length the shining river arose upon our view, its waters rippling and dimpling under the dancing beams of the moon. But guess, my friend, if you can, my astonishment, when, on reaching the banks, I saw the Santa Fecina naiads, who had taken to the stream before our arrival, bandying their jokes in high glee with the gentlemen, who were bathing a little way above them. It is true they were all dressed, the ladies in white robes and the gentlemen in white drawers; but there was in the exhibition something that ran counter to my preconceived notions of propriety and decorum."

Our Scotch friend is rather too particular. After a month's stay, he resumes his journey. On his arrival at Assumption, the capital of Paraguay, he is introduced to Dr. Bargas, whom he describes with some humour. We have seen fac-similes of this doctor in old Spain.

His arrival, it appears, was regarded with jealousy. It had been asserted that he had come to monopolise the commerce of the province, and that he had been making a map of the country. "These are things that must be closely looked into," said they," and it behoves us also to see that Mr. Robertson do nothing contra bonos mores, or subversive of religion; at the same time charging Dr. Bargas, whose guest he was, to take care of him, and watch his conduct. Of the city, Assumption, the capital, he says—

"I shall say very little. As a city, in our acceptation of the word, nothing can be said of it. In extent, architecture, convenience, or population, it does not rank with a fifth-rate town in England. It is true it has a cathedral; and when we think of Gloucester, Salisbury, even Chester, and other cathedrals, the name sounds fine. But neither has Assumption any greater pretension to comparison with one of the towns mentioned, than has its white-washed paltry episcopal church to comparison with any one of the noble piles, which, under the designation of cathedrals, adorn this country; its government-house, with the title of palace,' is a mean, low, white-washed, though extensive structure. Its largest buildings, though anything but sumptuous, are the convents; and so few good or commodious private houses are there, that it took me a month to find one large enough, at the highest rent ever paid there-three hundred and sixty dollars, or eighty pounds a year-in which to accommodate the limited establishment I contemplated forming in this ancient capital."

The population is computed by Mr. R. at 10,000, but of late years we believe it has rapidly increased. There is a good deal of interesting anecdote about that famous man, Don Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia, doctor in Medicine, and late Consul or Dictator of Paraguay, with whom one of our travellers was personally and familiarly acquainted. This, indeed, is the best part of the book. The following passage is delicious:

"You know,' says Dr. Francia, (the then dictator,) addressing himself to Mr. Roberston previous to his departure for England, what my policy has been with respect to Paraguay; that I have kept it on a system of non-intercourse with the other provinces of South America, and from contamination by that foul and restless spirit of anarchy and revolution which has more or less desolated and disgraced them all. Paraguay is in a more flourishing (pingüe) state now than any of the countries around it; and while here all is order, subordination, and tranquillity, the moment you pass its boundary, the sound of the cannon and the din of civil discord salute your ears. The natives of Buenos Ayres are. the most fickle, vain, volatile, and profligate of the whole of Spain's late dominions in this hemisphere; and therefore I am resolved to have nothing to do with the Portenos. My wish,' continues the dictator, is to promote an intercourse with England direct, so that whatever feuds may distract the other states, and whatever impediments they may choose to throw in the way of commerce and navigation, those states shall themselves be the sole sufferers. The ships of Great Britain triumphantly sweeping the Atlantic, will penetrate to Paraguay; and, in union with our flotillas, will bid defiance to all interruption of commerce from the mouth of the Plate to the lake Xarayes. Your government will have its minister here, and I shall have mine at the court of St. James's. Your countrymen shall traffic in manufactures and munitions of war, and shall receive in exchange the noble products of this country.

Now, I

desire that as soon as you get to London you will present yourself to the House of Commons, take with you these samples of the productions of Paraguay, (two cwt. of tobacco, a bale of Paraguay tea, some spirits, loaves of sugar, and a bundle of cigars, with bales of cloth and cotton,) request an audience at the bar; and inform the assembly that you are deputed by Don Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia, Consul of the Republic of Paraguay, to lay before it these specimens of the rich productions of that country. Such a treaty of commerce and political alliance may then be framed, as shall comport at once with the dignity and interest of the great empire of England, and with those of the rising state which I now rule. Paraguay will be the first republic of South America, as Great Britain is already the first of European nations. The alliance seems, therefore, natural; and how beneficial for the European state, you, Senor Don Juan, can fully elucidate and explain.”

