sentially enters into its composition.-These errors are certainly not unimportant; and it must very seriously diminish the value of a work in which so little is said, if it be found that this little is not correct. With regard to the selection of matter, we fear that we cannot say much more in praise than on the score of accuracy; for the objections in point of deficiency are very numerous. Among many others that might be specified, the reader will in vain look for adipocire, hydrocarbone, olefient gas, ochres, palladium, pewter, pumice, and oxymuriatic acid-After these remarks, our opinion of this volume will be inferred to be unfavorable: but we must add that the account of the metals is, for the most part, fairly executed; and that under the word ‹ Galvanism', iş contained an amusing sketch of that science. Art. 19. An Account of the Neutral Saline Waters recently discovered at Hampstead, with Chemical Experiments on their component Parts, Observations on their Medicinal Application and Effects in certain Diseases; and on the different Modes of Bathing, as an Auxiliary to the drinking of Mineral Waters. By Thomas Goodwin, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, in London. 12mo. pp. 118. 3s. 6d. Murray. 1804. The author of this volume, who appears from some passages in the work to be an apothecary at Hampstead, has undertaken to point out the virtues of a saline spring which has been lately discovered in that village. His motive for this recommendation seems natural; and we could not blame him for endeavouring, by fair arguments, to prove to the public that they may derive as much benefit by placing themselves under his care, at Hainpstead, as by taking a longer journey to obtain the same relief elsewhere. He states however that, in publishing this treatise, he was influenced by philanthrophy and benevolence; and that he pursued his object at considerable expence, disregarding his own immediate interest, from the desire of being useful to others.' After some observations on the advantages which may be expected to ensue from the employment of mineral waters, Mr. Goodwin is impelled,' as he says, by coercive example,' to enter on a description of Hampstead and its environs. Here he throws off the professional air, and assumes the sentimental style. He quotes Armstrong, and talks about the elegant master of descriptive imagery, who informed the page with music, sentiment, and thought, and poured the ⚫ whole luxuriance of nature into his inimitable seasons.' He also ingeniously paraphrases mineral waters, by the style and title of aqueous compounds of nature;' and he informs us that the pastures about Hampstead are filled with cattle, roving and grazing,' so as to produce in the mind of the spectators a gratifying, social and rural impression. This part of the work is furnished with a profusion of learned notes; giving an account of the atmosphere, the nature of contagious effluvia, the effects of respiration, the action of the winds, &c. &c. We are, however, concerned to observe that they abound with inaccuracies; so much so, that to point out all their errors would carry us to a length greater than that of the original. We shall merely notice the author's opinion respecting contagion; he supposes it to depend on an acid principle diffused through the air, which may be the most efficaciously corrected by alkaline vapors. We admire the intrepidity of Mr. Goodwin, in thus boldly proposing his sentiments, unawed by the experiments of Guyton and Smyth; or by the sanction of the British parliament, who, as is well known, voted to the latter gentleman à considerable reward for employing a directly contrary practice. In the chemical part, the author properly begins by an examination of the stratum from which the spring issues, and then proceeds to analyze the waters themselves. He gives a detail of the experiments which were performed: but we confess that we are not by any means thoroughly satisfied respecting the justness of the conclusions drawn from them. We do not see the grounds on which Mr. G. has fixed the quantities of the different ingredients that he specifies; and we doubt whether he is authorized to admit even the existence of some of them. However, it appears pretty evident that a principal ingredient is the sulphate of magnesia; and to this salt the water probably owes such virtues as it may possess. Besides the extraneous and ornamental matter which we have already noted, Mr. G. has given at some length the directions issued by the Humane Society; because there are some ponds at Hampstead, in which persons may be drowned! We have also a full account of the effects of bathing in its different varieties, because baths might be formed at Hampstead with the water of the mineral spring ;-and, lastly, we have a complete detail of the rules and regulations of a benefit club at Hampstead, because Mr. Goodwin is the surgeon and apothecary thereof! POETRY. Art. 20. "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise," is the moral of this poem; which is written by a young man, to exemplify the impossibility of supporting life under those anticipations which would arise from a knowlege of future events. Silvester, the hero of the poem, is rich and happy with a beautiful wife and five children: but he is anxious to be acquainted with their destiny, and discloses his wish to his guardian spirit who appears to him in a dream. The Genius, after having vainly endeavoured to convince him of his imprudence in desiring to know that which for wise purposes Providence has concealed, at last accedes to his request, and in consequence the fol lowing information is afforded: • Silvester perceives his wife mourning over his corpse, filled with grief and horror. Time assuages her affliction, and she bestows her hand on a favored suitor. His agony on, that account. He sees some of his favourite friends plotting to defraud his children. They are prevented by disagreement among themselves. His four sons ap pear in the pride of manhood. Edward mourns under a long and raging sickness. He is restored to health; blest with a wife and child; in the midst of happiness and tranquillity. The joy occasioned by that sight to Silvester is suddenly overthrown by the appearance of John, holding midnight conferences with a gang of ruffians, plot ting to destroy their king, and the laws and government of their country. He unfolds the plot to Edward, and invites him to assist in its execution. Edward refuses and John, to prevent his discovering the traiterous conspiracy, instantly murders him then returns to his companions; harangues them, and