The Sun. — 1821-06-16 (London, England)

WIFE.—A Poix.  We Cannot- recollect -the ' Pleasure which the progressive ;hist*/ ,of. Dr. SYNTAX has afforded us without feeling a sense of self-reproach for not having taken an earlier notice of .the work !before us. The first, Volume, our Readers .in general must. know, described a Tour of the whimsical but Amiable Iferiv in ,search Of-The Picturesque; the, second, after the •death.of his wife; was in search of Consolation; and the present; third, and last volume, when time and reflection had soothed hii grief,,and, at length, restored his tranquillity; represents him in search of a Weft. The spirit, humout,and moral tendency of the original work rendered it so popular that it soon reached to. the ninth edition, and tempted the Author to resume his attention to a, subject so attractive. Its popularity, indeed, was so great, that-it pro= duced many imitations, Which .unfairly assumed a similar- title, and endeavoured to appear as works of the original author. Those imitations; however, displaying no portion of ~ the merit which distinguished the. genuine :production of that anther; sunk very soon into oblivion., It is . seldom that a second part of any work of Merit' sustains.oe spirit of the original, but it may truly be affirmed? that the same vigour and humour n !lilt only reark• the second portion, but appear with undiminished success in this; which puts a' fieriad, to, the-- adventures, and, the life of the amiable, moral, but eccentric Hero. The author tells 'ns• that hels on the verge of his eightieth, year, and as there is no reason to doubt his Vera.' city, he inay be considered as a remarkable instance of intellectual vigour and fertile' imagina:. tion in old age, which, to use the words of DRY  6EN, displays all CC the sprightly runnings" of youth. The incidents• throughout this last part are as well-chosen as from the very beginning of the work. The characters are all natural, judiciously varied, nicely discilminated,and duly supported; The sentiments are interesting and impressive.— There is nothing in the sportive scenes which is not perfectly consistent with the purest morality, and no opportunity is omitted that can tend to recommend and enforce the awful truths of religion. Indeed we know not any work of a similar description that is so well calculated to improve while it gratifies and enlivens the mind. Follow-.  ing the example of ADDISON, who said he killed Sir Roger De Coverley to prevent his being murdered, the author has closed the life of his hero to prevent his suffering so lamentable a fate by the hand of some barbarous imitator'. We can; not, however, lose so estimable and so entertaining a character, and not echo, with sincere regret; the last words of this amusing, interesting, and valuable work—" SYNTAX farewell!" We ought not to conclude without a just tribute to the genius and imagination of Mr. ROWLANDSON, who, in the vast number of prints which embel•  lish the work, consisting of thirty one in the first, arid twenty-four in each of the succeeding volumes, designed and engraved by himself, has manifested undecaying spirit, lnxuriant humour, and surprising, variety. We may venture confidently to predict that this work altogether will be one of the standing ornaments of British Literature.