larly applied to the study of ancient literature, for the admirable and worthy purpose of restoring what had been disfigured by time, and bringing out the finest models of composition that ever have been formed by the genius of man, as far as lay in his power, (though subject to many drawbacks fatal to perfect success,) to their original form and lustre. Generally speaking, Bentley rose to greater eminence in Greek literature than in Latin. His fine taste led him to the more noble and perfect language, and his strong and sinewy powers of mind loved to grapple with the greater difficulty: but his Notes on Horace are invaluable to all scholars who desire to attain to an accurate and critical knowledge of the laws of composition among the Latin poets and writers; though the least valuable part of them consists in the alterations of the poet's text. But the arguments with which his emendations are proposed, sustained, and fortified, the wide extent of his illustrations, the ingenuity of his analogies, and the irresistible force of his deductions, are masterpieces of critical skill and knowledge, and have, as far as we know, never been equalled. Whatever may be the Latin author any editor may design to make his study, he cannot better commence his labours than by an attentive perusal of Bentley's Notes on the favourite poet of Augustus: and happy will he be, if he catch but a small portion of the inspiration of his master. He will then find, that to adventure on the perilous and difficult task of correcting and purifying the text of the ancient authors, no common and half-formed knowledge

Hymns and Poems for Little Children, Translated from the German. By a Lady. Smith, Elder, and Co. pp. 71. -This is a very interesting little book, for which the mere English reader must feel greatly indebted to the translator. The poems are short, and many of them very sweet; such as any child may understand, and such as, it is to be hoped, that all children, in whose hands they may be placed, will commit to memory. The verse is, in general, easy and varied in a pleasing manner; only here and there restrained apparently by the endeavour which has been made to "secure a

no literæ vulgares et quotidiane—no capricious and intermitted labour-no casual habits of reasoning, will suffice; but that solid and substantial learning must be the massive foundation on which all his future success is to be founded; and the brightest and most beautiful emendations will spring from principles laid deeply and remotely in a clear knowledge of the language, and how that structure is shaped and moulded by particular genius, yet still in its widest variations retained by a strong chain of analogy to its parent

stem.

On Manilius, the labours of Bentley we do not think so successful; and it is not easy to say why he chose so inferior a writer, except it was to show how he could succeed where his great predecessor Scaliger had failed: yet there do not exist more beautiful and convincing emendations on any Latin poet than those which Heringa gave upon the unfinished and imperfect text which Bentley left; but on the Epistle of Hemsterhuis, in the Emendations on Menander, and Callimachus, and in the epistle of Mill, the glory of Bentley's genius shows most effulgent. And so we shall end, by saying of this great and unrivalled man, with G. Wakefield, "Bentleius criticorum omnium quos noverim equidem, aut de quibus legerim, vel inaudiverim, longè longèque est sagacissimus vir, est incomparabilis, et ingenii sagacitate pollentissimus;" though we also agree with Herman, Nimirum vir eximius acutè sentire, quid rectè, quid secus fuerit, solebat; sed explicare nunc nolebat, nunc aliâ quàm debebat viâ aggrediabatur."

faithful imitation of the simplicity of the original." (Pref.) The book may profitably be recommended to all who feel interested in supplying their children's minds with wholesome thoughts expressed in plain and good language. The translator would confer an additional favour on the public, if she would follow up the present version, in which she has so well succeeded, with a volume of original poetry of the same kind.

Thoughts on Religion, from a MS. of the year 1832, by an Undergraduate of Oxford. 1837.-There are some pleasing

tome of vanity, Margaret Duchess of Newcastle, whose extraordinary poetical works formed the subject of one of our recent Retrospective Reviews (see July p. 36). It is addressed to Dr. Bohun :*

S',

I am concerned you should be absent when you might confirme the suffrages of y' fellow Collegians, and see the Mistresse both Universities court, a person who has not her equall possibly in the world, so extraordinary a woman she is in all things. I acknowledge, though I remember her some years since, and have not been a stranger to her fame, I was surprised to finde so much extravagancy and vanity in any person not confined within four walls. Her habit particular, fantasticall, not unbecoming a good shape, which she may truely boast off; her face discovers the facility of the sex in being yet perswaded it deserves the esteeme yeares forbid, by the infinite care she takes to place her curls and patches. Her mine [mien] surpasses the Imagination of Poets, or the descriptions of a Romance. Heroine greatnesse, her gracious bows, seasonable nods, courtious

stretching out of her hand, twinckling of her eyes, and various gestures of aprobation, shew what may be expected from her discource, which is as ayery, empty, whimsicall, and rambling as her books, ayming at science, difficulties, high notions, terminating com'only in nonsence, oathes, and obscenity; her way of addres to people more than necessarily submissive; a certaine generall forme to all, obliging by repeating affected generous kind expressions, endeavouring to shew humility by calling back things past, still to improve her present greatnesse and favour to her friends. I found Doctor Charlton with her, complementing her witt and learning in a high manner, which she tooke to be so much her due that she swore if the scooles did not banish Aristotle and read Margeret Duchesse of Newcastle they did her wrong, and deserved to be uterly abolished. My part was not yet to speake but admire, especially hearing her go on magnifiyng her owne generous actions, stately buildings, noble fortune, her Lord's prodigious losses in the war, his power, valour, witt, learning, and indeed what did she not mention to

his or her owne advantage. Sometimes, to give her breath, came in a fresh ad

Rev. Ralph Bohun, D.C.L. Fellow of New College, and tutor of Mr. Evelyn's sons. See much of him in Evelyn's Memoirs.