urges the immediate execution of their determined purpose; from which they are prevented by the arrival of an armed force, by whom they are conveyed to prison; and Silvester sees his son receive the punishment of treason, a public, ignominious, and horrid death. He beholds Charles seduced into a life of vicious pleasure. His gradual progress to the worst of the vices of libertinism; ruining the innocent without remorse, and deriding the aged. Smitten by compunction, he seeks his abandoned home. He laments his loss of pure delights; 'till, unable to bear the reproaches of his conscience, he finishes his career by suicide. Henry appears; a virtuous deserving youth. He is enamoured of a lovely accomplished damsel; but when on the point of receiving her hand, he is torn from her by a powerful rival, who accuses him of crimes never committed, or imagined by him. He is sentenced to banishment, and expires there. Last of all his offspring, his daughter appears. He is ravished at the sight. An honourable suitor obtains her hand; but soon after marriage she falls a victim to the arts of a designing villain. Is detected by her lord, dismissed his presence, and forced to seek support in a life of dishonour; which she terminates by a premature death, in the midst of poverty and disease; and her mother soon after dies of a broken heart. But her children, by her second lord, are as happy and fortunate as Silvester wished his. This fills him with anguish and in the act of complaining of the injustice and partiality of heaven, he awakes.' Silvester is of course in an agony of grief, on having obtained his request; he inveighs against heaven, is disgusted with his wife, and shocked by the sight of his children. Nothing affords him pleasure; and, overwhelmed with anguish and remorse, he terminates his life by suicide. Such is the plan of this poem, which strikingly illustrates the design of the author: but his numbers are not equal to his imagination. His lines are often tame and prosaic; and we think that, had he suffered it to remain in a bureau, and had corrected it when his taste was improved, the composition might have appeared before the public with more advantage than it does in its present state. As a specimen, we give the conclusion: Thus then, at most, Few Her Children by that prosperous union blest, where my CHARLES My thoughts are worse than Death! 'tis not in Man He struggled, gasp'd; sunk, rose ;-sunk, and expired. The Vision left conceal'd. The Vision's bounds To this brief Life confined! -Thus he expired: Unequal to the scanty picture here, Tablet of transient Good and fleeting Ill; Strange and tremendous proof how mad the wish Foresees the SUM of THINGS; and who alone, And knowing all is wise, and JUST, and GOOD, Which he hath will'd,-FORE KNOWLEDGE should possess." Whatever may be the curiosity of individuals to acquire this foreknowledge, we see no reason for supposing that they will be grati fied, and therefore little occasion for warning them of the dangers of such an attainment. Art. 21. Alfred; an Epic Poem in 24 Books. By Joseph Cottle. Second Edition. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. gs. Boards. Longman and Co. 1864. Though we do not, in general, notice second editions of works which have been formerly reviewed, our attention to the present article has been solicited by a new preface; in which Mr. Cottle announces that he has made considerable alterations in his poem. He has also endeavoured to defend his work against the criticisms which it has undergone; and we perceive that the opinion which we have given has not had the good fortune to please him. As far as our remarks are concerned in Mr. Cottle's preface, we confess that we deem him unsuccessful in his reply; particularly when he supposes that we object to simplicity of style. We have said, and we repeat it, that some modern writers do not distinguish between simplicity and meanness; we have therefore endeavoured to expose that low style of writing, which we observe inculcated both in prose and verse ; and which we conceive to proceed from the antipodes of good taste and true genius. When the perversion of poetry is openly patronized, it becomes the duty of critics to resist the impulse. We have •pposed the absurd fondness for German plays, with success; and we shall continue to withstand the barbarous innovators, who are attempting to despoil poetry of her fairest and richest ornaments, and to reduce her to the beggarly state of a ballad-singer, or a Sternholdian rhymer. With regard to Mr. Cottle's alterations, we do not perceive great improvement in his poetical style. Much might be said on this subject: but we are deterred by a hint which he has dropped towards the end of his preface. We shall therefore content ourselves with wishing him success in the sale of his book, though we cannot sacri fice the canon laws of our foundation to promote his interest. Art. 22. The Battle of Trafalgar. Stanzas, by the Rev. James Beresford, A.M., Fellow of Merton College, Oxford. To which is added Nelson's Last Victory: a Song. By a Friend. 4to. 19. Hatchard. Every muse will be alert on this occasion: but every muse is not equal to so noble a subject. We will not say of Mr. Beresford, Magnis tamen excidit ausis; though we must observe that his poetic execution has not been equal to his patriotic enthusiasm. He transports us to the scene of action, and endeavours to give an appropriate description of the well-conducted and well-fought battle of Trafal gar; and he has discovered some address in changing the metre from the heroic to the elegiac, when he introduces the death of the glo. rious hero of that ever memorable day. His language, however, is not sufficiently elevated; nor are his epithets always happily chosen. It is surely beneath the dignity of the subject to say of Nelson that He rul'd the riot with his nod;' that he plagues in fight; that he craz'd the hopes of the enemy, and cow'd his war. Mr. B. probably meant, by calling the Spanish ship Santissima Trinidada, an audacious name' to condemn the presumptuous impiety of giving such an appellation to a vessel of war; but a better epithet might have been chosen, and the censure might have been more pointedly conveyed. As the subject, however, is de servedly popular, we shall copy a few of his stanzas: To Britain's sacred signal true All stood and bolder rose the bold; Then England knew her godlike Son! - And rul'd the riot with his nod, Their proudest, of colossal frame, To silence that audacious name® His Genius once rebuk d before. The Monster-ship, with grappling close, Santissima Trinidada,' Thua |