If we are called upon to give our reasons for this judgement, we must reluctantly proceed to the invidious specification of the Author's sundry offences against taste, sense, and euphony. We must, for instance, indite him on the following count,for uttering as poetry certain stanzas, purporting to be about the above-mentioned brooks and floods."

There is a voice which speaks from them
To man's entranced and musing heart,
Which worldly wisdom may condemn,
Though in its words it hath no part;
The tones they speak are tones of praise-
-Expressive praise, though feebly told,-
Praise that but mocks the senseless ways
By which man doth his thoughts unfold.

The untaught worship of the bird,
Or wild bee, in his humble flight,
By God from his high throne is heard,
When man shall vanish from his sight;
And this because the songs they sing
The thanks sincere of nature tell,
And shall to him an offering spring
Accepted and acceptable.'

Putting aside the doths and haths and false concord of these lines, what do they mean? That God is better pleased with the sounds of the mountain stream, the singing of birds, and the hum of bees, than the praise of his intelligent creatures. This is but sorry divinity.

To the evening star,' Mr. Clarke singeth:

Pale harbinger of silent night!

I

gaze upon thy early beam

All tremulous with silver light,

And in my musing fancy dream,

That thou art looking down on me

With an unused tranquillity.'

Here is certainly a liberty taken with words that we are unused to;-a beam tremulous with light, and a poet gazing on it, and dreaming, with his eyes open, but in his fancy, that the star is looking at him with unused tranquillity; and yet we are told, it is tremulous,' as it were at the very sight of him, knowing, perhaps, what he was going to sing about. We have been not a little amused with the Author's original use of the diuresis, suspended over a single vowel, thus:

They laid thee in thy lowly bed,

And o'er the chafing sea,

Thou, coffinless, wast lowered

With rude solemnity,

And saintless lips, unused to prayer,

Shed the last words of blessing there!'

Several similar instances might be given; but in the following couplet it is perversely omitted.

'When the angel's trump shall arouse the dead,

And seas shall unbosom their bu-ri-ed!'

We do not call in question Mr. Clarke's qualifications as bachelor of arts, the art of poetry being excepted.

Art. XI. The English Mother's Catechism for her Children: containing those Things most necessary to be known at an early Age. Illustrated by 100 Engravings. By the Rev, T. Clark. 24mo. pp. 72. 9d. sewed; large paper, 1s. 6d. bound. London. 1822.

ONE

NE hundred engravings for nine pence! This ingenious contriver of multum in parvo deserves to obtain our recommendation of his praiseworthy labours; and, in truth, the Catechism does comprise a prodigious variety of useful lore. It is quite a Lilliputian cyclopedia; and the wood-cuts, which to children are a hieroglyphic language more readily understood than the type, are most respectable specimens of the kind. They exhibit visible representations of rural processes, trades, fruits, animals, insects, heavenly bodies, national costumes, and skeleton maps. Surely never were the tools of Education brought to so great a perfection, whatever may be the skill employed in handling them.

Art. XII. Principes de la Grammaire Françoise, ou Livre de Conversation a l'Usage de la Jeunesse Angloise. Par Mr. d'Emden. 12mo. pp. 136. London. 1822.

THIS new attempt to elucidate the elements of French Grammar, does not appear to require elaborate criticism. It seems on the whole to be judiciously compiled; and it possesses the important requisite of brevity. The form of dialogue has been adopted, and the whole series of instruction is conveyed in the French language; a plan which imposes some additional trouble on the master, but must be exceedingly advantageous to the pupil.

Art. XIII. An Essay on the Soils and Composts indispensably necessary in the Propagation and Culture of the more rare and valuable ornamental Trees, Shrubs, Plants, and Flowers. By Thomas Haynes. 12mo. pp. 70. Price 5s. London. 1821.

G

ARDENING is rapidly rising to something like the dignity of a science. Instead of the arbitrary and empirical processes of our ancestors, derived, especially in the treatment of flowers and esculent vegetables, chiefly from the Dutch and the Flemings, our Horticulturists are now employed in practical inquiries on a large and expensive scale; and the aid of chemical examination is called in to ascertain the nature of soils and composts. To the Horticultural Society, as well as to enlightened and liberal individuals, we are indebted for these improvements; and among the more useful publications to which these efforts have given rise, we are disposed to assign a place to the " present little work. It might have been much compressed, and some very unnecessary repetitions should have been avoided; but notwithstanding these symptoms of inexpertness in the art of getting up a book, we have read this little manual with profit and pleasure. If some of our dilettanti gardeners will avail themselves of its instructions, they will save themselves much vexation and disappointment in their experiments in horticulture. Art. XIV. A brief Sketch of the Life of Thuanus; with copious Notes to the Dedication of his History of France; illustrative of the most important Events of Ecclesiastical History, which have occurred on the Continent of Europe. By Josiah H. Walker. 12mo. pp. 256. Price 4s. Nottingham. 1819.

WITHOUT containing much novelty, this is, on the whole,

not an uninteresting book. Mr. Walker has been fortunate in his choice of a subject; and though we cannot compliment him on either the correctness of his style, or the extent of his researches,-the life of de Thou being drawn from the most common sources, and the Editor's notes to the celebrated Dedication, which loses much, by losing its Latinity, being of rather a common-place quality,-still, the volume comprises in a small compass, much interesting information on an important subject.

Repeated errors in the orthography of proper names remain uncorrected. The regicide Clement is called more than once, Clerment; Fulgentio is spelt Fulgentia; and the President A. Mortier, elsewhere called au Mortier, is evidently taken for an individual, whereas it is only a title of office derived from the peculiar shape of the cap, resembling, we believe, an apothe cary's mortar. De Thou was president à mortier-i. e. with the mortar-shaped cap.

ART. XV. SELECT LITERARY INFORMATION.

Gentlemen and Publishers who have works in the Press, will oblige the Conductors of the ECLECTIC REVIEW, by sending information (post paid) of the subject, extent, and probable price of such works ; which they may depend upon being communicated to the public, if consistent with its plan.

Art. XVI. LIST OF WORKS RECENTLY PUBLISHED.