GENT. MAG. VOL. IX.

mirer; then she tooke occasion to justifie her faith, to give an account of her religion as new and unintelligible as her philosophy.

"I can assure you this description falls short of the Lady I would make you acquainted with, but she is not of mortall race, and therfore cannot be defined. "M. EVELYN."

It appears from a letter among the correspondence appended to Evelyn's Memoirs, a letter in which Evelyn joins so fully in the general adulation to the Duchess, that the Editor seems to have thought a note of apology necessary-that the Duchess had been pleased to dignify Mrs. Evelyn by the name of her daughter; and her Grace's autograph in the present volume is from a letter in which she expresses equal esteem for Mr. Evelyn himself.

"the trueth is (she says) you are a person of singular vertus, for which all ought as j doe admir you, and am,

your humbell sarvant,

MARGREAT NEWCASTL."

From the same collection we have

the following interesting portion of a letter written by the celebrated Rachel Lady Russell in her old age to Bishop Burnet, and dated Chatsworth, Sept. 3, 1709.

"I do not wel remember if, w" I saw y' Lop last, I had then fixed my resolve to ye great undertaking I have to ye time bin prosperous under, and in lesse than two months' time seen eighteene granchildren all comely and prosperous, not deprived of father or mother, but planted wth them in pleasant habitations, plenty, and honour, and above all the three I have brought into ye world happy in ther marriages, wonderfuly soe; those are comforts and blessings I hope I am truly sensible of and thankful for, and as truly troubled that my heart stil sinks whenever I reflect on these and past sircumstances, least I ofend the great dispensator of good, and to me soe gratious and uncommon providences, but som wounds are soe malignant they can never heal. My Lord, y' most humble servant, R. RUSSEL."

This will be allowed to be very characteristic and very interesting. Another letter which we shall quote is calculated to raise the character of its writer above the estimate which has usually been formed of it. It is one of Mary d'Este, the Queen of James the Second, who has been "un

2 P

justly represented as devoid of almost every natural affection, of the meanest understanding, and of such defective education as to be incapable of writing or reading." Certainly the diction of this letter, and the orthography (not to speak of the hand-writing) is far superior to what we should have expected, even from a clever Princess, who had resided so little in England as Mary d'Este. As an autograph it perhaps requires further corroboration. However, Mr. Netherclift assures us that "its genuineness is unquestion able;" and states that the original is in the possession of James Calder Stewart, esq. who obtained it directly from the family archives of the Lords de Clifford, whose maternal ancestor, Sir Edward Southwell, was Secretary of State at that period. It was addressed to the Earl of Tyrconnell.

"St. Germain, April the 5th [1690]. "This is my third l're since i heard from you, but shall not make it a long one, for the bearer of it knows a great deel of my mind, or rather all the thoughts of my heart, for i was so overioyd to meet with one i durst speake freely to, that i opened my heart to him, and sayd mor then i am like to do again in haste to any body: i therfor refer myself to him to tell you all wee spoke off, for i have no secrets for you; one thing only i must say, to beg of you to have a care of the king, and not lett him be to much encouraged by the good news he will hear, for i dread nothing at this time, but his going to fast in to England, and in a maner dangerous and uncertain for himself, and disadvantageous to those of our persuasion; i have writt an unreasonable long l're to him to tell him my mind, and have sayd much to Lord Houer* to say to him, for it is not probable that i shall ever have so safe an oportunity of writting again; pray putt him often in mind of being carefull of his person, if not for his owne sake, for mine, my sonnes, and all our friends, that are undon if anything amiss happens to him; i dare not let myself go upon this subject, i am to full of it. i know you love the king, i am sure you are my friend, and therfor i need say the less to you, but cannot end my I're without telling you, that i never in my life had a truer nor a mor sincere friendship for any body then I have for you. M. R."

These specimens shew that Mr.

* Probably Lord Howard.

Netherclift has been very fortunate in his private communications; and we need only add that he has been equally successful in the selections he has gleaned at the British Museum, though it must be admitted that the volume of Autographs engraved by Mr. C. J. Smith, and edited (with brief biographical sketches) by Mr. J. G. Nichols in 1829, has formed his continual index to what was curious and remarkable in the earlier MSS.

