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mitted him to explain his opinions, we can sec clearly enough that Mr. Tytler is not so impartial as he believes himself to be. He writes timidly and in doubt-leans too gently upon some of the guilty actors in the criminal scene and betrays more indecision upon some occasions than is consistent with the judicial nature of his office. His defence, if we may so call it, of Anna Boleyn, for example, is surely an historical error. Pity for her fate is excusable; but, if the grave question be put, whether she deserved it, we apprehend that justice-rigid justice-must answer in the affirmative. It was not because Henry was habitually false and cruel that Anna Boleyn was the less impure and unmindful of the demands of her position. It is fortunate for some public characters that they happen to be thrown into immediate contrast with persons worse than themselves, so that they obtain, by accident, from the erroneous compassion of the world, that sort of commiseravague tion to which, alone, and exposed in the singleness of truth, they would be altogether disentitled. Anna Boleyn was placed in that lucky situatioń, and so her name has escaped to posterity not as a wilful and imprudent woman, to treat her memory mildly, but as the victim of a remorseless husband. Had not Henry, however, exceeded all measures of ordinary humanity in his treatment of her, posterity would not have dealt so leniently with her fame. In his sketch of Cranmer, too, Mr. Tytler is equally at fault; but then, the epitome is so slender, that it is hardly worth while to point out particular passages in which it is defective. As to that portion which relates to the introduction of European and classical literature into England, to which Mr. Tytler solicits especial attention in his preface, we must observe, that we have failed to discover the new light our author believes he has thrown on the subject. The same topic is examined much more at large, and certainly in a much more philosophical and critical spirit, in Warton's History of English Poetry, to which work we commend the reader who is curious upon the matter. On the whole, this book is not adapted to supply the desideratum it was designed to fill; and the Life of Henry VIII., as a separate and distinct enquiry, remains yet to be written.

Comedias Escogidas de von p. Calderon de la Barca. El Mágico Prodigioso; La Vida es Sueno; y El Principe Constante. E. Y. H. Senior, London, 1837. THE appearance of three of the plays of Calderon in the Spanish language, in London, is an event of importance to the literary world. It may be at once received as a proof of the rapid diffusion of continental literature in this country. Unless a reasonable chance existed of a remunerating circulation, it is not to be supposed that any publisher would venture on such a speculation; and the publishers are undoubtedly the best judges of the condition and prospects of the book market. The edition before us is well got up, and worthy of the

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who are best acquainted with the works of Calderon will approve of the selection made by the editor, notified in the title which we have quoted; although, of course, as tastes differ in such matters, there will be a variety of opinions as to the choice. Of these pieces, the only one, we believe, that has been translated into English, is El Magico Prodigioso, but we are not aware whether that translation obtained any favour with the public. We are disposed to suspect that it was clumsily executed, and fell still-born from the press. It passed through our hands, and a cursory glance satisfied us that it was too literal to become popular in this country. The translator seemed to have rendered his author exactly as he found him, without exhibiting much taste in the task, and without catching in his own language the spirit of the original. So far as the present edition goes-simply as a reprint of these dramas-it is entitled to unmixed approbation; but it is to be regretted that it contains nothing than the plays, not a single line of introduction, not a single note, nothing whatever, in fact, to give the student of Spanish literature an interest in its contents. This is a serious defect; it is calculated on the very threshold to limit the circulation of the volume amongst those who are already acquainted with the productions of Calderon, and who desire the book for no other reason than to possess that with which they are already familiar. Editors of such editions ought to remember that the class of persons for whose use these works are more especially intended do not possess the same advantages of information which they have themselves acquired; and that in order to attract the English public to the writings of such a man as Calderon, it is absolutely necessary to give some critical and biographical particulars, elucidative of obscure passages, and other obvious commentaries, without which a reader to whom the whole subject is new must enter upon its perusal with but a partial relish for its beauties. What an enviable opportunity has been lost here for an essay on the genius of Calderon, whose life was in itself a striking illustration of the triumph of genius over circumstances. Calderon is estimated in Spain to be the first dramatist in the world. The estimate is certainly extravagant, but, with exceptions, he may perhaps as a serious dramatist be placed next to Shakspeare. His collected plays are one hundred and twenty-eight in number, but it is said that he wrote many more which were never published. Principe Constante, which will be found in the present volume, is one of his most celebrated productions, and takes the very highest rank amongst tragedies of the romantic order. In addition to dramas he wrote a vast number of autos sacramentales, loas, or preludes, and saynetes, farces; as well as a multitude of minor poems, songs, sonnets, and ballads. If quantity and variety be any proof of power, Calderon is not second to any author of any age or country. He was the founder of the Spanish drama, the honours of which

