The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-06 00:00:00

L I T.E R. A t' UL{ :

A DICTIONARY OF SCIAACE, LITERA-
7'URE, AND ART. PART I. Edited by W. T.
Brande, F.R.S.L. and E.
Longman and Co. London.

The title of this work, of which the first num-
ber has just appeared, sufficiently explains its
object, and all we have to do, therefore, is to state
briefly how it is executed. Without the ampli-
tude of the en_ cyclopedia„ or the limited range
of the special dictionary, it contains short ab-
stracts of the principles of the most popular
and important departments of science, lite-
rature, and arts, together with notices of their
rise, progress, and present state. The editor,
whose name is so well known to the public, as to
be a guarantee for the correctness and skill with
which the department allotted him is illustrated,
announces that no statement is made as to any
unusual or doubtful matter, without referring to
the authority on which it rests, and when sub-
jects of general interest are noticed, the reader
is referred to the publications relating to them,
which embody the fullest and best information.
" The work," he adds, "was distributed into divi-
sions or departments, each embracing one or a class
of closely allied subjects, and these were sepa-
rately assigned to gentlemen distinguished by
their attention to, and proficiency in, the subjects
they embrace. This seemed the most likely
means to avoid mere compilation and book-mak-
ing, and to make the work not only a compre-
hensive and accurate, but in some measure also an
original, digest and synopsis of human know-
ledge." Th department which Mr. Brande has
undertaken embraces chemistry, geology, mine-
ralogy, medicine, and the arts and sciences de-
pending on chemical principles. Mr. M'Culloch,
so well known for his works on political economy,
statistics, and commerce, in addition to these, en-
gages also, with the assistance of Mr. Joseph
Cauvin, to furnish articles connected with gene-
ral literature. Botany is allotted to Professor
Lindley ; gardening and agriculture to Mr. Lou-
don ; and most of the other departments to men
eminent in their respective professions. The
work, which is beautifully printed, and illustrated
occasionally by engravings on wood, gives the
derivation and definition of all the terms in ge-
neral use, and appears altogether to be arranged
with much 'taste and judgment. Some of the
articles are written at considerable length, and
most of them contain as much information on the
particular subjects as general readers require. The
following extracts give fair specimens of the
shorter notices

APOCALYM (Cr. at;;Y.a.?,:nrrz.o, I reveal ) The
Book of Revelations, the last in the canon of the New
Testament. Many conflicting opinions have been enter-
tained as to the authenticity of this book ; but, though re-
jected by Luther, and neither admitted nor rejected by
Michaelis, the opinion of the great majority of critics and
divines in modern times has been decidedly in favour of
its genuineness. There have, also, been great varieties of
opinion as to the person by whom, and the period when, the
book was written : but the prevalent opinion is. that it is
the work of Sr. John the Evangelist. Different commen-
tators have differed widely in their interpretations of (Life.
rent parts of this book ; and it is looked on by many as
being still a " sealed book," admitting, in the present
state of our knowledge, of no satisfactory explanation.
The phrase apocalyptic writings is frequently used to de.
signate those portions of the Scrip'ures which contain pro-
phetic descriptions, under the form of visions, of the future
state of the Church : such as the book of Daniel ; and,
among the Apocrypha, the fourth book of Esdras.
ALLSPICE. The dried immature berry of the Myrtus
Pimento; called also Jamaica Pepper. It. is supposed to
possess the mixed flavour of several spices, amongst which
that of the clove p,cdominates.
AsiauscaDE. A military term derived from the Italian
imboscata, concealed in a wood. It is also applied to any
snare laid for an enemy.

HISTORY OF NAPOLEON.
Tyas, London, 1841.
Among the numerous biographies that have
lately been published, of the Imperial despot of
France, the one before us is entitled to hold,
if not a prominent, at least a respectable
rank, for it is copious and accurate in its
details ; exhibits no decided bias either for or
.against Napoleon, and is embellished with innu-
merable wood-cuts, not a few of which are exe-
cuted in a style that would have done credit to
old Bewick. The present Parts relate the event-
ful circumstances of the Emperor's first abdica-
tion, his retirement to Elba, and his unexpected
return to France.

PARTS 24, 25.

