The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-02-09 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICES.

Dublin University Magazine. February, 183 S.

in this number we have several articles of very great
merit, and some which must exercise considerable influ-
ence over public opinion, especially in Ireland. " Lord
Malgrave's Defence" in the House of Lords is examined
with great candour and ability. The flimsy sophistries
of the--O'Connell viceroy are handled with a degree of
severity which will not, soon be forgotten. The statisti-
cal details of the state of crime in Ireland, which are
furnished in this masterly paper. triumphantly establish
the charges brought forward by the Earl of Roden
against the government. We venture to say that it is
impossible for any man, who is a sincere and unpreju-
diced inquirer after . truth, to. peruse .the .statements
brought forward in this article, and afterwards to acknow-
ledge his belief in the boasted "tranquillity of Ireland."
The tale of " Darby Sykes" affords a capital illUstration
of some of the tricks resorted, to at Irish eleetions.—
The Boomerang and its Vagaries" will: furnish mate-
rials for a leading article in the columns of the Liverpool
Mercury. The reviews of the " Life and Letters of
Charles Lamb" and of " Keightley's History of Eng-,
Land" are ably executed.' The elaborate article on
" National Education" merits the most serious atten-
tion. It abounds with sound reasoning and powerful
appeals 'to facts. " The Confessions of Harry Lorre-
quer" continue to sustain the, interest of the reader.
"The Government. the Landlords, and the ' Popular
Party' in Ireland," is an excellent paper, containing a
thorough exposition of the errors committed by the Whiff
administration in the government of the sister island.'
" Fardarougha, the Miser," is concluded in the -present
number. The winding-up of this tale is not so inter-
esting as we expected it might be.

The National Magazine, and Monthly Critic. Feb-
ruary, 1838.

The extremely diversified nature of the contents of
this magazine, its pleasant fictions, its rich poetry, its
amusing essays, its scientific articles, and its judicious
critiques, continue to render it one of the most popular
of our periodical publications. Its intrinsic merits are
still further enhanced by the entire absence of politics
from its columns. Its character is thus essentially and
exclusively literary.. This circumstance has already
rendered the National Magaiine a general favourite.
The• contents of the present, number are as varied and
clever as those of the preceding.' The review of Combe's
phrenological works is a masterly exposure of the falla-
cies and contradictions of the absurd systems of the
leading philosophers of the bumpological school. We
shall probably extract the greater part of this article in
oar next publication. It will form a conclusive answer
to Mr. Rumball's arguments on the subject. " The Ab-
bey Grange; a Tradition of Yorkshire and Lancashire,"
is written with spirit. " Scraps from my Note Book in,
Colombia" contain some very interesting details. "A.
Glance at the Authors of the Middle Ages" has much
truth and wisdom. The translations which it contains
are well executed. " Leopold Von Lichenstein" is a
very- pretty and pleasing tale. The " Retrospective
Review" takes cognizance this month of Sir Philip
Sydney's Defence of Poesy. The reviews, scientific and
theatrical notices, &c., in this magazine, are marked by
sound judgment and a refined taste.

Tait's Edinburgh Magazine. February, 1838.
It is some time since we have had the pleasure of re-
ceiving this magazine, which, apart from its politics, (to
which we are diametrically opposed,) most be pronounced
one of the most clever and interesting of our periodi-
cals. The spirit with which it is conducted has rendered
it deservedly popular. It is scarcely necessary to add
that its cheapness is unparalleled. The number before
us contains some very severe strictures on the ministerial
policy in reference to Canada, against the political ten-
dency of which we must take exception. " The Lon-
don Peripatetic, or Sketches about Town," is character-
ized by great felicity of style and obserVation. The re-
view of Nimroci's "Book of British Field Sports" is a
capital analysis of that interesting work. " The Trial
of the Glasgow Cotton Spinners" contains much sound
and rational advice, which is more than neutralised by
the advocicy of -the political nostrum of Jeremy Ben-
" Universal Suffrage; Equal Election Dis-
tricts, on the Basis of Population; Vote by Ballot;
Annual Parliaments; No Property Qualification; Paid
Members. of Parliament." This absurd prescription is
seriously recommended as a cure for all our national
evils. The Somnambulist" will be perused with in-
tense interest. The extended review of " Lockhart's
Life of Sir Walter Scott" is hypercritical and captious in
the extreme. The paper on " The Decline of the- Dra-
ma" contains some valuable suggestions. The remarks
on the " Affair of the Vixen" are deserving of a careful
perusal, especially the concluding observations on the
possibility of greatly extending our commerce among
savage or uncivilised communities.

Parbury's Oriental Herald, and Colonial Intelligencer.
February, 1838.