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he successfully contested with Lope de Vega, and after passing a part of his life in the military profession, he at last took sacred orders, but continued to the end to contribute to the theatre with a fertility that, except by his distinguished contemporary, is unparalleled. He wrote his last play in the eighty-first year of his age. The recent increased cultivation of the Spanish language in this country, which by the pressure of political circumstances is likely to be still farther promoted, leads us to hope that his works will be introduced in a more popular form to the public. Here we have nothing but the text itself, and it would be deserving of consideration at the hands of the editor of this book, whether he might not successfully follow it up by a dissertation upon Calderon generally, and an analysis of each of these plays. It would be a valuable companion to this reprint. Modern India; with Illustrations of the Resources and Capabilities of Hindústan. By Henry H. Spry, M. D., F.G. S., M.R.A.S., Bengal Military Staff, &c., &c. 2 vols. Whittaker & Co., London.

DR. SPRY was induced to put together into this form the results of his observations in India, during a residence of some years in that country, with a view to supply a deficiency which a very short experience in the East brought under his attention. He was so struck by the ignorance exhibited by his brother Anglo-Indians of the state of the presidencies, and of the affairs of India generally, that he thought a clear matter-of-fact work that should be founded upon personal enquiries, and should contain a mass of that sort of information which is indispensable towards the formation of correct opinions on practical subjects, would be acceptable not only to our countrymen abroad, but to the public at large. He, therefore, applied himself with diligence to this labour of manifest utility, and, after traversing a considerable part of the country, and seizing earnestly upon every opportunity of acquiring materials which his position on the medical staff afforded him, he collected the details which fill these volumes. While the number of publications upon the subject of India-her scenery, sports, customs, and even government, increase every day, yet amongst them all there is not one which exactly aspires to the place which this book occupies. Similar details are to be found scattered through other volumes, but we are not aware of any work which contains so much information, or which gives such a variety of local statements, without bearing them down by the vanities of authorship. Dr. Spry betrays none of the qualities of a book-maker; he claims attention, not for the freshness of his style, or the poetical incongruities of rhapsodical descriptions, but for the truth and importance of the facts he has collected; and, in this respect, his production deserves unmixed praise. It is full of valuable details ; there is scarcely a single topic of interest omitted; and there is not a word thrown away for the sake

of finery from the first page to the last. In the course of his enquiries he touches upon the state of agriculture, manners, and customs, diseases of the climate, different races of Indians, intercourse between our people and the natives at the various stations, antiquities, and civil and military government. But, although Dr. Spry disclaims any merit on the score of mere authorship, we must not omit to observe that his statements are remarkably lucid, that the descriptive parts are written with grace and fluency, and that the work, apart from its worth as a repertory of facts, is highly creditable to his talents. In the space to which we are necessarily limited, we can do no more than indicate a few points of interest, leaving the reader to follow up the pleasure of perusal. We find, amongst other curious details, some further account of the Thugs, that ferocious race of pledged assassins. Dr. Spry, who has had access to official documents on the subject, and who was present on some of the occasions to which this portion of the work alludes, gives an extraordinary narrative of the way in which the Thugs are tracked and brought to justice, how the evidence against them is procured, and how it is authenticated and confirmed, and of the mode of execution adopted towards them, and, as might be expected, their marvellous impenitence. An almost incredible fact, too, is brought to light in these volumes the existence of a race of cannibals, the Kookees, within 150 miles of Calcutta, Were not this circumstance placed beyond doubt by concurrent testimonies, we might well be excused for questioning its correctness. But the fact admits of no doubt. These people, who have no settled place of habitation, but wander about in herds from wilderness to wilderness, building for themselves, like the monkeys, resting-places in the highest branches of the trees, have been discovered by the elephant hunters, in the immediate neighbourhood of whose principal dépôt they congregate in large numbers. Many attempts have been made to reclaim them, but it is found that their original nature is unsusceptible of civilization. We learn, also, that besides the Kookees, who infest the blue mountains of Chittagong, there is another race of cannibals in India, the Goauds, who lurk in the hill forests of Nagpore. It is a disgrace to the British authorities that such monsters should be permitted to exist. There are cases in which mercy and forbearance are crimes against the welfare of the community; and certainly this is one of them. Before we dismiss our author it may be useful to add that his first location was at Dum Dum, the well-known military station near Calcutta; that from thence he was removed to Cawnpore, of which he gives a very animated account; and that, after a residence there of three years, he was next transferred to Saugor, in Central India so that his experience, including his numerous journeys, as well as his fixed residences, enabled him to embrace a sufficient variety on the surface to render his note-book of more than ordinary value.

