the execution confers great credit on our invalid friend, Charlotte Elizabeth. With respect to the minor poems, several of them evince abilities of a very superior order. We have been highly gratified with a perusal of the following elegant and delicate lines, addressed to "THE EVENING PRIMROSE. Far beneath the western main, "Now with bending heads the roses To salute the silent hour, "Gem of eve, I love to view thee, ; As thou rear'st thy golden head "Praise to Him who fixed His dwelling Unapproachable in light! Now the lofty tale is telling Through the spangled vault of night; Speech nor language issues thence, All is silent eloquence. Every star confirms the story, Every bending flower agrees, Solomon, in all his glory, Was not robed like one of these; Those Jehovah's power express, Glorious, awful, numberless. Lo, in ceaseless praise the ocean "While the speaking scene around me "Yet, beneath the glance of morning REVIEW.-Cottage Comforts, with Hints for promoting them, gleaned from Experience. By Esther Hewlett. 12mo. pp. 236. London. Simpkin and Marshall. 1825. THE intrinsic value of this work is such, that the lapse of time cannot impair its worth. It contains no speculative probabilities, no hypothetical theories, but, what is of far more importance, it enters the poor man's cottage, and delineates the philosophy of humble life. The shelves of our booksellers swarm with publications that treat of prodigal economy in the higher circles; and when an interview is about to take place between Sir Thomas Gander and Lady Goose, or between his grace the Duke of Emptyhead and the honourable Miss Cackle, whole pages are employed in disgusting us with accounts of coaches-and-fours driving up to some splendid mansion, of servants in elegant liveries, of porters, of elegant entertainments, of dancing, drunkenness, and unseasonable hours; but few are to be found which teach the industrious peasant how to secure the scanty comforts which his small and hard-earned wages place within his reach, and among these few we know not one that, in point of real excellence, surpasses the little volume before us. Mrs. Hewlett has evidently made herself familiar with the actual condition of the poor; and, with the intelligence and spirit of a real economist, she gives such directions as would, if properly followed, banish from their abodes one half of the miseries with which the hamlets of poverty are afflicted. From habitual integrity, industry, cleanliness, and their associate excellencies, inculcated in early life, she deduces that stability of character which confers an honour on the humblest station. This character, however, cannot be supported without sincerity, prudence, self-denial, sobriety, and frugality, together with several other domestic virtues with which her list is adorned. To each of these she calls the attention of her readers, all of whom must acknowledge that her remarks are sprightly, wholesome, judicious, and instructive. From individuals Mrs. H. proceeds to the formation of families, and traces the relative duties that arise, and attach themselves to the character which each person may be called to sustain. In the choice of the cottage, the manner of furnishing it, the cleanliness required in it, the management of a rising progeny, and in nearly every branch of domestic concerns, her observations display much sound sense, and convey some truly valuable advice. Neither the wash-tray, the meal-tub, nor the pig-sty, is beneath her notice; and perhaps there is not an article of importance within the narrow circle of industrious or indolent poverty, to which she has not devoted a paragraph. To illustrate the positions advanced in the characters that are drawn, numerous anecdotes are introduced, taken from real life, but without exposing the individuals by whom the delineations have been furnished. Many of these are particularly interesting, and all of them are highly instructive. We think this book well deserving an extensive circulation; and in every cottage where its recommendations are followed, we shall have no doubt of finding the comforts which its precepts are so admirably calculated to ensure. REVIEW.-Janus, or the Edinburgh Literary Almanack. 8vo. pp. 550. Oliver & Boyd. 1826. so extensive as the title imports, but this deficiency is amply compensated by the strong resemblance which it bears to the statue of Janus, which the Romans, on taking Faleria in Tuscany, are said to have discovered, distinguished by four faces. It retrospects the past, anticipates the future, looks towards all the cardinal points of the compass, and gives to passing events "A local habitation and a name." The articles in this volume are fiftyeight in number, chiefly in prose, but several are in verse. Their character is highly miscellaneous; some are pathetic, many are humorous, none are dull, and all of them are entertaining, if not instructive. Their authors have not been idle spectators of men and manners; but the general tendency of their writing is, to mark the consequences of vice, to shew the influence of virtue, and to point out, by a ludicrous train of thought, the absurdities into which men strangely plunge themselves, while professing to be guided by principles which they reverence as infallible. Of this latter description is "Saturday Night in the Manse;" "Brown on Beauty," on the contrary, is a noble effort of a refined and through the field of romance; while the story of " Miles Atherton" is an affecting instance of pathetic narrative. masterly spirit; the tale of "Daniel Cathie, Tobacconist," shews how near boasting may be allied to cowardice; AMONG the traders in literature, whe-"The Bohemian Gardener" ranges ther authors or booksellers, the title of a volume is frequently deemed of greater consequence than its contents. An equivocally expressive term, that awakens indefinite expectation, while hovering on the borders of mystery, though it may not have brought many works into public notice, has greatly assisted in unlading the shelves in Paternoster row. The title of the work before us is one of this ingenious description. Janus is mysteriously equivocal, his origin is only discernible through the twilight of fable; both heroes and demi-gods claim him as an associate; his descent from Deucalion connects him with the deluge, and his two faces have led some to identify him with Noah, who at once gazed upon the antediluvian and postdiluvian worlds. It cannot be said that the work now under examination takes