Our authors' political reflections and strictures on forms of government, monarchic and republican, are not worth more than the fine ladies' talk about Shakspeare and the musical glasses in the "Vicar of Wakefield.” They are not prepared by study and enlarged observation to pronounce opinions on any such matters.

It

Another interesting portion of the work is the account of the curious establishment of the Jesuits in Paraguay; but here our authors have too much of the spirit of John Knox in them to speak impartially. The "Loyola body," as they term the Jesuits, are evidently imps of AntiChrist" (as Knox called them) in their Presbyterian eyes, and their religious antipathies prevent their fair reasoning on obvious facts. appears to be indisputable that the Jesuits managed their colonies better than those who preceded and than those who succeeded them, and that their system, so far from being particularly baneful to the Indians, was more favourable and advantageous to them than any other system ever carried into practice either in North or South America.

But our authors themselves are forced into the admission, that after exploring the country of the Misiones, they "almost regretted, upon the face of its dreariness, depopulation, and decay, that the Jesuits were not still its masters." And they continue-" There was, at any rate, in their time, industry, increase of population, and of wealth; comparative comfort to the Indian, and the appearance of a cultivated country-cultivated on bad principles, it is true-but still, cultivated. There was discipline, regularity, order, and subordination."

Edwin and Mary. By LADY TUITE.

There is much that is excellent in this little work. The amiable authoress takes for her motto the words of Solomon, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." In accordance with this invaluable rule, she seeks to impress on the youthful mind a love of virtue for its own sake. Not that she by any means loses sight of the higher view, which should actuate all to whom iscommitted the tuition of immortal beings. Her plan appears to be well wrought out in familiar dialogues, by means of which are instilled those principles which lie at the root of human happiness. The conversations are lively and interesting, and Lady Tuite has here added to our juvenile libraries an useful and attractive little volume, of which all must feel the value.

The Poetical Works of Robert Southey, Esq., LL.D. Vol. X.

This is the concluding volume of the present admirable edition of Dr. Southey's works-an edition that will be much prized by lovers of hand

some books, and which will, we trust, enhance the reputation of the ex'cellent author and editor. We have already spoken, seriatim, of every volume except this the last. In it are contained "The Poet's Pilgrimage to Waterloo," the " Vision of Judgment," and some minor poems. The embellishments are two exquisite little engravings, one being a view from the Poet's House at Keswick, the other the Field of Waterloo. The whole of the poetical works of Robert Southey are now before the public, as edited by himself. We imagine that no modern library can be considered as perfect without this choice and cheap edition.

The Book of Family Crests, comprising nearly every Family Bearing, properly blazoned and explained, accompanied with Four Thousand Engravings, illustrative of the Crests of One Hundred Thousand Families of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, the Colonies, the United States, and various parts of the World; with the Surnames of the Bearers alphabetically arranged, their Mottos, an Essay on the Origin of Arms, Crests, &c., a Glossary of Terms, and an Index of Subjects.

This is one of those works which require little or no comment-the thing speaks for itself, and is almost out of the pale of criticism. The merit lies in its correctness, and as we have neither leisure nor inclination to search the Heralds' College, we can only recommend it to the public for examination. In the arrangement, however, there is much to approve. The terms in heraldry are explained in alphabetical order, the book forming, so to say, an heraldic dictionary; and at the end there is a complete galaxy of engraved arms and crests.

The History and Geography of Greece, including its Literature, Forms of Government, and the spreading of Grecian Civilisation by Colonists and Conquests. By THOMAS SWINBURNE CARR, Author of the "Manual of Roman Antiquities," and Classical Master in King's College, London.

An epitome of Grecian History, for the use of Schools, "unencumbered by those minute and circumstantial details which, by distracting the attention of the reader, confuse at once his memory and judgment.' The different authorities, along with many important explanations, are given in notes, and we pronounce the work to be admirably clear and conclusive, notwithstanding its brevity. Such a book has long been a desideratum, and we therefore confidently recommend it. An insight into the valuable materials of this volume will inspire a love of study and create a decided taste for classic literature in the young.

The leading facts of Grecian history are really given-as the author proposed they should be-in a clear and consistent series; and the chapters on Constitutions, Progress of Geography, Commerce, and Civilisation, are most valuable additions.

Historical Tales of the Southern Counties. In Two Volumes.

