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its aqueduct and Alcasar. The Escurial and Madrid are judiciously illustrated, and a fine deep-toned twilight view of Toledo closes the series.

Mr. Roscoe's Narrative of a Journey from Bayonne to Madrid and Toledo will be read with peculiar interest, as describing, from actual observation, part of the scene of warfare between the Christinos and the Carlists, and the present state of the Spanish capital. To our liking, this is the best volume that the Author has presented to us. Instead of being a mere olio of miscellaneous description, historical narrative, and romantic legend, written to the plates, we have a lively and connected narrative, composed in a very agreeable and unaffected style, and reflecting the vivid impressions produced by actual observation. We have no room for extracts, but have no hesitation in recommending the volume as uniting to its graphic attractions much solid information of permanent value.

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'Heath's Picturesque Annual' presents to us a series of views in Ireland, from sketches by Creswick. The drawings are generally interesting, and some of them exceedingly beautiful. We have not often been gratified by the sight of subjects more attractive, both in selection and treatment, than Powers'court Waterfall', 'Luggelaw', 'Glendalough', and 'Lismore 'Castle'. The other views represent the most striking features of those portions of the island to which the volume refers, and form a suite of graphic illustrations that cannot fail to maintain the character of this popular Annual. The value of the work is much increased by two exquisitely engraved plates from admirably expressed designs by M'Clise ;-the Irish hood', a beautiful girl, apparently counting her beads, and the Jew's Harp', a lass amusing herself by twanging that humblest of musical instruments. The engravers are Robinson and Cook.

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With regard to the letter-press, we have received the volume too late in the month to do justice either to the Author or the subject in the present article; we must, therefore, defer a critical notice of Mr. Ritchie's Irish Tour till our next Number. was fortunate that his recent tour in Russia qualified him to form a comparative estimate of two countries in some points similarly circumstanced. In neither country do the laws affect 'the condition of the peasant; in neither country are there poor'laws; in neither country is there a fixed rent of land; in ' neither country is there a fixed price of labour.' Whether the comparison redounds in Mr. Ritchie's judgement to the credit of the British Government, our readers shall learn hereafter. The volume is splendidly printed, and, for the library table, claims a preference above all the Annuals of the year.

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The decorations of the Keepsake' have evidently been got up with great care, and with a skilful reference to the actual 3 M

VOL. XVI.-N.S.

state of the arts, so far as the popular taste is concerned. The frontispiece presents us with a beautiful female head, engraved by Robinson, from Faulkner: and the vignette exhibits one of those rich combinations of natural and artificial landscape with well-grouped figures, in which Uwins excels. Parris has contributed some of his richest draperies and most attractive subjects. There is a spirited melée of ships by Turner; and Vickers appears to much advantage in two clever sea-views, and a romantic landscape. Mrs. Seyfforth has a couple of well-painted pictures, 'Lalla', and the Intercepted Letter'. Our readers well know that the Lake of Como' must be skilfully portrayed, when we say, that it is from Stanfield's hand. Chalon has been put in requisition, and M'Clise has furnished an unpretending, but very strikingly managed picture of a single sitting figure, entitled the Reverie". Liversege's Old English Squire' exhibits a wild mountainous scene, with characteristic figures. Wright and Meadows complete the list of artists.

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The List of Contributors glitters with titles, so as to remind us of a court levee. An interlude in one act, by Lady Dacre, opens the volume. Then follow tales, sonnets, impromptus, and poems of every description, by the Lady Editress, the Countess of Blessington, Lady Charlotte St. Maur, Hon. Mrs. Norton, Mrs. Shelley, Miss Charlotte Norman, Miss Landon, Miss Sheridan; -also by the Marquess of Londonderry, the Marquess of Granby, --Lords Ashtown, Ranelagh, Nugent, William Graham, William Lennox, A. Conyngham, and John Manners,-Hon. C. S. Wortley, Grantley Berkeley, and Charles Phipps, General Grosvenor, Archdeacon Spenser, J. H. Lowther, M.P., Leitch Ritchie, Theodore Hook, James Smith, &c., &c. Lord Ranelagh has contributed letters from the seat of war in Spain,-we should have thought such an article scarcely fit for the boudoir, but, making allowances for the political predilections of the noble Writer, it is one of the most interesting contributions.

The Book of Beauty, as its title implies, contains, in the way of embellishment, a series of real or imaginary portraits, with a rich and graceful vignette from Uwins, of which it would much delight us to see the original, with all the gay and varied hues that are but indicated in the engraving. Of the 'beauty' which is either invented or commemorated in the volume, we can speak only in general terms: on this, as on most other subjects, opinions differ, and we are sometimes tempted to wonder where artists contrive to pick up their models, or to what regions they soar or sink in search of the ideal. Less, however, than usual, of this sort of admiration has assailed us while inspecting this really beautiful collection of characteristic physiognomies, exhibiting a piquant variety of female loveliness. Still, even where there is so much that is attractive, there will of course be room for the

exercise of discrimination; and we shall briefly touch upon those which have pleased us most, without, as the lawyers say, prejudice to the remainder.