AMUSEMENTS.

THE KING'S THEATRE. THE début of Madame Albertazzi, in "La Cenerentola," has somewhat broken in upon the languid current of affairs at this theatre, and it is fair to conclude that she is a singer of no ordinary talent by the stir that her appearance has made amongst the critics. It is true that she has provoked to the full as much censure as praise at their hands; but as mediocrity is never abused, though it is often lauded, the question of her merit must rest upon one or other of the two extremes. Her voice is of good quality and of great compass, but somewhat deficient in flexibility; her face and figure are pleasing; her action wants animation, and seems rather the result of a well-studied lesson than springing from the impulse of mind or feeling. It would seem as if she had been overtaught, and could not, or dared not, free herself from the trammels imposed by diligent teaching and long habit. It is, however, very possible that under all this constraint the fire of genius may lie smouldering, and in due time may burst forth, if the applause bestowed on her first appearance is followed up by sufficient encouragement from the public. Theatrical visitants are not aware how much they contribute towards forming their own favourites.

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.

THE most prominent novelty brought out at this theatre in the course of the past month, has been a play of Mr. Sheridan Knowles, under the almost unpronounceable name of "Brian Boroihme, or the Maid of Erin." Report says that it was written as far back as twenty-five years ago, from which it may be fairly inferred that this clever dramatist thinks the stage no longer worthy of his attention. If such be the case, he is quite right, for without exactly subscribing to the popular creed, which elevates him into the ranks of genius, we have no hesitation in saying he is a man of real talent, and writes in a style by no means calculated for the audiences that are now content to visit this cidevant temple of the Muses.

But what will the critics now say is the cause of the drama's degradation, and of the absence of the more educated classes from the theatre ? Here is their favourite author, the supporter of the legitimate drama, and yet, charm he never so wisely, the fashionable world has no ears for him. If the elect go to any theatre, it is to the Olympic, where they are regaled with translations from the minor French stages, admirably performed indeed, but still neither more nor less than vaudevilles, the very lowest species of dramatic composition, melo-drama not excepted. In this fact lies the key to the whole mystery, and we should think it requires no very high degree of skill to apply it.

The play of Brian Boru, or Boroihme, is founded upon an incident in the early history of Ireland, the defeat of the Danish invaders by the barbarous hero, who has given his name to the drama. To us the piece appears to deserve neither the praise nor the censure it has met with, being, as Beatrice has it, too low for a high praise, and too high for a low praise. In the dialogue there is much of that masculine good sense which characterizes the writings of Mr. Knowles, but this, though one of the essentials of poetry, is yet not the only requisite, independent of melody, as to which our author is almost always woefully deficient; there is that peculiar tone of thought and expression which pages would hardly suffice to define, but the presence or absence of which is felt and understood by all, and of these we see little or nothing in the "Maid of Erin." In the management of the scenes there is the same perpetual conflict between the natural bent of the author's mind and his determination to imitate the old dramatists, that occurs in some other of his productions, and more particularly in "William Tell" and "The Wrecker's Daughter." The result is a strange compound, which has many points for admiration, but none for sympathy. Never was there a more striking illustration of the truth and beauty of Faust's advice to his pupil, as put into his mouth by the inspired Goethe

"Sitz ihr nur immer! leimt zusammen
Braut ein Ragout von andrer Schmsus,
Und blas't die hummerlichen Flammen
Aus eurem Aschenhaufchen 'raus,
Bewund'rung von Kindern und Affen,
Wenn euch darnach der Gaumen steht,
Doih werdet ihr nie Herz zer Herzen schaffen
Wenn es euch nicht von Herzen geht."

