THE BOOK OF BEAUTY. BY THE LATE MISS E. SCAIFE. The face was Nature's choicest book, Ye read of voices, soft and low, Of wanderings forth by rippling rills, Of sympathies with all mankind, Ye read of that majestic grace, Fair chisell'd out in Grecian stone, Ye read of Beauty passing Art, The gentle eyes-sweet eyes of light! And stamp 'd on each celestial page And oh! her young uplifted brow! Whole chapters of ecstatic measure Treasures of thought, whose snowy shrine, Literature. THE ANNUALS FOR 1853. The Historical Pocket-Book for 1853. Penny and Son, Bow Lane. -Much effort has been made this season by the publishers, to render the annuals worthy of the general patronage they have so long enjoyed, nor do we think the public will be disappointed. The "Historical Pocket-Book," is the first to claim our attention, beautifully illustrated N. S. VOL. XXXIV. E with coloured engravings, not useless pictures, but really instructive and useful historical facts. General costume of the nobility and gentry, during the reign of Charles II., 1664; James II., 1687; George II.; also military costume of George II: with four other very neat views, embracing the most picturesque vicinity of Ilfracombe; in addition to these really, we may say," superb plates," we have all the necessary and indispensable memoranda, and almanac and diary for the year 1853-with well-told tales, fragments of poetry; we know of no better general keepsake than the present, suitable to all ages. The Lady's Superb Pocket-Book. Penny and Son, Bow Lane.This very novel annual in the shape of a pocket-book is as rich in historical literature as it is in embellishments. Coloured engravings, it appears, are all the rage for these delightful cadeaux, the execution of which shows rapid improvement in the art: these prints there are five, representing the general costumes of the nobility in the reign of William and Mary, 1690; those of the reigns of Queen Anne and George I.; military group, 1650; and also those of the commonalty; in addition to these we have four other well-executed views of the most famed spots in Ilfracombe, with the usual almanack and diary. As des cadeaux et etrennes will pass from hand to hand in good earnest the next ensuing New Year's Day, we predict that the "Superb Pocket-Book" will be a favoured one. The Miniature Pocket-Book for 1853. Penny and Sons.-If this annual is destitute of engravings, it has other attractions which fully make up the deficiency; beautifully printed in colours as it is, it offers considerable novelty in the class of information requisite to the purchaser of this kind of book for annual record; the diary is greatly extended, and the information for 1853, of a more perfect nature than is found in pocket-books generally. The Regent for 1853. Suttaby, London.-There appears to be more competition than usual this season, amongst the publishers of pocket-books, or, "we might say Annuals." For, in reality, the beautiful selection that have come under our notice for the new year, are equal in embellishments to the Annuals of former days, published at a high price. It is, however, the Regent we would speak of, with its selection of superb engravings, embracing scenery which is as novel as it is new to the public. We not only recommend the Regent pocket-book to the notice of our readers, for its embellishments, but for the valuable information it contains. It is, perhaps, the most complete pocket companion of the new year. The Perdurable Almanac, available for twenty years, published by John Jones, 18, High Holborn. Price sixpence. Of this clever production, it may be said truly to be a "Multum in Parvo"; there are large and expensive forms by which the days of the week, month, and year may be seen, but one so simple, concise, and useful, we have never before met with we can only say a sixpence is well laid out in the purchase of one of these perdurable almanacs. A Treatise on the Practical Culture of the Potato. Published by Hardy and Sons, seed-growing establishment, Maldon, Essex.-A very clever pamphlet has reached us at the moment of going to press, so that we have merely time to take a hasty glance at its pages. It is very evident that farmers remains in a state of ignorance relative to the improved culture of the potato, or they would not be found in the present serious condition, and comparative failure of the crops. Messrs. Hardy and Sons, the authors of this clever brochure, are practical men; they are seed-growers to a great extent, and have devoted much time to the improvement of the culture of this useful root; their efforts have been crowned with success, and it is for us to say that every potato-grower should procure a copy of this indispensable pamphlet. New Music. Mr. This is to give notice! A Heart has been found. Duff and Hodgson, 65, Oxford-street.-If we mistake not, this will be one of the favourite songs of the new year. J. W. Hobbs, the composer, has arranged his accompaniment with the best of good taste; the words possess much merit. Something to Love Me. Duff and Hodgson, 65, Oxford-Street.-A highly effective morceau in B flat, full of pathos, set to a composition by E. L. Hime, which reflects much credit on that talented gentle man. Don't You Think so? Duff and Hodgson, 65, Oxford-Street.-A rather curious song in F sharp, of a comic turn, calculated to create a smile. It is elegantly written with some passages of a superior order. Wellington's Resting-Place. Williams, Paternoster-row.-Mr. A. Mullen may congratulate himself on having produced a very appropriate melody to words in every way suitable to the great occasion of the Duke's funeral. Mary Astore. Cocks and Co, New Burlington-Street.-A very delightful morceau, embodying very delightful thoughts: the composition is lively and full of that point that strikes so sweetly on the ear. Mourn for the Mighty Dead. Cocks and Co.