This is the second number of a journal, the object of
which is, to present a faithful digest of such information
as must be considered generally -interesting, from the
British-Indian presidences and the eastern nations. We
perceive that the plan of publication is altered. It was
originally intended to publish this magazine. every fort-
night. Owing, to the operation of. the stamp act this has
been abandoned, and the work is announced for publica-
tion every month. Of the general arrangement of this
periodical we had occasion, last month, to express a fa-
vourable opinion. In the present number. there is an
immense mass of. truly useful and interesting informa-
tion respecting our oriental colonies. " Ten-Minutes'
Advice to the Outward-Bound" contains ample direc-
tionslor a lady's outfit to India. " Japan, as a Field for
British Commerce," is a very valuable paper. Its sta-
tistical details are most of them new to us. The ex.:
'tracts On the recent instances of " Infringement of
Copyright in India" ought to engage the attention of the
legislature. Some provision of an adequate nature
ought to be made against the sale in India of unautho-
rised editions of works from the press of. Great Britain.
The. miscellaneous intelligence in the Oriental Herald is
exceedingly copious.

The Religious History of Man. London : Morison.
1838.

This is a work of an extraordinary character, dis
playing deep research, patient investigation, critical
acumen, and truly philosophical views. It is pervaded
throughout by a high tone of Christian feeling, which
throws a charm over every page. We cannot, within the
limits allotted to us, enter into any thing like a minute
analysis of its contents, the startling novelty of which
will not fail to attract very general attention.. The
scope of the work may be inferred from the following
introduction :
" In the following pages, the nature of the instruction, in
Divine things, given to mankind, at various periods, is enquired
into; and the influence of that instruction, on their religious
customs and opinions, traced.
"Those opinions have been so various, and the modes of wor-
ship so multiform, that it would be hopeless to attempt such an
enquiry within the limits of the present volume,—were it to be
accompanied by an analysis, or even an outline, of each system
of faith, or form of devotion, which has bad its day, of adoption
and of rejection in the world.
" Amidst that variety, however, an intercommunity of thought
has been observed, which can he accounted for by none of the
ordinary causes that regulate human affairs. Much learning,
often with eminent success, has been employed in tracing that
coincidence; but such researches have, generally, been directed
to insulated parts of the subject, incidentally arising out of other
enquiries, and have rested their proofs on reasonings which could
be appreciated by the practised philologist alone.
"To account for these coincidences, on general principles, is
the main object of the present work. That object is sought for,
not by instituting comparisons between the various theological
and mythological economies, and tracing them back to some
remote period; but by examining, in the first place, the early
revelations made to man, and the mode of instruction by which '
these revelations were illustrated. The First Principles, so ob-
tained, are then applied to the several great branches into which
the history of religion and superstition naturally divides itself;
and the proof of their correctness rests; not merely on their ac-
counting for occasional resemblances, but on the elucidations
they afford of the great and leading features of the systems.
"As the subject " toucheth AL L NITZN," the utmost pains have
been taken to divest it of abstruse diticussion, and to advance no-
nothing but what any reader of the Bible, in his owu language,
may judge of and investigate. At the same time, if the key
given be the true one, it opens up a rich field of research to the
philologist, and aids the biblical student in the most important
and interesting enquiry to which his atttention can be riirected.
"It is scarcely necessary, after this, to add, that the infallibility
and certainty of the Bible, on every subject, is the basis' 013
whit:lithe whole discussion rests."
The subjects discussed in this truly original volume
are thus arranged :-1. The Creation; 2. Scripture
Geology; 3 The First Man; 4. Language; 5. Hiero-
glyphics; 6. The Cherubim; 7. The Firmament; 8.
Recapitulation; 9. The Perfect in their Generation;
10. The Flood ; 1-1. The One Lip and the Heavenly
Tower;. 12. Path of the Just; 13. The Shining Light;
14. The Branch ; 15. The Double; 16. The Burning
Bush ; 17. The Glory • 18. Stars in their Courses ; 19.
The Knowledge of 'Witty Inventions; 20. Way of the
Heathen ; 21. Nimrod; 22. Astrology ; 23. Baal—
Coracles; 24. Gods; 25. Idols; 26. The Mysteries ;
27. The, Pantheon.; 28.. The- Messiah; 29: Antichrist;
30: The Tithes of Refreshing ; 31. The Scripture's.,
All these topics are handled with consummate ability.
To the philological student, the author's spepilutions will.
throw open a wide field of interesting inqUiry, and, to
the practical christian, the whole will prove a source of
much 'spiritual edification. It is impossible for any one.
to rise from its perusal an infidel or a Socinian. Its
tendency will be to stimulate fnzther inquiry into the
the wonderful mysteries of thelrdivine revelation—an
inquiry with which there can be none of equal moment,
and in comparison with which the childish theories of in-
fidel geologists and other falsephilosopherssink. intoutter
insignificance. The author has done great service to the
cause of true religion by the publication of this volume.
Tn-the young and enthusiastic, it will prove an excellent •
ccitectiye against incipient scepticisni.
.t..
..Wa nhava only to add that the talented author is a