The disposition which has been thus evinced, by the proprietors of these works, to enrich our Gallery is highly gratifying to us; but it is to his Majesty's most gracious kindness and condescension, that we are particularly indebted upon this, and

upon

all former occasions, for permitting us to select, both from the Royal Palaces and from his own beautiful private collection, some of the works which have most added to the brilliancy of our Exhibition."

IN our last number, which contains a copper engraving of Mr. Hornor's Observatory erected over the Cross of St. Paul's Cathedral, we had not room to make a few observations which were, perhaps, necessary to elucidate the subject to those who have not seen the lithographic print and the detailed description of this extraordinary and meritorious undertaking contained in our number for February last. This engraving consists of two compartments, the higher of which represents the summit of the Dome of St. Paul's, with the scaffolding surmounted by Mr. Hornor's Observatory; while the other shews, on an enlarged scale, the Observatory itself, with its platform and various supports, its rope network and auxiliary means of protection from stress of weather, which perilous experience proved to be highly necessary. In contemplating the latter object with its apparatus of poles, beams, cords, and chains, our imagination is possessed with a sense of insecurity, which is not diminished when we direct our eyes to the same little domicile placed in its actual position above the site of the Cross, and appearing "like a watch tower in the skies."

At the risk of trespassing on the limits of a mere notice, we must take leave to offer a few remarks, which suggested themselves on tracing the delineated ascent to this aerial tene ment. Those who have once or twice undergone the patient toil of marching up the spiral staircases, and angular series of steps that lead under the ample concave of the dome, must remember that they emerged into the gladsome air upon what is called the golden gallery, from whence strangers usually take their view of the vast expanse of the

metropolis. In pausing to take breath after this ascent, how would they have felt on being told that an individual would perform the same toilsome march morning after morning during a whole summer, for the purpose of commencing at their landing-place a still more arduous progress, not merely to the ball or to the cross, but to a position still higher, which was to be gained by climbing a series of ladders lashed to a creaking and tremulous scaffolding; and that he would pass not only days, but weeks and months, in a chamber suspended from the highest of these supports, occupied in the complicated and difficult details of a mathematical survey of the wide-spread and multitudinously peopled capital of the British monarchy. To an individual standing on the gallery, the idea of ascending into the ball would be sufficiently appalling, that of surmounting the cross still more so; but to climb not merely this but a higher distance by an apparatus, of no greater security than that which is used for common architectural purposes, is an attempt which, if only once made, would have been wonderful, but which baffles all the language of wonder when repeated hundreds of times.

By the scale of admeasurement appended to the engraving, we perceive that the height of the gallery is 325 feet, while the Observatory is at the enormous altitude of 410 feet. We know not in what terms to congratulate Mr. Hornor on his successful accomplishment of his great task, from this elevated and henceforward for some centuries unattainable point; a view, which for truth of general resemblance, and minute accuracy of outline, has excited the astonishment and admiration of all who have been favoured

Nouveaux Tableaux de Famille. The Life of a Poor Minister and his Children, translated from the German of Auguste la Fontaine. By Mad. de Montolieu. New Edition, 3 vols. 8vo. with prints. Paris.

Les

"WHERE is the reader of Tableaux de Famille,' who has perused it without emotion? How interesting are the good minister Bemrode, his excellent wife, and their daughters, the tender Elizabeth and Mina so sensible and amiable, and the whole family happy in love and virtue !"

We are obliged to reinforce our, selves with the testimony of authors of acknowledged authority, to recommend to those readers who are accustomed to extravagant and false productions, those simple and faithful works in which are painted, not fantastical characters and overstrained manners, but characters and manners drawn from the bosom of society. The authority we have just quoted is Chenier, from his "Tableau historique de l'état et des progrès de la literature Française depuis, 1789." This ingenious and profound critic in pronouncing a severe judgment upon one of the most remarkable productions of the age, (Atala, by Chateaubriand) in which is the stamp of genius and great beauties accompanied with frequent infractions of good taste and cominon sense, undoubtedly foresaw all the evil, which unskilful imitation of this original work would do to literature. He wished to warn young authors against a false manner, which had then among the French the charm of novelty, and armed himself with ridicule, that all-powerful weapon in France.