Here we have several light and agreeable tales illustrative of English history. The first volume contains two stories, one entitled "The Sea

Kings," of the times of Alfred the Great, the other, "Sir Walter Tyrrel," of the time of the Normans. The second volume is devoted to " William of Normandy," the unhappy child of a hapless sire, the son of Robert Courte-heuse, the blinded captive of Cardiff Castle. As the scenes here described relate to leading epochs of our national history, they cannot fail to instruct, in some measure, as well as amuse. Those who prefer the romance of history to history itself, will doubtless find the volumes much to their taste. The times depicted are those of romance and chivalry, which to the youthful_mind have always a degree of fascination. The deeds of our Saxon and Norman ancestry are dwelt upon with an enthusiastic and inspiring warmth.

Ladies' Sunday School Assistant; or Mother's Guide to the Four Gospels; being an Explanation of each Chapter, according to the Verses, with occasional Practical Hints.

This is a useful little book, and well adapted for the purpose intended. In contains a familiar explanation of the epistles of the four evangelists, according to the judgment of our best divines, and frequently in their own words, and is divided into chapters and verses, corresponding with the Bible. The passages themselves are not only, in most instances, reduced to easy and familiar language, but explanations of the texts are given, well suited to juvenile capacities; and, we doubt not, many adults will benefit themselves by a perusal. The work must prove an excellent assistant to all Sunday-school teachers, and to such we recommend it.

Walter Deverell, a Domestic Tale. In Three Volumes.

Though a domestic tale, yet of stirring interest. Walter Deverell is no common hero; and his troubles and adversities are very agreeably depicted in the three volumes before us. His manly sternness and unimpeachable integrity, his singleness of purpose, and calmness of demeanour, are well contrasted and relieved by the grace, feminine softness, and bewitching tenderness of Alice, his fair protegée; while the whims and fashionable follies of Lady Georgiana, the dissipation of her father Lord Ellerton, the hard-hearted cruelty of old Deverell, and the crafts and wiles of an intriguing lawyer, render the whole story one of life and variety. The opening scene introduces the readers to one of those numerous boarding-houses at the west end of the metropolis, so convenient for bachelors and members of Parliament. At this place the fair Alice, 'the heroine of the tale, is somewhat mysteriously ushered into the world, but has the good fortune to meet with a kind protector in the widow of an officer, who, along with her sister, "a sharp sour old maid," is the keeper of this lodging-house. We will not destroy what is generally considered the very spice of novel reading-anxious surprise-by developing the plot, which has many intricacies, many crooked paths, and many dark passages, ere the lovers are brought to the usual haven of happiness-matrimony. When we consider the number and variety of the characters introduced, their vicissitudes, the striking incidents, and the animation of many of the scenes, we think that there is every probability of Walter Deverell becoming a favourite with novel readers.

Poems and Songs, Humorous and Satirical.
RODGER

By ALEXANDER

Were the present collection of poems to be taken as a sample of Glasgow verse, we should not be very favourably impressed with the value of the commodity. In the first edition, the author tells us, many of the productions contained in the present volume were omitted. Of what these consisted, Mr. Rodger does not inform us; but sure we are that very many of the pieces now published would have been better out of the bale.

We should disagree about terms. What Mr. Rodger may call political satire, we should call Billingsgate!

C. Crispi Sallustii Bellum Catilinarium et Jugurthinum. Curd JoANNIS HUNTER, LL.D.

An excellent school-book. In this edition, while the text and punctuation of the late editor, Dr. Hunter, have been strictly adhered to, the work has been illustrated by numerous interpretations and notes, which will be found greatly to augment its value in the estimation of every intelligent teacher.

Windsor Castle and its Environs; illustrated with Historical Sketches and Anecdotes of the Royal Founders, and descriptions of Towns and Seats. By THOMAS ROSCOE, Esq.

The chief merit of this publication rests with the embellishments, which are finely executed. The present number (the first) contains a portrait of her Majesty, (though expressive, it is not the best likeness we have seen,) and three views of Windsor Castle and the surrounding scenery. The views are very beautiful, presenting a fair specimen of the excellence now attained to in that kind of engraving.

A New Translation of the Tales of a Thousand and One Nights, known in England as the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, with copious Notes. By EDWARD WILLIAM LANE, Author of the "Modern Egyptians." Illustrated with many Hundred Wood-cuts, engraved by the first English Artists, after Original Designs by WILLIAM HARVEY.

Having in our former number endeavoured to do justice to the many excellencies of this work, we need only remind our readers that part the fourth is in every respect worthy of its predecessors. Mr. Harvey seems even to improve in his designs, and Mr. Lane's peculiar style and his orientalisms gain more favour in our sight, as we become more accustomed to them.