a range Although Janus does not come before the public as an avowed rival of the "Amulet," of "Friendship's Offering," and "Forget me Not," which have lately passed under our review, the station which it takes is nearly on the same ground, but without the costly attire in which the latter are arrayed. It contains no plates, has no gilt edges, and presents to the eye no external decorations. The paper is, however, stout and fine, the typography is neatly executed, and the compositions imbody much literary excellence. We learn from an advertisement which follows the title-page, that a volume of this work will appear annually; and if the manner in which this is got up, and the materials of which it is composed may be received as a fair specimen of what may be expected, Janus will be admirably adapted to meet the public taste. Its authors have combined utility with entertainment, sprinkled diversity with wonder, and rendered the whole interesting, without invading the dominions of probability. REVIEW.-Death-bed Scenes, or the Christian's Companion on entering the Dark Valley. By the Author of the Evangelical Rambler. 12mo. pp. 360. London. Westley. 1825. THIS Volume may be characterized as a selection of death-bed biography. The individuals noticed are, in number, forty-seven, many of whom, when living, were well known in the religious world, and their names are still preserved with profound veneration; while others, filling sequestered stations in life, are indebted chiefly to this publication for bringing them into public notice, and preventing them from "wasting their sweetness in the desert air." The testimonies given by these witnesses, in a dying hour, to the power of genuine religion, can hardly fail to awaken the deep attention of all by whom this volume is perused, and to excite the inquiry, "What must I do to be saved?" The scenes to which the reader is introduced, are rendered the more affecting from their not being charged with an intensity of feeling, expressing itself in the language of unrestrained rhapsody. Calm, solemn, and full of confidence in God, while the awful gulf appeared in view, their "hope was as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the veil." This tranquillity of spirit, when, with the understanding in full vigour, it approaches the margins of eternity, nothing but vital Christianity can impart; and a stronger evidence in favour of its Divine authenticity, an enlightened mind has no reason to expect. Some few characters indeed appear in awful contrast; but while we shudder at the atmosphere of horror with which they are surrounded, we turn with new delight to the realities of a glorious immortality, which now beam upon us with an additional lustre. We think this work cannot be read without becoming at once both interesting and profitable. REVIEW.-Morning Meditations, or a Series of Reflections on various Passages of Holy Scripture, and Scripture Poetry for Every Day in the Year. 8vo. pp. 378. London. Nisbett. 1825. THE meditations which this volume contains have no other connexion with one another, than that which arises from the sameness of religious principle and tendency which characterizes the whole. Each page comprises a subject, to which is prefixed either a passage of scripture, or some poetical expression, to the sentiments of which the meditation invariably conforms. To persons who have not much time for reading, but who wish to consecrate the few moments they can spare to devotional exercises, this manual will be found to be a valuable acquisition. The meditations enter into the genuine spirit of our religion, and inculcate truths that are calculated to make wise unto salvation. REVIEW.-The Elegant Letter-Writer, or a Selection of Epistles on the most Familiar, Interesting, and Instructive Subjects which English Literature affords. 12mo. pp. 178. London. Kerr & Ashmead. 1825. THE letters which this volume contains, sixty-five in number, are arranged in two classes, the first referring to particular subjects, and the second to those that are familiar and interesting. In works of this kind, the epistles are in general got up for the occasion, but in this before us they are the genuine productions of some of our most celebrated English authors, whose names they bear, and in favour of whose writings criticism has long since delivered its verdict. In their different departments, these letters may be considered as models of epistolary excellence, which, if it be presumptuous in the reader to hope to rival, it can be no crime to attempt to imitate. They are worthy of perusal for the sentiments they convey, and for the elegant manner in which these sentiments are expressed. The concluding pages contain a list of abbreviated titles, and also the man ner in which characters of distinction | wards the possessors of distinguished should be addressed. These may be opulence and power, so many glitterfound serviceable to many who wanting appendages crowd on the imagino instruction how to write letters, but who are frequently at a loss how to approach a man of title, merely because they have not breathed the atmosphere of courts and kings. REVIEW.-A Sketch of Ancient Geography, compiled from the best Authorities. By a Lady. 12mo. pp. 166. London. Weston. 1825. nation, productive of agreeable emotion, that we lose sight of the essential equality of the species, and think less of the persons themselves, than of the artificial splendour which surrounds them. 103. There is something in the constitution of human nature so abhorrent from the absence of all religion, that it is probable more are ruined by embracing some counterfeit instead of the true, than by the rejection of true and false together. 104. The regal authority of Christ over his church belongs to the very essence of the evangelical economy, considered as an annunciation of the kingdom or reign of God. To a person who wishes to be con- In addition to the ancient divisions of the world, and the names by which particular portions were distinguished, we have an historical sketch of the inhabitants, the modern name that each now sustains, and the kingdoms or republics in which each is included. The accentuation of the ancient appellations will be found highly serviceable to the learner, while the biographical sketches that are given in the notes, of distinguished characters that figure in the pages of ancient history, will communicate much useful instruction. It is a neat volume, and well deserving the attention it solicits. APHORISMS FROM THE WRITINGS OF (Continued from col. 214.) 