But it must have lost some of its power when we see, in spite of the judicious criticism of Chenier, a crowd of young authors blindly

committing the very faults of which he warned them. Perhaps it may be objected, that, if the faults we now speak of had only the charm of novelty, time would have done justice, and they would have passed away. But these literary faults have another advantage, that of facility, and only require imagination, and dispense with all the studies necessary to regulate and direct the dangerous faculty of writing, which is only a means and not an end. It is then not to be expected that authors will be wanting in this species of productions, in which they seduce the mind without appealing to the heart or the reason. A proof of the good disposition of the French public, in this respect, is the re-impression of the works of the best moralists. M. Arthur Bertrand will have contributed his part to the restoration of good taste by his new edition of Mad, Montolieu's works; he is too good a speculator to reprint so considerable a collection, if he were not sure of the reception it would meet with.

Ein Blick auf die Geschichte des Konigreichs, Hanover.

Sketch of the History of the kingdom, of Hanover. By C. de Leutsch, Svo. Leipsick.

Under this modest title is concealed remarkable merit: the author shews great talent. He connects the history of a single people, and history in general, with profound judgment. The following is a concise summary of the various details treated of by M. Leutsch.

The country between the Rhine, the Elbe, and the North Sea, was bounded on the South by the ancient kingdom of Thuringia, an asylum in remote antiquity of the Ingavonians or Itaevonians against the Swedes and Gauls, and afterwards the cradle of those very Francs, who,

after having overthrown the last ramparts of the Roman empire, subjugated the Allemanni, the Thuringians, the Bavarians, and the Frisons. They prepared the same fate for the Saxons, but they, proud of their success against the Romans, after a struggle of thirty-one years were still unconquered, and the Francs could obtain no other advantage over them than that of obliging them to march as equals under the same banner.

The Francs preserved for a century the first rank in Germany; their preponderance then passed to the Saxons, who successively made themselves masters of Suabia, Lorraine, Bavaria, Italy, and Poland.

After an age of prosperity, the Saxons experienced a reverse, and languished in obscurity till the period when Lothario of Supplimberg revived their power, which he tried to consolidate by an alliance with the Guelfs, but in vain. The humiliation of Henry-the-Lion destroyed the work of Lothario; the fidelity of the vassals of Brunswick, Nordheim, and Lunebourg, were the only supporters of the Guelf throne, shaken by the misfortunes of the enterprising Otho IV.

From that time the Saxon and the Guelf powers were weak and feeble. At length the Saxons seemed to be reanimated, the electorate was the reward for what they had done against the perpetual enemy of Germany and England, who a thousand years before had sought their aid, placed their crown in the protecting hands of an Elector. Thus, under George III. the Hanoverians attained that rank which, before Charlemagne, their predecessors, the Saxons, had possessed.

Om den indbyrdes, &c. On the Nature and Importance of Mutual Instruction. By P. H. Moenster, a Clergyman, and G.

Abrahamson, Aid-de-camp to the
King of Denmark. Copenhagen.

The title of this work ought to have been History of Mutual Instruction. Indeed the first volume is a complete history as far as we can judge of this method of education, not only in Europe, but in all parts of the world, except in Denmark, to which the authors have devoted their second volume. It may be seen that, thanks to the enlightened protection of the king, this method of instruction is making a progress in Denmark surpassing every expectation.

Amongst the subscribers to this work, the number of which amounts to 1,500, an unheard of number in the annals of Danish literature, are a great many ecclesiastics, who have declared in favour of instruction and knowledge. Nevertheless, they, whose honourable efforts introduced this method into their country, have still to struggle against the prejudices of men who oppose every useful innovation either through apa: thy, which prevents them from examining into the nature of things, or from fanaticism which blinds them.

