with her Italy; whilst the prince of travellers, Basil Hall, has given us his Patchwork, reviewed by the Quarterly. We have extracted from Blackwood an article on Affghanistan and India, a subject of such general interest; and an Excursion to Port Arthur, » one of our convict settlements; containing some details on our system of transportation, little known here. There are also travels in Asia, Africa &c.

[ocr errors]

་་

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Our readers will find several Miscellaneous Articles of general interest. "The Women of Italy have been placed in a totally new light in an article extracted from the Foreign Quarterly. We have also introduced « British Field Sports » from the Edinburgh, a subject probably little known to the majority of our readers, though of such almost universal importance in England. The Mechanic's Magazine has furnished us with an excellent article on « London Fires in 1841, which we conceive must interest almost every one at this unfortunate epoch of conflagrations. The Natural in Art, » from Blackwood, we are aware would be attractive to only a certain class of our readers; but we should think that Murchison's geological visit to Russia, and his treatise on the Black Earth, running through a large part of the Empire, would be of general value.

In articles on English Literature we confess that we have been greatly remiss; our original intention was to have treated this subject much more fully. This is a defect which we hope to correct in the next year.

:

Poetry of course could not occupy any considerable space in our very limited number of pages we have nevertheless introduced an original poet of great talent, and one little known here, Ingoldsby, selecting from his pieces in Bentley's Miscellany. We have been able to show the comic Hood in a new light, in his beautiful verses «The Elm Tree. " We have also to return our grateful thanks to Mr. Shand

for his poetical contributions; and to Mr. Hynam for his translation from Miatleff.

Our space will not allow us to enter at any length upon the lighter part of our selection, novels, tales, &c. We can only assure our readers that we have chosen, to the best of our judgment, those which appeared most worthy of being printed, always selecting from the most popular of our Magazines, the variety of which may be remarked by a glance at our general Table of Contents. They contain many amusing. and instructive pictures, moral, domestic, serious, comic and satirical; extending to Italy, China, Spain, India, &c., though principally and naturally embracing generally English subjects. In this part we may fearlessly challenge a comparison with any Magazine, having had the choice of the best from each. Barnaby Rudge we have already mentioned, but we must not forget Morier, who has furnished us with some good pieces; nor the extracts from Bulwer and Cooper. As we already see announced a new novel from Dickens, and another from Bulwer, we hope to gratify our subscribers with early extracts from both.

We would beg our readers themselves to glance over the list of articles on the Arts and Sciences, as also the General Miscellanea, both being classes too numerous to enter upon here, and we trust they will then acknowledge that we have there given a considerable mass of curious and instructive matter. We hope too that the list of English Patents, during nearly the whole year, will have offered, to some at least, a certain portion of interest, as it serves to show the extraordinary activity of some very considerable branches of English commerce and manufacture.

Having thus explained, at some length, the general objections which have reached our ears, and answered them, we hope satisfactorily; and having also spoken candidly and fairly of the result of our labours, we shall now take our leave, earnestly requesting those who are friendly to our undertaking, and satisfied with our endeavours, to endeavour to promote the circulation of our Review in every possible way, and thus enable us to carry on a work which we are very

VOL. IV.

62

-

sure will continue to merit their patronage. We have employed no clap-trap to induce our readers to do this no long interesting story, left half finished, and to be continued next year in order to lead them to a second subscription. We can only say that we have done our best, though, with the experience we have now acquired, we hope to do better: and we again renew our pledge either to diminish the amount of subscription, or to add to the quantity of the Review, as soon as we shall find ourselves justified in doing so, by a sufficient increase of subscribers.

S. WARRAND.

T. B. SHAW.

AN ADVENTURE

DURING THE GREEK REVOLUTION.

Twenty years ago I was studying at a German University. Greek insurrection excited a good deal of attention at the time, and many of the professors, as well as the students, were enthusiastic in the cause of the regeneration of Greece, for so the struggle between the Greeks and Turks was then always called. I conversed much with the Germans who had returned from Greece; they had invariably lost every spark of enthusiasm, and uttered dire lamentations over the ingratitude of the Greek race; this ingratitude they owned was more deeply insulting in a country which afforded such execrable commons and bad lodgings as the classic Hellas. Their conversation ended by producing in me a conviction that their accounts were coloured with a sombre hue, in consequence of their absurd expectations of becoming heroes in six months, or rich men in six weeks, having been disappointed. A German who goes abroad to make his fortune is always far more impatient and insatiable than any other adventurer. I have all my life sought after truth in the fantastic mirror of history. The fancy struck me, that the Greek revolution would afford any one, who could venture to live in the tumult, an

« ПретходнаНастави »