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"perpetui inimici," and were not, until a late period, admitted even as witnesses in courts of justice.

It was the race of Portuguese Jews which formed the first general settlement of Jews in England; they were mostly wealthy families, and some of them were able to support a ducal establishment after their arrival in this country. For many years they comprised the community of Spanish and Portuguese Jews, as they were generally designated, the noble part taking their proper stations. Their translated prayers and Bibles in Spanish, and their by-laws and judicial and other civil documents being still issued in the Portuguese language, are proofs of their origin. This class of Jews were always remarkable, in London, for the haughtiness with which they conducted themselves, particularly after the influx of emigrant Jews from Germany, Poland, and Barbary, with whom the former were afraid to be confounded.

The pride and passions of the first race of Portuguese Jews which settled in England, were handed down to their immediate successors. The first and second generations resided in retired quarters in the city; the third generation consisted of natives, and the fourth were true Englishmen. On all occasions the Jews showed unshaken loyalty to the crown. This, our author states, was the case is most countries; and as a proof of the confidence entertained in their fidelity, he mentions that Jews have marched in the armies of European sovereigns; Prussia has many Jewish officers; France counts numerous Jews in the Ecole Polytechnique; and the King. of Holland has a complete regiment of Hebrews.

The author contends that the Jews should be endowed with the privileges of free citizens of this country; but that no improvement of their body, political or moral, can take place, unless they educate their youth, as the youth of Europe, and not of Palestine.

NOTICES.

ART. XI.-The Magazine of Botany and Gardening, British and Foreign. Edited by James Rennie, M.A., Professor of Zoology, King's College, London. 4to, with plates, beautifully coloured. Nos. 1 and 2 for April and May. London: Henderson. 1833.

THE two numbers now before us constitute the commencement of a periodical work, than which one more likely to be generally useful and interesting has not appeared, even at the present era so, fertile in cheap vehicles of knowledge. The plan of this work, like all the projects which emanate from Professor Rennie, is modified strictly in conformity with the principle of making all intelligible, if not familiar, to those for whom the work is intended. Here, then, the casual, and we may say the uninstructed, or at least unlearned reader, will at once be able to contemplate some of the most curious and complicated facts in the science of the vegetable world, without any preparation, save that of paying his shilling for the Magazine. But, in order to do justice to the work, we must illustrate our view of the performance by referring to the execution itself, and we proceed at once to the very first page of No. 1. The first plate of which, a description is given in the above page, contains beautiful representations of four plants. One of these, called the Convallaria Japonica, will answer as a specimen. Now on turning to the description, after contemplating the plate for a moment, we

find in the first place a full account of the scientific history of the plant; its place in the two great systems of botanical classification, and references made to the volumes where either it was first, or where it will be, found, amply and correctly, described. We then have a popular account of all the parts of the plant, its root, its leaves, its flowers, its fruit or seed. Next we have the particulars of its history, where it was found, in what sort of soil it naturally grows, and finally we are told of its virtues as a medicinal agent, if such it is found to possess, together with the proper mode of propagating and cultivating it.

But this is not all. It is not possible that by giving the portrait, so to speak of a plant, where you have to attend to outline, to relation, proportion, and general effect, you can so present the parts that possess a peculiar structure as to allow of this peculiarity being seen and appreciated. This being impracticable, the artist who furnishes the plates is required to make an addition to his principal figure; and in the compartment dedicated to the Convallaria, we have not only the whole plant itself beautifully depicted, but we have nine distinct diagrams, giving the appearances of the organs in their detached state, and exhibiting them as they appear when examined through the medium of a powerful microscope. And here we should say is a practical manifestation of the very perfection of the graphic art, for, as now must be evident, it can be made the medium

of superseding the use of a microscope, to any thing like the extent to which that instrument is employed at present in botanical inquiries. Let us now only consider, that in this shilling publication we have no less than eight plants, rare and precious objects of scientific cultivation, described and illustrated in the detailed and exact, and truly interesting way in which we have seen that the Convallaria is treated: let us only consider how such a collection of all that is scarce in science and refined in art can be effected; and then how useful, as a general reference, it really is, and we shall then only do justice to the merits of this publication.

The Magazine of Botany and Gardening, however, is not limited even to this amount of valuable matter; and that this is far from being the case will be easily determined if we cast our eyes over the pages of the two numbers before us. We find in the first of theṣe numbers an able article on the Rationale of Gardening, in which the functions performed by air and light in the vegetable economy are explained in a most attractive manner. The article on the Amelioration of Fruits, by Professor Lindley, which succeeds, is another of those beautiful developments of the processes of nature which so justly form objects of contemplation with the first philosophers that have ever adorned humanity. But even here we are not allowed to pause; for, turning over still the leaves of the magazine, we have an account of the choicest plants which flower in the particular month, with ample directions for their manage. ment. Two other articles on the structure of trees, and on fruit and kitchen gardens close the number.

The number for May contains two beautifully coloured plates, representing five magnificent plants. To the ample and detailed descriptions

VOL. II. (1833) NO. 1.

of these are added an account of some experiments on plants, by Professor Burnett; a new method of planting trees, by Munro; Life of Linnæus, by Sir W. Jardine; a curious account of the Gum Ammoniacum plant; Brongniart, on the leaf-pulp of plants; saltpetre, as a manure, and various other important subjects connected with botany.

ART. XII,-Illustrations of Political Economy. No. XVI. Messrs. Vanderput aud Snoek. A Tale. By HARRIET MARTINEAU. London: Fox. 1833.