Such persons as these are to be found in every country; happily their number is not great in Denmark. We shall give a more detailed account of this work when the third volume appears. Amongst some slight imperfections, we must mention the bad orthography of the proper names. Thus Cardinal Consalvi, Duke of Hijar, and Casimir-Perrier, are metamorphosed into Gonsalvi, Hijor and SaintPerrier.

The details relative to the introduction of mutual instruction into Denmark ought to have been confined to smaller limits, for it cannot have the same degree of interest to every class of readers.

Quentin Durward. By the Author of Waverly, Peveril of the Peak, &c. In three volumes, 12mo. pp. 964. London, 1823.

UNLESS a critic stoop to plagiarism, and condescend to repeat the

observations that have became perhaps even familiar with the public, he will find it almost impossible to expatiate at any length upon the writings of an author whose works are always in the same style, and have flowed from the press for al

There is the same subordination of plot and general consistency to isolated descriptions; the same proofs of a want of previous digestion of the story, and of often joining dislocated scenes by forced chapters, evidently written merely for the purpose of connecting the narration; there is the same character of imagination, and the same prevalence of imagination over the reasoning faculties, the same extreme verbosity and carelessness of style, the vapid dialogue, and the endless eking out of pages, and there is also the same brilliancy of description, and the same felicitous sketches of situations and of characters that have so eminently distinguished every thing that has previously fallen from the pen of this fortunate author.

The novel of Quentin Durward, à l'ordinaire, is ushered into the world by a long introduction, acquainting the reader how the author became possessed of the materials of the work. This introduction is well written, and contains many humorous and sensible observations upon France and England, with a good sketch of a French nobleman of the old school, restored to his dilapidated patrimony by the political metamorphosis of 1814. The author, falling into the good graces of this member of the old noblesse, obtains from him the M.S. of Quentin Durward. We are disposed to admire this introduction for its vivacity of description and humorous remarks, but this introductory accounting for the origin of the novel is unnecessary, and throws, indeed, an unnatural or ridiculous air over the beginning of the volume.

Quentin Durward is the last of the Durwards, a Scotch family that Eur. Mag. June, 1823.

had been, with his exception, exterminated in a feud with the neighbouring clan of the Ogelvies. The. scene is laid in France, and in the reign of Louis XI. the contemporary of our Edward IV. Quentin, driven from his native country, has resorted to France in order to seek for military employment under Louis XI., or otherwise under his less politic but more chivalrous rival, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. The novel opens with a portraiture of Louis, and of the Duke of Burgundy, the former being represented as cautious, vigilant, cunning, superstitious, cruel, and skilful; the whole of his vices and virtues being concentrated upon the one great object of amalgamating the disorderly and refractory barons of France into one united monarchy; the character of his opponent, the Duke of Burgundy, is that of violent and headstrong passions of gallantry and of incautious valour.

The second chapter, in the vivacious and brilliant manner peculiar to this author, represents Louis and his Provost Marshal in disguise, seated for amusement on the banks of the Cher, when they are approached by Quentin Durward, and after a humorous dialogue, in which the King learns the object of Quentin's journey, and penetrates into his character, the Monarch offers to introduce him into the Royal Palace of Plessis, Quentin being in immediate search of his maternal uncle, an officer of the Scotch Archers, in the service of France. We have then a description of Quentin's uncle, Balafré, and of the corps of Scotch Archers, as well as of their commander, Lord Crawford. All this is given with the author's usual spirit and felicity, in describing ancient military costumes, habits, and manners. We are induced to omit the chapter, called the Bohemians, as it appears to us tedious and spun out, and, indeed, to be nothing more than an awkward and inartificial contrivance to introduce Quentin into the corps of Scotch Archers, and to bring him in contact with his uncle, the object of his search. We are hardly yet upon the threshold of our story, and yet we have already given the out-line or

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