of the Linnæan Society. 8vo. pp. 262, and Plates. London, 1821. [J. V. Seaman, New-York, 1822.]

It is singularly fortunate when the great adepts in any science condescend to teach and illustrate its elementary principles; for none can be better qualified to appreciate and to generalize its essential doctrines, or to exhibit them with perspicuity and correctness to others. Among the benefits, therefore, which the learned and zealous President of the Linnæan Society has conferred on botany, is his Introduction to its Physiology and Arrangement, which has already reached a fourth impression. With the view, however, of rendering it still more completely serviceable, and enabling the purchasers of the early editions to have the supplementary information in a separate form, he has been induced to publish the present compendious volume, the contents of which are neatly illustrated by many wellexecuted plates. In the first five chapters, which exhibit precise and methodical definitions of the parts of a plant, and their uses, no technical language is employed but such as was unavoidable; and the materials are so succinctly and consecu. tively arranged, that they may, without any very arduous effort, be impressed on the memory, and thus lay an accurate and stable ground-work of botanical education The theory of systematical arrangement, which is treated in the same abbreviated form in the sixth chapter, will also require to be well fixed in the mind, as it directly leads to the apprehension and practical application of the Linnæan artificial distribution; which, with a few modifications, is unfolded in the seventh chapter. The sequel of the work is occupied with a masterly and dispassionate exposition of De Jussieu's and Linné's natural orders, including various corrections and apposite remarks, with repeated references to the improvements of Brown, Gærtner, and others. Throughout, Sir James Smith keeps steadily in view the appropriate uses and respective value of the two descriptions of method; and he justly assigns to Linné the priority of having suggested and attempted a mode of classifying plants according to their natural affinities. It is erroneous, therefore, and even detrimental to the interests of science, to talk of the artificial and natural arrangements as rival systems, since each has its own particular object; and the one may be compared to an encyclopædia, in which the subjects are disposed alphabetically, and the other to a general or philosophical chart of the various departments of knowledge and art, laid down in the order of their relations and dependencies. From the preface, we are led to anticipate a more ample elucidation of the natural orders in the Flora, which has so long

been promised to the British reader in his own language;' and the fulfilment of which will complete an excellent vernacular passport to the varied botany of our island. (Month. Rev.)

[The following is the style and title with which the Sketch Book appears in a French dress.]

ART. 4.-Voyage d'un Américain à Londres, ou esquisses sur les Moeurs Anglaises et Américaines; Traduit de l'anglais de M. IRWIN WASINGton; 2 vol. in 8vo, bien imprimés. Ponthieu. Paris.

Le succès de ce bel ouvrage est universel en France comme en Angleterre. Jamais Goldsmith n'a rien produit de plus charmant. L'ingénieux auteur a su prendre tous les tons, avec cette supériorité qui caractérise les hommes d'un grand génie; et toutes les classes de lecteurs liront le Voyage d'un Américain avec autant de plaisir que d'intérêt. L'Abbaye de Westminster est un morceau comparable aux plus admirables productions de M. Châteaubriant. Dans le Cœur brisé, c'est le sentiment le plus tendre qui enchante. Les plus gracieux morceau de l'Ermite de la Chaussée-d'Antin ne sont pas au-dessus de la description des fêtes de Noël chez les Anglais, de la petite Bretagne, etc., et nous ne connaissons rien à quoi on puisse comparer La légende de Sleepi-Hollow, et l'étonnante originalité des aventures de Ripp-Van-Vinkle.

Le Voyage d'un Américain à Londres a chez les Anglais une Vogue immense. Les Français l'ont apprécié avec autant de bienveillance; et quoique publié a peine depuis un mois, il n'en reste qu'un très-petit nombre d'exemplaires.

Memoirs of a Life, chiefly passed in Pennsylvania, within the last Sixty Years. 8vo. [Mr. Graydon is the Author. Philad.] Blackwood. Edinburgh. 1822.

This book may, perhaps, hold a distinguished rank among the products of the Trans-atlantic press: and we doubt not, it is a fair specimen of the average state of American Literature [!] Mr. Galt, [author of the "Annals of the Parish," "Sir Andrew Wylie," &c. and of a Preface to this work,] perhaps overrates it a little, in stating it to be "rich in the various excellencies of style, description, and impartiality," and in feeling assured that it "will obtain for its author no mean place among those who have added permanent lustre to the English language." This is not exactly the impression it has left upon our minds; but it is idle to quarrel about differences of taste; and, if Mr. Galt really thinks thus, he is, no doubt, quite right in having re published the volume in Edinburgh; and we hope he has secured himself from the possibility of being undeceived

by the unanswerable argumentum ad crumenam.-Auto-biography is, perhaps, more amusing to the writer than to the reader; and we can easily understand the difficulty of blotting when self is the theme; but if an author forgets to erase, the critic may apply a safe remedy, by remembering not to transcribe. We shall content ourselves, therefore, with briefly noticing, that the Pennsylvanian is of right American lineage. His father was an Irish settler, and his mother was born in Barbadoes, of German and Scotch parents. His mother having been left a widow early, superintended a boarding-house in Philadelphia; and among the other guests of her table, once numbered Sir William Draper. The son was bred to the law, and seems to have been a bit of a rake in his time; for he tells us that he lived with players and metaphysicians, and aped the style of Lovelace, in his correspondence with the

ladies.