"Oh yes, toil on! patch together! mix a ragout from others' banquets, and blow up a wretched flame from your little ash-heap, a wonder to fools and children, if such be your longing, but never will you bring heart to heart, except by language welling from the heart.”

DIORAMA, REGENT'S PARK.

Ir we are to speak of this exhibition as a work of art, we shall be far from awarding it the same degree of praise that it has obtained from many of our cotemporaries; in this respect the diorama has from its commencement up to the present hour been lauded much beyond what a sound and sober taste would justify; but if, laying aside these higher considerations, we are to judge of it only as it is an ingenious contrivance, by which certain optical illusions are to be produced, then indeed the case is widely different, and we shall feel no hesitation in allowing it to be well worth seeing,

though not perhaps at the exorbitant price demanded for admission.

The present novelty is the Basilica of St. Paul, a description of church, which is thus named from being generally formed out of Roman basilica, or Halls of Justice. The tribune, at the upper part of the building, the seat of the judge, received the altar, and throughout Italy it retains the name, and indeed the form, of a tribune. The building in question is one of the noblest temples erected by Constantine the Great, being inferior in size to no church except St. Peter's. The nave and side aisles were supported by four ranges of Corinthian columns, to the number of eighty. Of the forty in the nave, twenty were of the beautiful marble called pavonazzo, and of the most exquisite proportions, being thirty-nine feet high, and eleven feet eight inches in circumference. The forty in the two side aisles were of Grecian marble, and the two immense columns, which sustained the great arch of the tribune, were of Sabine marble, fortyfive feet high, and sixteen in circumference. Of the eight in the crossway, seven were of Egyptian marble, and one of Cippolino. The thirty, which

The

decorated the altars, were of porphyry. pavement of the church was formed of fragments with ancient inscriptions.

Such is the appearance of the church as it is first presented to the spectator, and, though as regards the drawing some fault might be found, yet by the help of light and shade judiciously disposed, the effect of the whole is sufficiently imposing. After a time, by a clever optical illusion, the cedar roof of the building appears on fire, the flames spread, and at last the interior is seen in partial ruins, exhibiting the Basilica, as it was after the conflagration of July, 1823, which is supposed to have originated in the carelessness of the workmen employed in its repairs. This change is cleverly, though not perfectly, managed, for the whole columns had not quite disappeared even when their ruins were distinctly visible, thus letting the spectator a little into the mystery of the contrivance, and showing that it was somewhat akin to the Dissolving Scenes, as they are called, that have of late formed so prominent a part in the Lenten entertainments.

FINE ARTS.

The Edinburgh New General Atlas. THIS first number consists of the World, Eastern Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere, and Europe, at the very moderate rate of two shillings for each map, which is a double folio. By a novel, and very useful arrangement, each map is so coloured as to represent the territorial connections of the various countries, though in our copy this excellent rule has not been so strictly attended to, as it might have been; thus, for example, not only are Britain and its dependencies pink, but the same colour marks Bohemia and part of Spain. The engraver, too, has shadowed the borders of the different lands too strongly, so as occasionally to leave the names of the countries exceedingly indistinct. This fault is the more to be regretted, as from the immense quantity of matter crowded into these folio pages, the writing is, for the most part, as small as it would be in a map of much inferior dimensions. Notwithstanding these trifling drawbacks, it is a very cheap and useful publication, nor could we point out any maps equally good, and at the same rate.

The Ports and Harbours of Great Britain.