THE labours of this able and singularly industrious woman have at last produced that practical consequence which has been some time expected, and which is regarded in the moral world as the clearest possible evidence of their success-namely, the resentment of the foes to all improvement. A word more on this subject would only profane the splendid triumph which truth and justice, in the fair form of a gifted woman, have experienced.

The purpose of the present welltold tale is to exhibit, in a familiar and intelligible manner, the nature and operation of that form or modification of the ordinary currency, which consists of a bill of exchange. A considerable portion of the illus tration goes to show the true nature, in a commercial sense, of money. The par of exchange is next amply explained; and it is made apparent, that the variation, in a given country, from par, cannot exceed a certain limit, and this limit is determined by the cost of substituting for each other metal money and one of the representatives of metal money, as a bill of exchange. How the introduction of this instrument into the circulation operates, is also

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admirably described; and the substantial conclusion is ultimately made out, that there is a self-balancing power inherent in the system of commercial exchange, and that it is, therefore, absurd to suppose that its operation ought to be subjected to any restraints.

The present story, as the name will readily suggest, has its scene in Holland; and there appears to be no misgiving in the mind of the authoress as to any breach of consistency being involved in the circumstance of her attributing to the Dutch of the seventeenth century a preference for the principle of free trade. However, such is the case; they judged from experience; they had no teacher; and they came to the natural and, no doubt, just inference, that trade should be free: upon this principle, at all events, they disposed of their herrings and butter.

ART. XIII.-The Analysis of Inorganic Bodies. By J. J. BERZELIUS. Translated from the French Edition by G. O. Rees.

THIS is one of those brief, unpretending, but most valuable, contributions to science which, we are happy to be able to state, present themselves much more frequently every day. The work contains the

masterly details of the modes employed by the celebrated Berzelius in analysing mineral substances, or those which, to distinguish them from animals and plants, are called inorganic bodies.

It is the opinion of this great master of chemistry, that the minute analysis of bodies tends to prove at once the knowledge, the judgment, and exactness of the chemist. It is his duty to determine, first, of what the substance examined is composed; and then he

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must ascertain the proportions in which each part of the compound exists, in reference to the rest. This condition of the inorganic bodies, therefore, gives rise to two forms of analysis that which is concerned about the quality, and that which merely takes into account the quantity. Thus, then, the analysis of Berzelius is usually spoken of either as the Qualitative or the Quantitative. In the present volume, numerous rules are laid down for analysing hard bodies, such as we have described; then, for analysing gases, mineral waters, salts, &c.

The notes appended to this version, by Mr. Rees, are highly valuable, inasmuch as they exhibit a very minute acquaintance with the state of chemical science in this country.

ART. XIV.-Geographical Works of Sadik Isfahani. Translated, by J. C., from the Original Persian MSS. in the Collection of Sir William Ouseley, the Editor.A Critical Essay on Various Manuscript Works, Arabic and Persian, illustrating the History of Arabia, Persia, Turkomania, Judea, Syria, Egypt, Mauritania, and Spain. Translated by J. C.

London: Printed for the Oriental
Transalation Fund. 1832.

THE extent to which the spirited body called the Oriental Translation Fund, are determined to carry the principle of incorporating Oriental literature with that of our own country, is strikingly evinced by the present publication: for it contains some very curious contributions, which may prove useful in promoting an acquaintance with Asaiatic geography.

Both the works, whose titles we have copied, are manuscripts depo

sited in the library of Sir William Ouseley, who, if we were merely to judge from his conduct on the present occasion, we should say, exercises his control over these relics of an interesting country, with a liberality truly worthy of such a possessor. The first of the works is called, in the original Tahkik al Irab. It gives an alphabetical catalogue of the names of countries, cities, villages, rivers, mountains, and other objects connected with geographical knowledge. It seems to have been compiled by the author for the purpose of determining the true pronunciation of the places enumerated in the list; and each is presented

to us with a short description of its particular locality.

The object of the second work, which was written by a learned Bengali, was to point out to his son, or some pupil for whom he was interested, and whose taste in historical researches he wished to direct. Sir William Ouseley is of opinion, that the essay is in a peculiar manner adapted to the objects of the Translation Fund, as containing information which is not to be found in the most extensive catalogues of Oriental literature, on books and authors. An index to the works and the authors, mentioned in this rare work, is given in the present publication.

MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE.

A shrewd measure.-Charles the First had anact of parliament passed expressly for the purpose of requiring that all the dead of these realms should be buried in woollen shrouds. The object of the royal project was to encourage the woollen manufac

ture.

Mirrors of Fusible Alloy.-Berzelius has found that by the union of nineteen parts of lead and twentynine of tin, a fusible alloy is produced, which affords, on cooling in thin plates, very bright surfaces. A convex lens dipped several times into the melted alloy yielded from the surface dipped a concave mirror of great lustre. This, mounted upon plaster, was preserved for some time in the air untarnished. Dust destroys these mirrors, which will not bear wiping.

Humming Birds.-The ancient Mexicans used the feathers of the humming bird for superb mantles in the time of Montezuma, and the pictures so much extolled by Cortes were embroidered with their skins : The Indian could appreciate their loveliness, delighting to adorn his bride with gems and jewels plucked from the starry frontlets of these beauteous birds. Every epithet which the ingenuity of language could invent has been employed to depict the richness of their colouring; the lustres of the topaz, of emeralds, and rubies, have compared with them, and applied in their names.

Mothers in India.-Those who have resided long in India are aware that neither Mahomedan nor Hindoo mothers will part with their sons even for a short period. It is to

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