102. When we turn our eyes to 105. No speculative tenets in relican be so indubitably certain as the universality of the moral government of God. 106. When great reverses befall the higher orders in society, the mind experiences a kind of revulsion. The sight of such elaborate preparations for happiness rendered abortive, of a majestic fabric so proudly seated and exquisitely adorned, suddenly overturned, disturbs the imagination like a convulsion of nature, and diffuses a feeling of insecurity and terror, as though nothing remained on which we could repose with confidence. 107. The transition from a partial exhibition of truth, to the adoption of positive error, is a most natural one; and he who commences with consigning certain important doctrines to oblivion, will generally end in perverting or denying them. 108. Every requisite we can conceive necessary in a restorative dispensation, is found in the gospel, exhibited with a perspicuity level to the meanest capacity, combined with such a depth in the contrivance, and such an exquisite adaptation to our state and condition, as surpasses finite comprehension. 109. The agency of the Spirit is of a moral, not a physical nature; nor is it his manner to interfere with the action of natural causes. 110. The obscurities of providence are elucidated by scripture; the declarations of scripture are verified by providence. One unfolds, as far as it is suitable to our state, the charac ter and designs of the mysterious agent; the other displays his works; and the admirable harmony which is found to subsist between them, strengthens and invigorates our confidence in both. 111. While some are beguiled through the "good words and fair speeches," by which the apostles of Antinomianism recommend themselves to the unlearned and unstable, it can scarcely be doubted, that they are chiefly indebted for their success to the aversion which many feel to Christianity as a practical system. 112. Divest Christianity of its precepts and its sanctions, represent it as a mere charter of privileges, a provision for investing a certain class with a title to eternal life, independent of every moral discrimination, and it will be eagerly embraced; but it will not be the religion of the New Testament; it will not be the religion of him who closed his sermon on the mount, by reminding his hearers, that he who "heareth his sayings, and doeth them not, shall be likened to a man who built his house upon the sand, and the storm came, and the rains descended, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell, because it was founded upon the sand." 113. As the God of order, whatever tends to secure and perpetuate it, is the object of his approbation; nor can we doubt that he regards with complacency that distribution of men into distinct orders, which assimilates the social system to that variety which pervades the economy of nature. 114. In the New Testament, the absolute subserviency of doctrinal statements, to the formation of the principles and habits of practical piety, is never lost sight of; we are continually reminded, that obedience is the end of all knowledge, and of all religious impressions. 115. The tendency, it is to be feared, of much popular and orthodox instruction is, to bestow on the belief of certain doctrines, combined with strong religious emotion, the importance of an ultimate object, to the neglect of that great principle, that "circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." 116. With whatever skill society may be organized, still it will make but a faint approximation to our limited conceptions of justice; and since there is an original mind in which these ideas subsist in their utmost perfection, whence the finite conception of justice is transcribed, they must at some period or other be realized. GLEANINGS. Destruction of the Elephant at Exeter 'Change, This enormous and beautiful animal was destroyed on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 1st, by order of the proprietor, Mr. Cross, in consequence of its having exhibited strong phant, was brought from Bombay when about symptoms of madness. It was a male elefive years old, and has been in the menagerie seventeen years. During the whole period of its confinement, it has shewn at this season of the year strong symptoms of this alarming disease, which have been observed to grow To prevent the anticipated effects, it-has alstronger as it approached toward maturity. ways been kept low, and plentifully supplied with medicine, no less than nearly a hundred weight having been said to be administered at a time. But all these precautions were found ineffectual, and on the day of its destruction it became more ungovernable than ever. The caresses of his keepers he repelled with marks of sullen hostility, and commenced an attack upon his den, the bars of which, though composed of solid oak, about six inches square, and strongly bound with iron, he assailed with such tremendous violence, that one of them was actually started from the strong beam into which it was mortised. The danger now became alarming, as his liberation from confinement by continued efforts seemed inevitable, to which no resistance could be opposed. In open the dens in which the lions and the tigers addition to this, he might easily have broken were confined, in which case the mischief would have been incalculable. Under these circumstances, though the animal was valued at a thousand pounds, Mr. Cross ed. The first resolution was to effect it by determined on having it immediately destroymixing a quantity of arsenic with his hay, but his sagacity detected the fraud, and the hay was rejected. It was therefore finally determined to shoot him. Accordingly some soldiers, and others, amounting to fourteen, undertook the dangerous task. Before any discharge took place, the front of the den was secured by ropes passed round the bars against which the animal had directed his principal violence. This having been done, about five yards, and immediately discharged about a third of the party advanced within their pieces in a tender part of the neck, just below the ear, and instantly retired to reload. The animal, on finding himself wounded, uttered a loud and piercing groan, and plunged with fury against the front of the den, loosening taken prevented his escape. On receiving the another bar, but the precaution that had been second fire, bis fury, which had previously |