Star.
London, England, 1825-03-05 00:00:00

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14. side

Apology addressed to the Travellers'Club ; or, Anecdotes
of Monkeys. Fool cap Bvo. pp. 183. London, 1825.
This is really a very amusing little volume, containing
numerous anecdotes of monkeys, intermingled wall se-
veral very pointed remai ks, and much keen, but gen-
tlemanly satire. The following is one of the anecdotes:
" An odd defence against fire-arms was used by a
monkey belonging to Captain Nl—, of the Navy.,
Capt.M— had two monkeys, an old and a young one,
the first of which was often very troublesome, and the
Captain could only drive him out of his cabin by blazing,
at him with a pistol loaded with powder and currant
jelly; a discharge which produced a painful and very'
fearful effect. The old monkey was at first astounded
at the sight of the weapon which stung him so sore, but
he at last learned a mode of defence, and snatching up
the lit, le monkey, who was a favourite, used to inter-
pose hint as a shield between the pistol and his body."
Catholic Miracles ; illustrated with Seven Designs. in-
cluding a Characteristic Portrait of Prince Hohenlohe,
by GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. To which is added a filer ly
to abbett's Bejenee of Catholicism, and his Li on
the Reformation. Bvo. pp. 102. London, 1825.
In this enlightened age it may seem strange that any
Church should claim a supernatural power, yet such is
actually assumed by the Church of Rome, and the
Golden Legend, which contains an account of actual
impossibilities said to have been achieved, is still a
favourite and orthodox bi,ok with the Roman Catholics.
From this singular la of k, the author has giien a great
number of recorded miracles, of what character one ex-
tract will chew.
" The Virgin Mary prevents a Thief from being
Hanged.—There was a thief that oft stole, but he had
always a great devotion to the Virgin Mary, and sa-
luted her oft. It was so that on a time he was taken
and jodged to be hanged.
" Now when he was hanged, the blessed Virgin
Mary sustained and held him up with her hands three
days, that he died not, nor had no hurt. And they that
had caused him to be hanged passed by aventure thereby,
and found him living and of glad cheer. And then
they supposed that the cold had not been well strained,
and would have slain him with a sword, arid cut his
throat; but our blessed Lady set her hands before the
strokes, so that they might not slay him nor grieve him.
44 And then they knew by that he told to them, that
the blessed Mother of GOD helped him. And then they
marvelled, and took him off, and let him go, in honout
a the blessed Vi, gin Mary. And then he went and
entered into a Monnaery, and was in the service of the
Mother of Goo as long as he lived."
The teply to Cobbett's defence of Catholicism is well
written, temperate, and conclusive.
Udrs and Addresses to Great Men. 12mo. pp. 136.
London, 1825.
Since the publication of the celebrated Rejected Ad-
dresses, we have not met with a more clever satire
than the Odes and Addresses to Great Men. The author
has been pat titularly happy in the choice of his subjects,
as will at once be allowed when we mention the parties
to whom his Odes ate addressed, namely, Mr. Graham,
the Aeronaut, Mr. M'Adam, Mrs. Fry, M Ghia' tin,M.P.
Mr. D} moke, the Champion, Grimaldi, Mr. Elliston,
Dr: Kitchener. Captain Parry, Mr. Bodkin, Secretary
to the Mendicity Society, &c. These are all public and
well known individuals, and the addresses to them are
smart and a ppi opt iate. We have only room for a short
extract: it is from the Ode to Mr. Graham, the com-
mencement of which will remind the leader of Cotton's
Poem of the Fireside:
Do, Graham, let me have a quiz,
Lord ! what a Lilliput it is,
That little world of Mogg's!—
Are those the London locks?—that channel,
The mighty Thames?—a proper kennel
For that small Isle of Dogs!
What is that seeming lea-urn there?
That fairy dome, St. Paul's !—I swear,
Wrest must have been a wren !
And that small stripe?—it cannot be
The City-road !—Good lack ! to see
The iittle ways of men!
Little, indeed !—my eyeballs ache
To find a turnpike. I must take
Their tolls upon my trust!—
And where is mortal labour gone?
Look, Graham, for a little stone
Al'Adamized to dust!
Look at the horses?--less than ales!
Oh, what a waste it was of sighs
To wish to be a Mayor!
What is the honour?—none at all,
One's honour must be very small
Fur such a civic chair !
And there's Guildhall!--'tis far aloof—.
Methinks, I fancy thro the roof
Its little guardian Gogs,
Like penny dolls--a tiny shew!—
Wcll.—l must say, they're ruled below
By very little logs ! -
The Star in the East, shaving the Analogy which exists
between the Lectures of Freemasonry, the Mechanism
of Initiation into its Mysteries, and the Christian Reli-
gion. By GEORGE OLIVER, Vicar of Clee, &c. 12mo.
pp. 172. London, 1825.
There is little occasion to vindicate Freemasonry
in a country where it is patronized by the Sovereign,
and has a Prince of the Blood for its Grand Master.—
On the Continent, however, it excites great jealousy,
particularly in Papal countries, where it is denounced
as inimical to religion and good government. Mr.
Oliver, however, in his really interesting little work,
clearly shows how fallacious and unjust the charges
against Freemasonry are, and proves the necessary con-
nection between it and Christianity. if we thought
Papal Governments would allow of its publication in
their dominions, we should recommend a translation of
Mr. Oliver's Work into most of the European languages,
as the best answer to the enemies of Freemasonry.
THE PRESS.
This power of the press to correct its own errors, to
elicit truth, awaken mind, and sharpen the general
faculties and energies of those whom it gorrerns without
subduing, and without fine, imprisonment, or bodily.
injury, surely gives it a pre-eminence over all former
despotic rulers. A free press may be a great tyrant
over a free people, but it will certainly prove eventually
the best and only ruler they can submit to beneficially.
Howm.oly crimes will it not prevent of the grossest
demi, bon, and what a countless number may it not
;hter character, but equally inju-
,of s•ciety ? By presenting new
new matter en which intellect may
and, will not the mind be isuifigd

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totally el adicate of ligl
rious to the well-being
objects of thought, no'
work and fancy nom
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