On the assembly of Congress at Philadelphia, in 1775, our author received a commission as Captain. In the engagement at Fort Washington, he was taken prisoner, and in that capacity saw many strange varieties of the fortune of war. Through the exertions of his mother, he was released on his parole: and he did not a second time expose himself to military hazards. As he advanced in life, his patriotism appears to have cooled. He preferred Burke's reasonings on the French Revolution, to those of Tom Paine; and he has at length subsided into a belief, little compatible with his juvenile ardour, "that England has long been, and still is, fighting the battle of the civilized world." British Critic, March, 1822.

ART. 5.-A Voyage of Discovery into the South Sea and Beering's Straits, for the purpose of finding out a North-East Passage, undertaken in the Years 1815, 16, 17, and 18, in the ship Ruric, under the command of OTTO VON KOTZEBUE. In 3 vols. 8vo. Illustrated with numerous Plates and Maps. London.

This voyage was undertaken under the immediate patronage and at the sole expense of Count Romanzoff. The vessel destined for the purpose was the Ruric, of 180 tons burthen only, which enabled it, from its small draft of water, to approach more in-shore, and observe the coast more minutely than a larger vessel could have done. It contained, notwithstanding, every thing that was desirable for the purposes of health and comfort; for of all the crew, including two naturalists, a physician, and a painter, only one died, though the voyage lasted three years.

In the South Sea, Captain Kotzebue had the pleasure of

raising a monument to the fame of the promoter of his expedition, and also to the memory of his two brave countrymen Kutusoff and Suwarroff; and naming after Count Romanzoff a beautiful island which he discovered in latitude 14. 57. 20. south, longitude 140. 20. 30 west, and two groups of islands, which he discovered not far from the Penrhyn islands, after the military heroes. Of the inhabitants of some of these newly discovered islands, a most captivating picture is given, particularly of those of Radack, one of the chain of coral islands, the navigation of which is very dangerous. They seem to resemble, in integrity and benevolence, the natives of the Pelew islands; their manners are strictly modest; their forms are slender and symmetrical; and their dances extremely graceful. The dangerous voyage of Beering's Straits he was obliged to make with only one officer on board to relieve him in his arduous duty of keeping watch, as well as of commanding the vessel; being obliged to leave his second lieutenant at Kamtschatka on account of his health. On the morning of June 20th, 1815, they descried Beering's island, the high rocks of which, covered with snow, afford only an ungenial prospect to mariners. The work shows the perseverance and courage of Captain Kotzebue and his crew, and their discoveries, are set forth in that simple way which is always indicative of merit in the narrator, and attaches an interest to the narrative, which is to be searched for in vain in more elaborate details. New Mo.

ART. 6.--Elements of Medical Logick, illustrated by practical Proofs and Examples. The Second Edition, with large Additions, particularly in the practical part. By Sir GILBERT BLANE, Bart., F. R. S., &c. and Physician to the King. 8vo. London, 1821, [and Hartford.] (Month. Rev.)

All who are in any degree acquainted with the subjects which engage a physician's attention, and with the unceasing revolutions of medicine, must readily acknowledge the importance of any code of instructions which shall serve to guide the medical inquirer in his pursuit after truth. Hitherto, a liberal education, and an acquaintance with the rules of correct reasoning in general, have afforded him the only protection against error; and these, we still think, are his best and perhaps his sole securities. At the same time, we have to express our obligations to the veteran Sir Gilbert Blane, for the meritorious exertions which he has made in the work before us, in order to point out instances of false reasoning among medical authors; and to hold up, in a conspicuous light, the various causes which have impeded the progress of medical science. He has enumerated

and discussed at some length many of those sources of error which have misled physicians, and retarded in a remarkable manner the progress of medical improvement. These are six in number:-hypothetical reasoning; diversity of constitution; the difficulty of appreciating the efforts of nature, and distinguishing them from the operations of art; superstition; the ambiguity of language; and the fallacy of testimony. Early prejudices, deference to authority, and the influence of fashion, are also stated in conclusion, as powerful auxiliaries to the causes already named, in betraying the medical inquirer into

error.

The opinion of the public on the merits of the Elements of Medical Logick has been favourably pronounced by the appearance of a new edition: and very many improvements have been made on submitting the work a second time to the press.

Medicina Clerica; or Hints to the Clergy for the heathful and comfortable Discharge of their Ministerial Duties. 12mo. London.

This is an age for making things easy. We have "Reading made Easy," and Chemistry made easy, and Political Economy made easy; and so on through the whole circle of the arts and sciences, to suit all degrees of capacity, from that of children six years of age, to that of children six feet high. Not, however, till this little volume came before our notice did we ever meet Praying made easy. The motto is the exhortation of Paul to Timothy, "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine, for thy stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities." Not conceiving it particularly necessary to enforce on the attention of our modern clergy the duty of attending to this precept of their great predecessor, we proceed to the work itself, which opens with sundry directions, some of them very judicious ones, for making churches healthful, and dry, and warm, and comfortable, which fast word seems to have peculiar charms for the author. From the church we proceed to the churchman; and here we find special directions for making him comfortable also: we leave these hints relative to the outward man, to attend to matters of a somewhat more spiritual nature. These are the theory and philosophy of kneeling, which, it seems, exceedingly puzzied the worthy author for three years. We cannot follow him through all his perplexities on this subject,-how sometimes he found his toes wanted support, and sometines his knees. The worthy divine at last acccomplishes a kneeling-stool much to his mind; and which, we imagine, is somewhat of a different construction from that used by the late Madame Elizabeth of France, which to the beholder appeared of crimson velvet suitably stuffed, but when she knelt on it, the top was reversed, and presented only hard and unequal knots. New Mo. Mag.