The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-03-10 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

DELINEATIONS, GRAPHICAL AND. DESCIIIPTI YE, OF FOUN-
TAINS'..ABBEY, IN T.HE COUNTY OF YORK? By J.41:01
H. S. Storer. , With Historical Notices. London:
Longman and Co., and C. Tilt. T. Stevenson, Cam-
bridge ; E. Langdale, Ripon; and R. Pattisson, Liver-
pool.
This is a very valuable and interesting Volume. The
-exeellent engravings render. it a pleasing and elegant:
addition to .the accompaniments of the thawing-room
table, • while 'the letter-press--eiidently the result of
much laborious research—entitle it to a 'place in the
library of those' who take an interest in the history of,
the splendid edifices which the munificence of holy. men
in days gone by erected and endowed. • , • •
Fountains' Abbey was one of those many religions
houses, the erection and endowment of. which reflect so
much honour on' those devoted servants
.of, God„ virlio
(in ages which .the slanderers of this so called "enligh-
tened age". designate dark) were content to give all
they could for Gou's service and for GOD'S religion.
To'theie ages it were absurd to deny their proper gifts,
and, among their honourable characteristics, there is not
one more praisewoithy than their earnest endeavours to
build temples as worthy of God as human hands could
make them.

'The 'history of Fountains' Abbey, which commences
the vOTime before Us,' embraCing as it does a slight
sketch of.the origin.of the monastic; orders, is very in-
teresting ;. nor can any one read it without exclaiming
in the concluding vrordsof the writer— •
-" contrast to its once flourishing
condition ; and while they remain will they stand as a rnonu-
tnent of reproach to those Who, in a cruel and remorseless spirit,
wantonly destroyed the pork of better 'men.7
The description which follows this spirited history
is equally entitled to attention, as being at once graphic
and amusing. The appendix is a recital of ancieni
liberality,' from which the spurious :economists,, of the
present day would do well Co taken leison.
The engravings are like most others from the band of.
the Storers, well executed, and the views tastefully
selected: We' cannot conclude this hasty notice of one
of these Vener4bles piles, reared 'by the piety and wis-
dom of antiquity, without feeling with the poet—

"Once ye ware holy# ye are holy still,
Your spirit freely let me drink, and live!"

CHEMICAL ATTRACTION. An Essay, in five thapters.
With an Historical. Introduction. By Gilbert Lang-
don tlJuune, of COrpus Christi „College, Cambridge.
Cambridge: .J. and J. J. Deighton, and T. Stevenson.,
• London.: G. B. Whittaker and Co. Liverpool: R.
Pattisson. 1835.

•
ThiS' 'small volume' is 'evidently the result of
.much
laborious research, :and, had it no other merits, we
should :be inclined to recommend it to the public, as a
concise epitome of the history of science, especially that
of chemistry, during the' last few hundred years.
The derivation of the word cheniistrY is dwelt upon
with considerable ingenuity, and our authOr determines
its signification in the 12th century to have been what
we now understand by the word alchymy. Under the
head Of 'the "ProgreSs'Of" Alchymy," we are furnished
with several Very pleasing extracts from the various
records of antiquated lore; and. in . a manner, and
with a facility, which nothing but. a diligent perusal of
them could give.. r Our author also displays a ready 'ac-
quaintance more especially with the writings of the
illustrious Roger Bacon. We quote the passage with.
which this' part of the subject is brought to a close:—
We have now finished.. the history of the alchymists. who
shine in the middle ages Like so many stars on a dark night;
whose golden dreanii exiite:pits andadsniration. Their lives
of enthusiastic devotion, their love for the ideal, their airy con-
ceptionty..keep them apart from the world; they seemed to touch
out sphere, not to belong to it. Yet' such is the happiness in
following even what we know to be a delusion, that we feel in-
clined, while perusing the futile attempts of alchymy, clothed
in the expressive language of the " Mysteries.of the Night,"
to say,'" Stay,. beam iful vision, stay. * * .But the vanish-
ing spirit heard me not; receding into the darkness, like that
orb whose track she seems.to follow, her form lessens away till
she is seen no more."

Our author states with great clearness the various
opinions of writer's on chemistry,, and also ,deserves cre-,.
•
dit-for the lucid and perspicuous manner in which he has
stated the various symbols.used to facilitate various cal-
culations- in .the science. We cannot withhold our ap-
probation of the spirited passage in'Which the meory
of. George the Fourth is snatched from the- polluting' and
desecrating. hands of men who. drOwn his many public
virtues, in his alleged private vices. But at the same
time we should .but ill discharge our duty did we not
expresS our firm conviction, that throughout- the whole
of the introduction there is too much exaltation-of science
at the expense of literature.
We have but little space at present for any lengthened
notice of the essay itself. We would call attention,
holvever,.to a review of Dr. Prout's -Bridgewater Trea-
tise, or 'rather, we should say, to-Our author's remarks
on some of Dr. Prout's theOrie,s; contained in the
volumes just mentioned: Also, to a plain statement of
the fundamental and primary principles of chemistry. •
We may, en passant, -cornplitnent the publisher and
printer on the Very neat way in which they have "hoot
up" ,this volume. The notes in the margin have a
good effect, and are. also very useful. •
In conclusion, we can only say that Mr.-Hume has
given to the world a work well calculated to interest
the alike the man of science and the general reader.

WHAT HAVE THE WHIGS DONE? - Including Observa-
tions on the Pamphlet, "On National Property, and
on the Prospects of the pfesent Administtation and of
their *cessors." London : Relfe and Fletcher.
Liverpool: E. Griffiths; Water-street.

In answer to the question prefixed to its title page,
ibis pamphlet eaters into'an inquiry,. in order to ascer-
tain.to what extent the country is indebted to the whips
for any useful br beneficial measures, and how fat their
actions have been consistent with. their professions.