THE strength of our artists should seem to lie in landscape and marine views; for while there is, for the most part, sure to be some blemish in their figures, we seldom find any thing for material censure when they betake themselves to inanimate nature. In every number of this admirable work are some single specimens that are more than worth the money charged for the whole, yet the price of each engraving amounts to sixpence only, without allowing any thing for the letter-press. Nothing short of an immense sale can return even the outlay of the enterprising publisher.

The Churches of London. By George Godwin, assisted by John Britton.

THIS elegant little work comes out in numbers; the price is moderate, the type and paper good, and the illustrations excellent. The title, indeed, promises but little amusement for the general reader; it sounds too much like the rattling of the dry bones of antiquity; but, in this respect, the reader will find himself most agreeably disappointed. Every page teems with anecdotes and gleanings of tradition, and he who is unskilled in our ancient history, will find, to his great surprise, that he is living in a city to the full as romantic as the metropolis of the ancient world. A thousand recollections, sometimes chivalrous, at others, wild or terrible, cling about walls, and hover over spots, that we pass in all the indifference of ignorance. The very name of London is associated in most minds with the bustle of business and the hurry of sordid occupations; to us, it is essentially a city of to-day, so strictly identified with ourselves, that we cannot think of it in connexion with other times and other people. But this useful little manual will do much to extend the sphere of observation, should it only become as popular as it deserves to be.

The Shakspeare Gallery.

THIS is a series of engravings published in numbers, illustrative of the principal female characters in the plays of our great dramatist. The drawings are of very different degrees of merit, sometimes presenting happy likenesses to the fancy; and at others, by no means realising the shadows that the poet has conjured up to the imagination. The engravings, themselves, have been executed under the superintendence of Charles Heath, and fully justify us in recommending them to our readers.

BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND DEATHS.

BIRTHS.

On the 27th ult., at Beckenham-place, Kent, the Lady of W. Peters, Esq., of a daughter. On the 25th ult., at Plasket, the Lady of H. B. Swabey, Esq., of a son. On the 28th, in Hanover Square, the Lady of Dr. Locock, of a son. On the 29th ult., in U. Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, Lady Burgoyne, of a daughter. On the 28th ult., at Honfleur, the Lady of Captain H. A. Drummond, of twin sons, who survived but a short time. On the 30th ult., at Wilton Crescent, Lady Charlotte Egerton, of a daughter. On the 30th, at York Place, Portman Square, the Lady of the Rev. E. Thompson, of a daughter. On the 2nd inst., in Half Moon Street, Piccadilly, the Lady of Dr. C. J. B. Williams, of a son. On the 2nd, at Lovel Hill, Berks, the Lady of G. D. Scott, Esq., King's Dragoon Guards, of a son. On the 4th, the Wife of the Rev. G. Evezard, of a son. On the 22nd ult., at Stockholm, the Hon. Mrs. Bligh, of a daughter. On the 5th, the Lady of Lt. Col. Codrington, Coldstream Guards, of a daughter. On the 5th, in Chester Street, Grosvenor Place, the Lady Jane Swinburne, of a daughter. On the 6th, the Lady of W. T. Copeland, M.P. and Alderman, of a son. the 5th, at Richmond, Lady Muncaster, of a daughter. On the 5th, in Chapel Street, Grosvenor Place, Mrs. R. Grenfell, of son. On the 5th, in Harley Street, Mrs. M. Bullock, of a son. On the 8th, the Lady of the Rev. R. Kidd, of the Precincts, Norwich, of a son. On the 10th, at Burghley, the Marchioness of Exeter, of a daughter. On the 10th, in Belgrave Square, the Lady of C. T. Leish, Esq., of a son. On the 8th, at Carshalton Park, the Lady of J. Taylor, Esq., of a son. On the 12th, in Grosvenor Square, the Right Hon. Lady Poltimore, of a son and heir. On the 18th, at the Duke of Bedford's, Belgrave Square, Lady C. Russell, of a daughter. On the 19th, in Hamilton Street, the Lady of H. Robinson, Esq., of a daughter. On the 21st, at the Dowager Lady Arundell's, 17, Dover Street, the Hon. Mrs. Neave, of a daughter.

MARRIAGES.

