The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-10 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

HISTORY OF SCOTLAND, VOL. VI.
'Tait, Edinburgh, 1837.

The volume hernre us of Mr. Fraser Tytler's hi
tory comprehends the period from the assassination
Cardinal Beaton in 1546, to the marriage of Mar
Queen of Scots, with Lord Darnley in the'vear 156 k
This period, though a brief, was a stirring one, and ; ,
discussed with all the author's usual scrupulous regal
to factF.•

LORD BYRON'S DRAMAS, Vor.. I.
•
Murray, London, 1837.
A beautiful duodecimo edition of Byron's dramas,
which. it is proposed to comprise in two volumes. Tin,
present one contains " 'Manfred," " The Doge o.
Venice," " Heaven- and Earth," and one or two more
plays.

ST. A GIVES' FOUNTAIN.
• Dalton, London, 1837.
This is an agreeable collect,ion of verses, which may
serve well enough to wile away an idle hour or so.
The first poem, " St. Agnes' Fountain," is the best,
because the most carefully written.

LITERARY AND POLITICAL ESSAYS,
Hedderwick, Glasgow, 1837.

We are glad to see this republication of Dr. Chan-
ning's Essays. It is a favourable literary sign of the
times. No writer of our day has entered more deeply,
or with a more thorough love of his subject, into the
character of Milton's Works ; or expressed his views
in more chaste and lucid language. How just in
thought and eloquent in style is this remark—" We
apprehend that the grandeur of Milton's mind has
thrown some shade over his milder beauties ; and this
it has done, not only by being more striking and im-
posing, but by The tendency of vast mental energy to
give a certain calmness to the expression of tenderness
and deep feeling. A great mind is the master of its
own enthusiasm, and does not often break out into
those tumults, which pass with man`• for the signs of
profound emotion." In estimating the character of
Napoleon, Dr. Chiming shows equal perspicacity,
leaning to the charitable side, yet not hesitating to
denounce that reckless- ambition, which properly dis-
ciplined, might have made the Emperor the friend and,
guardian, instead of the scourge, of European freedom..
The cursory sketch of Washington in this essay is the
fiaest thing ever written about that great man.

PRINCIPLES OF HOMEOPATHY.
Hurst, London, 1837.

This work, which is the production of a medicaid
gentleman named Curie, and is drawn up with great
care and attention to details, gives us the clearest idea
of the novel system which it advocates, of any trcatilse
that we have yet met with. Hitherto all that we have
read on the subject' of Homeopathy has been vaginae,
wordy, and full of mystification ; but the present work
has the merit of being concise and simple to a degree-
Even if the reader may dissent from Dr. Curie's specu-
lations, he can at least understand them; and see aim"
in every page that they are supported with much skill
and ingenuity. As we do not happen to have a suffi-
cient acquaintance with the subject, we shall pronounce
no decided opinion on the soundness, or otherwise, .of
our author's reasonings ; but this we may observe,
that his account of the diet and regimen recommended
by those who adopt his system, deserves consideratior,
by reason of its good sense and simplicity. " The
physician," he tells us, " prohibits his patients from
using spirituous liquors, spices, acids, strong tea and
coffee, and aromatic substances. He also exclude
from their regimen, every aliment which his experience%
informs him is of difficult digestion. He moreover re-.
commends them not to reside in marshy districts, nor:
in dark and damp streets where there is no free circu-
lation of air. The aliments to be preferred are such
as the patient digests with the greatest facility ; and irk.
this, experience alone can guide him. Exercise is
likewise a very important'elementin the Homwopaettic
regimen." There is as much good sense in these few
brief, plain directions, as is contained in the best writ-
ings of our most orthodox medical lecturers.