-The poetry by Charles Mackay is a very appropriate composition, and if we look at the song altogether in a national point of view, we think there is much praise due to both writer and author of melody. La Distribution des Drapeaux. Quadrille Historique. Cocks and Co. -Here is a work of great scientific merit, throughout pleasing and effective, admirably interspersed with showy and beautiful passages: as a pianoforte piece, it must become the favourite of the drawing-room. Bonaparte en Egypte. Quadrille Historique. Cocks and Co.-The season is fast approaching for dance music-and it gives us some pleasure to witness a degree of spirit on the part of music publishers. The set of quadrilles before us are arranged in a musician-like manner, full of brilliant passages at the same time graceful and full of point. The Militia March. Cocks and Co.-This march is arranged in a highly-spirited manner, with sufficient variations to make it a favourite pianoforte piece. The vignette title, which is a masterpiece of itself, represents the militia men in a characteristic style. The Corsican Brother's Quadrille, introducing the ghost melody; also the masquerade galop in that popular melodrama, dedicated to Charles Kean, Esq., by Gustavus Prasca. London :-Published by John Gay, 5, Conduit-street, Regent-street.-This set of quadrilles will be danced to by thousands in the new year, that is just "looming in the future." It is not every Christmas that produces a "Ghost Melody," to dance to. Apart from this great novelty, these Quadrilles are excellent for dancing. The airs are all well marked and vividly recall the scenes in the melodrama. The Galop which the reader will remember in the masquerade scene of "The Corsican Brothers" is also given after the Quadrilles. It is remarkably pretty, bustling, and spirited. NEW VOCAL MUSIC. Lilly Baker, the celebrated negro ballad: the words and music by Percy Vere, Esq.-London: John Gay, publisher, 5, Conduit-street, Regent-street.-Lilly Baker is a judicious and discreet young lady of the Quadroon school. She loves, but "never told her love" till her young knight had won his spurs; or in other words, till her "dear black" had earned coin enough wherewith to keep a wife. It is a philosophy as rife in Kentucky as in Belgravia. The lovers' history is told in this ballad in a series of verses in this wise: "Oh, my heart went pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat,' is his exclamation when he first beheld his fair one. Then "Called next day, with rap-a-tap, tap-a-tap.” When Lilly rejects him, "He lists for drummer, rub-a-dub, dub-a-dub.” When in India, he thinks still of his mistress, and "Learned the banjo, tink-a-tink, tink-a-tink.” But the crowning fact of all is, "Uncle die with chink-a-chink, chink-a-chink." When Lilly at last "owns the soft impeachment," and vows her willingness to be led ring-bound. Altogether this song bas marks of originality and compactness, and being essentially humourous without any vulgarity, has made itself as popular in the fashionable world, as amongst the serenaders. POPULAR DANCE MUSIC, BY CHARLES D'ALBERT, PUBLISHED BY CHAPPELL, 50, NEW BOND-STREET. 1. La Belle Suisse, Valse Caractéristique. 2. Genevieve, Valses à la Mode. 3. The Flower of the Field, Valse Caractéristique. 4. Le Bouquet de Roses, Valse à la Mode. 5. Les Clochettes, Valse Caractéristique. 6. The Queen of Roses, Valse à la Mode. 7. The Express Galop. Perhaps no department of the art of music has made more decided progress within the last few years, than that appropriated to the accompaniment of the dance. Its improvement has been slow, as the history of music testifies; but it has been sure. Melody, it is true, is as old as the hills, but rhythm, one of its important adjuncts (indeed, there can be no real music without it), dates back but a few centuries. When we take a retrospective glance at the dance music of the Court of Queen Elizabeth (which we are enabled to do from her "maiden Majesty's" own music-book, preserved in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge) we feel inspired, not with a desire to dance, but with a sort of "wonderment" as to what sort of beings those great "lords and ladies" could have been who did dance to such extraordinary developments of tune and rhythm. The very name of these old dances are enough to alarm us moderns who are only learned in the mysteries of the Almacks of the nineteenth century. The "Pavan," the "Galliard," the "Passa-Mozzo," the " Bransle," the " Cinquepas," the "Lavolto,"-such are a few of the dances which it was necessary for the Elizabethan gallant to know, and which, doubtless, were known to Sir Christopher Hatton ere he danced himself into the chancellorship. In the days of Elizabeth's successors, these things did not improve. Hear that grave and learned lawyer, old John Selden (who, by the way, was the son of a minstrel): "The Court of England is much altered, At a solemn dancing, first you had the grave measures, then the Corrantoes and the Galliards, and this is kept up with ceremony; at length to Trenchmore, and the Cushion Dance, and then all the company dance, lord and groom, lady and kitchen-maid, no distinction. So in our Court, in Queen Elizabeth's time, gravity and state were kept up. In King James's time things were pretty well. But in King Charles's time, there has been nothing but Frenchmore and the Cushion. Dance omnium gatherum, tolly, polly, hoite come toite."-(Table Talk, ed. 1847, p. 101.) The prototype of the modern Valse, may be found in the Corranto of the days of the Merry Monarch"; but it is very far removed in point of elegance of design, and beauty of filling in. Indeed, the modern valse, or more properly suite of valses, belongs exclusively to the present century. The founders and improvers of our present school of dance music are names well known to all: Strauss, Lanner, Labitzky, Musard Tolbecque, and, to come still nearer, Jullien and D'Albert. The names of a few of the numerous works of the latter, we have placed at the head of this article, not only because they are some of |