On

On the 22nd ult., the Rev. C. Cheyne, M.A., of Lincoln College, Oxford, and Christ's Hospital, London, to Sarah Anne, daughter of the Rev. T. H. Horne, B.D. On the 28th ult., at St. James's Church, E. Strutt, Esq., M.P., to Emily, daughter of the Right Rev. W. Otter, D.D., Bishop of Chichester. On the 28th ult., J. Collyer, Esq., Barrister-at-Law, to Georgiana Frances Amy, daughter of Sir W. Johnston, Bart. On the 28th ult., the Rev. W. Harrison, M.A., to Juliet Janetta, daughter of the Rev. J. Brackenbury, M. A. On the 31st ult., John, son of J. Russell, Esq., of the Woodlands, Kenilworth, to Elizabeth, daughter of W. Collins, Esq., M.P. of Warwick. On the 30th ult., at Kew Church, the Rev. T. T, Haverfield,

Chatham.

D.D., to Caroline Sophia, relict of the late E. Bryant, Esq., of Lansdown House, Southampton. On the 3rd, at Stokely Nayland, Suffolk, the Rev. R. Morley, of Trinity Church, Ipswich, to Susannah Eden, daughter of the late J. E. Leeds, Esq., of Chelsea College. On the 4th, at St. George's, Hanover Square, P. Barlow, Esq., to Mary Ann, daughter of J. Du Pre Alexander, Esq., of Grosvenor Square. On the 4th, Edward, son of Deputy Commissary General de St. Remy, to Caroline, daughter of Lieut.-Colonel C. C. Dixon, Military Superintendant, Fort Pitt, On the 6th, at St. Mary's, Bryanston Square, the Rev. H. Vincent L. Nammick, Vicar of Milton Abbot, Devon, to Mary, daughter of R. Alexander, Esq., of Gloucester Place, Portman Square. On the 3rd, at Milan, Charlotte Leopoldina, daughter of the late Admiral Sir R. Strachan, Bart., G. C. B., to Count Emanuel de Lichy, Chamberlain to the Emperor, and Major of the Hungarian Guard, (brother-in-law to Prince Metternich). The bride was given away by her brother, the Marquis of Nutford, K. G. On the 12th, at St. George's, Hanover Square, the Rt. Hon. Lord Marcus Cecil Hill, brother to the Marquis of Downshire, to Louisa, daughter of J. Black, Esq., of Gloucester Place, Portman Square.

DEATHS.

On the 28th ult., at Ixworth Abbey, Suffolk, of the Rev. N. Colville. On the 27th ult., in aged 10, Augusta Letitia Sophia Colville, daughter Lower Grosvenor Street, the Marquis of Bath, aged 73. On the 26th ult., at Portland Place, C. J. Vynn, Esq. On the 28th ult., aged 23, Charlotte Elizabeth, daughter of Sir C. Price, Bart. On the 15th ult., at Dresden, MajorGeneral Sir L. Moore, K.C.H., and C.B. On the 28th ult., at Blackheath, Kent, Captain G, At Dagles Kempster, late of the Royal Marines. ford House, Mrs. Hastings, aged 91, relict of the late Right Hon. Warren Hastings. On the 2nd, in Wyndham Place, Elizabeth, wife of W. Abbot, Esq., aged 71. On the 2nd, the Rev. J. W. Chambers, M. A., of St. John's College, Oxford, aged 32. On the 1st, in Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, J. Constable, Esq., R.A. On the 3rd, F. Hugh, the infant son of the Rev. G. Evezard, of Christ Church, Newgate Street. On the 30th, at Hanley, near Edinburgh, Augusta, wife of J. M. Melville, and sister of the Right Hon. Lady de Saumarez, aged 27. On the 1st, at Hastings, Anne, eldest daughter of Sir Robert and Lady Bromley. On the 5th, J. Entwistle, Esq., M.P. for Rochdale, of Foxholes, Lancashire, aged 53. On the 10th, in South Audley Street, the Hon, Mrs. Anne Vernon, aged 84. On the 10th, at Fenton House, Hampstead Heath, aged 78, the Right Hon. Lady Elizabeth Eleanor Dundas, relict of Major-General F. Dundas, of Fingask, and daughter of Alexander, Earl of Home.

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