The (French) epistle of Queen Mary to Philip the Second, relating to their intended marriage, is remarkable; as it may be regarded as the dignified love-letter of a reigning Queen. The letters of Catharine of Arragon to Henry VIII. on the battle of Flodden; of Queen Anne Boleyn professing gratitude and service to Cardinal Wolsey; of Mary Queen of Scots to Elizabeth on her first arrival from Scotland; of Lady Arbella Stuart relating to her unfortunate marriage; and the indignant rebuke of the Virgin Queen on the Parliament's attempting to make the question of her matrimony the " 'preamble to a subsidy book," all well deserved to be thus copied. A passage in a letter of Queen Anne to her minister the Earl of Oxford, in the year 1711, is very amusing, and much resembles the feeling which has been supposed to exist with respect to another diplomatic Lord in modern days.

"I find Lord Dartmouth has not prepared any Instructions for Ld Peterborow, fearing he would do more hurt than good at Turin. L Dartmouth proposed to me the sending him to Venice. I think he should be sent somewhere, for I feare if he comes home while the Parliament is sitt ing, he will be very troublesome."

There are some cases where Mr. Netherclift has not been so liberal of his explanatory notes as he ought to have been. In Pl. 12 he should have stated why the Countess of Denbigh complimented her brother the Duke of Buckingham on having been constant to his religion; it was either on account of the temptations to which he had been exposed in Spain in 1623, or because his mother the Countess of

We must mention, however, that these three all occur in Mr. Nichols's work already cited.

Library of Useless Knowledge. By Athanasius Gasker, Esq. (W. Pickering.) -We do not know whether the por trait prefixed is that of the author or publisher, but no one would take it to be the face of a gentleman abounding in wit and humour. We recommend the work to the attention of the country clergy, who will find in it a charming relaxation from their severer studies. Mr. Pickering's press is growing facetious and satyrical of late. We shall have Taunt-on treatises to match the Bridgewater's, and the All-dine poets will be succeeded by a volume for the Tea-totallers.

Politique d'Aristote traduite en Français, par J. Barthélemy - St. - Hilaire. Paris, Imprim. Royale. 2 vols. royal 8vo. 1837. (London, Kernot).—This, besides being one of the most handsome, is one of the most judicious and valuable works that we have ever received from the Parisian press. It is not, as the above title would lead us to suppose, a simple translation of the celebrated treatise of Aristotle; but it presents us with a new and, as far as we have yet had time to examine it, a careful and good text, formed on the collation, and with the various readings, of many manuscripts that have hitherto been either very partially collated or entirely unknown. Both in text and translation, as well as in the numerous historical and philological notes which illustrate it, M. Barthélemy-St.-Hilaire has shown himself, although a modest, yet a good scholar. In a long and most interesting preface, he has treated with much taste and judgment the opinions of the philosopher of Stagira, particularly on the science of politics, and their influence at different and distant ages, and has given a clear statement of the character and contents of all the different manuscripts, editions, and translations, of the work which he has edited.

The study of Aristotle, which was thrown into some contempt when the strict and pedantic discipline of the old school-men fell before the imaginative philosophy that arose at the revival of learning by the introduction of the more pleasing writings of Plato, was restored to its proper

rank as the study of metaphysics and logic obtained a fixed and rational place in the scheme of education. The concise and exact mode of reasoning which distinguishes his writings, has made him at all times a favourite among metaphysicians. The Politics and the Ethics have long been adopted as class-books in both universities, and we safely recommend the present volumes to all students and scholars as a valuable acquisition.

The Shakspeare Gallery, containing the principal Female Characters in the Plays of the Great Poet: superintended by Mr. Charles Heath. Parts ii-xv. -This collection is now complete, comprising forty-five subjects. The figures are ge nerally of three-quarters length, sketched with much grace and elegance of conception, though their identity with the characters after which they are named is not always very apparent. The engraving is executed in a light airy style, at once brilliant, soft, and delicate. We must remark, however, that the title of "Shakspeare Gallery," applied to such a confined series as the present, sounds not a little presumptuous and extravagant; particu larly when it is recollected with how much loftier aims it was formerly employed by Alderman Boydell. In itself, this volume on the whole is pleasing; and all will acknowledge some favourites, after passing the fair ladies in review. Two in the last numbers, the Portia by Meadows, and Joan of Arc by Corbould, are among the most pleasing and best conceived.

The Book of the Cartoons; by the Rev. R. Cattermole, B.D. The Engravings by A. W. Warren, 8vo.-This set of the cartoons is engraved in the line manner, in a style which by some will be deemed hard; and, what is worse, the designs are reversed. Otherwise, they are faithful; and to preserve the expression of a multitude of features on so small a scale, is no slight merit. The manual and elegan: form in which the volume is got up is very pleasing; and the remarks of Mr. Cattermole are written with evident care, and with a constant and immediate regard to the great originals.

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