The frontispiece, by Edwin Landseer, bears, as its inscription, "The Marchioness of Abercorn and Child.' This is very unfair; there is a third head which-may we say it without offence to the dame and her nursling?-we prefer to either. The Dog is inimitable for the expression of his large and speaking eye: he gazes on the infant with a look of fixed and devoted fondness that is almost affecting. Alfred Chalon gives us three specimens of his peculiar but admirable handling: the first, a demure Arabian belle, muffled in lace and silk; the last a lovely Frenchwoman, with a tearful expression that must have been taken from life. There is the same number by Mr. Parris; we like the first the best it represents a beautiful female, arrayed in that somewhat stiff but rich and becoming attire of fifty years ago, moving along a balustrated terrace, with look and attitude not unconscious of their attractiveness. Felicité, by M'Clise, is well imagined, although the face shews more of character than of beauty. There are others, with more or less of merit, by Bostock, Stone, whose 'Countess' deserves especial mention, Wyatt, and Mrs. Seyfforth; whom we mention last, simply because her name stands last on the list her Calantha' is beautiful, both in feature and execution. Mr. Meadows has somewhat overdone the expression of voluptuousness in Nourmahal. Of the engravers, we have not room to speak; but we regret this the less, as their names are well known, and their skill not less so. The contents of the letter-press are a very agreeable mélange of contributions from patrician writers, in prose and verse. Among them occur the names of Lords Strangford, Nugent, Albert Conyngham, and William Lennox; Hon. Keppel Craven, Hon. Robert Talbot, Hon. Grantley Berkeley, Walter Savage Landor, H. J. Lowther, Esq., M.P.; R. Bernal, Esq., M.P.; Sir Aubrey de Vere, Bart.; Henry Bulwer, Esq., M.P.; C. J. K. Tynte, Esq., M.P.; Paul Methuen, Esq., M.P.; Egyptian Wilkinson, Barry Cornwall, L. E. L., Mrs. S. C. Hall, Lady C. Bury, and the noble Editress. An Essay on the Romantic History of the Arabs in Spain, by the late Sir W. Gell, will be read with interest as the last literary production of the gifted and amiable author. Mr. Landor has contributed an Imaginary Conversation' between Col. Walker and some Hindoos of the Jerejah tribe, among whom that admirable man succeeded in abolishing female infanticide. There are some very well-written tales; and altogether, the volume does credit to all parties concerned in producing it.

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The third volume of Finden's Landscape Illustrations of the Bible, published under the title of the Biblical Keepsake, maintains the high character of the work. The subjects are from

authorities at once original and unquestionable; the drawings have been supplied by the most eminent artists,-Turner, Calcott, Stanfield, and Harding, who appear to have put forth their strength in emulation of each other; and the engravings, though not entirely from the graver of the Findens, have been all carried forward under their superintendence, and are, in most instances, wholly from their atelier. Taken altogether, the object of illustration, the associations connected with the scenes delineated, the high character of the artists employed, and the exquisite execution of the plates, combine to render this, in our view, the most interesting work of the kind and of the time; and it is, we feel bound to add, among the cheapest publications of its class.

The Forget-me-not, the oldest of the Annuals, has survived several of its younger competitors, and still maintains its not undeserved popularity. Of the plates we need say the less, as they have always formed a subordinate embellishment of the work. The Giant's Staircase, in the Doge's palace, Venice, from the pencil of Prout; an Andalusian landscape, Tajo de Ronda, drawn by J. F. Lewis; and the Bridal Toilet, by Cattermole, best please us. From among the Contributors, we miss many names that used to adorn the Table of Contents, and which have one by one passed away; but we are glad to meet again some old friends,-the Author of 'London in the Olden Time', James Montgomery, Mrs. Gore, the Howitts, L. E. L., Agnes Strickland, Mrs. Lee, the Author of Darnley, H. F. Chorley, and Charles Swain, together with some whose names are less familiar. A Game at Coquetry', by the Author of "The Reformer', is one of the cleverest of the tales. The Sorceress", to which is affixed the signature Crescembini, is one of those gorgeous tissues of fantastic improbabilities which read more like a dream than a tale. The poetry is, as usual, inferior to the prose, and does not, for the most part, rise above that elegant mediocrity which is not to be found fault with, but leaves no impression from the perusal. Upon the whole, the volume is well adapted to its purposes, and to the class of readers for whom Mr. Shoberl is the able caterer.

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FAREWELL ADDRESS,

ON CONCLUDING THE

THIRD SERIES OF THE ECLECTIC REVIEW.

WITH the present Volume, which closes the Third Series of the ECLECTIC REVIEW, the Editor who has had for three and twenty years the ultimate management of this Journal, abdicates his office, with all its onerous responsibilities, having entered into arrangements which transfer the property, as well as the management of the Work, to other hands. It is no small satisfaction to him to know that the reputation of the Journal will, under the competent management of his successor, be ably sustained, with a firm adherence to those principles by which this Journal has hitherto been characterized.

The Eclectic Review was originally instituted in 1805, by a few public-spirited gentlemen, with a view "to rouse the Christian world to a perception of the important influence which literature possesses in obstructing or in accelerating the progress of religious truth and human happiness." They hoped, by entering into a compact of neutrality on disputed points of secondary importance, to engage that active support from persons of every religious denomination who felt interested in the professed objects of the Work, which should secure a more powerful cooperation for advancing the fundamental interests of truth, piety, and charity. But those members of the Established Church who had joined in the undertaking, soon intimated that their contributions to the Journal, and their aid in supporting it, were to be retained on no other terms than such a surrendering deference on the part of their coadjutors of other denominations, as justice and conscience would by no means permit. After the first year, the clergymen who had contributed to the Journal withdrew from 3 N

VOL. XVI.-N.S.

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