XIVIGHT'S PICTORIAL SHAKSPEARE,
Pent XXIX. C. Knight, London, 1841.
- In this Part we have the entire comedy of
" Measure for Measure,'' embellished with nu-
merous plates, . two of " the Moated
Grange"—which furnishes the subject of one of
Tennyson's finest lyrics—and the " Sulphurous
Bolt," representing a gnarled old forest oak shat-
tered to atoms by a thunderbolt, are of exquisite
beauty. The " Supplementary Notice" enters
at some length into the character of the comedy,
,ind makes special mention of Master Barnardine,
which—as the critic rightly observes—" is one of
the most extraordinary of Shak speare's creations."

BRITISH MISCELLANY, VoL 1.
Hastings, London, 1841.
A cheap and lively periodical which comes out
in weekly numbers, and is sustained by the talents
of Leigh Hunt, Agnes Strickland, and several
other popular writers in prose and verse. We
think the speculation bids fair to answer.

TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST.
Moron' London, 1841.
The author of this little work, as we learn from
the advertisement, is an American, and he re-
cords his naval experiences in so simple and
truthful a manner, that those who once coin-.
mence the perusal of his narrative, will have
some difficulty in laying it down before they
have brought it to a close. It has, in addition,
this great recommendation namely, that
throughout it, the characters of sailors are pour-
trayed in their real colours and proportions,
without embellishment or distortion.

Two sons of the late Rev. Joseph Preston, Rec-
tor of Galbally, met a watery grave i►, the Thames steamer,
from Dublin to London. They were nephews of the late
Lord Tara, on their way to Paris. Joseph, the eldest,
was in his twenty second year, and James, the youngest
brother, only eighteen. The aorvant man who atte►aded
them is also supposed t 4 have perished. The second
brother, who survives, will inherit the estates,.... Glasgow
Courier.

MAXWELL'S LIFE OF WELLINGTON.
PARTS X. X 4-13nily, London, 1841.
These Parts commence with an account of the
battle of Vittoria, where, it may be remembered,
King Joseph of Spain was utterly defeated, and
all his military stores captured, tog-ether with
Jourdan's baton of a French Marshal ; and
close with the sanguinary action at Toulouse,
which not a few of our Continental neigh-
bours still firmly believe was won by Soult. These
great battles are described with Mr. Max-
well's wonted animation ; his details, in particu-
lar, respecting the desperate conflict at Vittoria
abound in picturesque touches, suchas we so often
meet with in Scott's Life of Napoleon. • " War,"
he tells us, " has its picturesque, and the open-
ing of Vittoria was singularly imposing. A wide
expanse of rich and varied landscape, on which
an artist would have gazed with rapture, was re-
posing in a flood of sunshine. From a gentle
eminence in front of Avinez, the whole array of
Joseph's army was visible, and on that height the
Allied staff were collected. There Lord Wellington
was standing, dressed plainly in a grey frock-coat,
with nothing to mark commanding rank, except-
ing a Spanish sash, and the hat and feathers of a
field officer. His telescope at one moment wan-
dered over the extensive position occupied by the
enemy, and the next, turned with fixed earnest-
ness on that point from whence he expected
the crash of battle was to burst." After the
battle had been fought and won, and while the
French were in full retreat, the following strange
scene was exhibited in the British camp :
" Night was not to the weary conquerors a sea-
son of repose, for property in value and variety
such as no modern army had abandoned, pre-
sented itself at every step, and the work of plun-
der commenced, before the fire of musketry
and cannon had end,ed. The camp of every divi-
sion was like a fair; benches were laid from waggon
to waggon, and there the soldiers held an auction
through the night, and disposed ofsuch booty as had
fallen to their share to any who were inclined to
purchase it. Even dollars became an article of
sale, for as they were too heavy to be carried in
great numbers, eight were .offered for a guinea."
A scene not less singular. vas displayed on the field
of battle after the French army had retired :
' " Here," says Mr. Maxwell, " was the personal
baggage of a king—there, the scenery and decora-
tions of a theatre ; and scattered arms, drums, silks,
embroidery, and jewels, mingled in the strangest
disorder. Here a lady had been overtaken in her
carrriage—in the next calash was an actress or
fille de ehambre ; while droves of oxen were
roaming over the field, intermingled with an end-
less number of sheep, goats, mules, horses, asses,
and cows. Camp followers were arrayed in the state
uniform ofJoseph's Court; and the coarsest female s
who accompany a camp, drunk with champagne,
and bedecked in silk attire, flaunted in Parisian
dresses which had been envied by the denizens of
a palace." We repeat, what we have said before,
while noticing former Numbers of this work,
that it is incomparably the. most entertaining and
authentic life of Wellington that has yet ap-
peared in print. The portraits and illustrative
maps are numerous, and the majority of them
are finished off in a skilful and careful manner.
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