ART. XXVI.-Nubiaand Abyssinia; comprehending their Civil History, Antiquities, Arts, Religion, Literature, and Natural History.-No. XII. of the Edinburgh Cabinet Library.-Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. 1833. By the Rev. M. RUSSEL, LL. D. &c.

So far from any relaxation of exertion, of industry, and, we may add, of expenditure, being perceptible in the latest series of this important periodical, we are very happy in bearing testimony to the uniformity of the solciitude to improveit, which is manifested in every successive volume that appears. It is scarcely necessary for us to remind the learned reader, that the countries selected in this work for illustration, have been in all enlightened countries regarded as the cradle of those arts, which, in their practical effect, distributed over the site of the territories of the Pharaohs those monuments, which, as the work of human construction, still, even in their ruins, excite admiration, and a sense of deep wonder of their magnificence. In this neat summary of the history and principal objects of attention in Nubia and Abyssinia, will be found, first, an account of its geography, containing many curious statements of natural advantages. This is followed by an account of the civil history of Nubia and Abyssinia, with a description of their architectural monuments; the religion and literature of Ethiopia, its manners and customs; finally, the geology, zoology, botany, &c. of the country.

Great erudition is displayed in this volume; and the number of plates, amounting, with an excellent map and vignette, to thirteen, considerably enhances the value of the production.

AKT. XXVII.—The Teeth in relatioin to Beauty, Voice, and Health, being the result of twenty years' experience, and assiduous study, to produce the full development and perfect regularity of those essential organs. By JOHN NICHOLles. Surgeon - Dentist. 1 vol. large 8vo. London: Hamilton and Co. 1833.

In this beautifully executed work the author gives the result of his great experience in treating diseases connected with the teeth, a set of organs which he considers in relation to beauty, to voice, and lastly, to health. He gives an elaborate eccount of their structure, and the stages of their progress, and then proceeds to their disordered state, which he considers under a variety of heads. The operations performed for the restoration of decayed teeth next occupy the author's attention, and a considerable number of instructive explanations are given of the principles on which tooth powders, brushes, &c. may be most safely employed. Mr. Nicholles, in this work, has adopted an intelligible and familiar style, which renders his statements perfectly easy of being understood.

The work is dedicated to the mothers of the rising generation, in order to inspire them with confidence in a system, whereby it has been proved that the beauty and health of the mouth and teeth may be established for life.

the results of his experience and researches on the phenomena of spring tides, which he appears to have diligently conducted at Ramsgate. He thinks that there are high spring tides in that harbour only at new moon, in May, June, and July; and from these and other facts, noted by him, Mr. Mottley is of opinion that spring tides are caused by pres

sure.

"When," says this gentleman, "the moon is at full she flies towards our earth, and is repelled by the earth. Thus the moon is retained as our satellite; and I am of opinion that the moon, when at full, is retarded in her progress. My reasons against attraction are, when an apple is first detached from the tree it flies forward nearly with the same velocity as the earth; for if the apple were to be attracted to the earth, the earth, flying swifter than a cannonball, would break the apple into a thousand pieces."

At low water he states that the vacancy is supplied by the atmosphere from the land; the tides are also more rapid, and cause the vapour to rise in greater abundance than during the neap tides. The portion of this treatise which adverts to the influence of the moon exhibits to us what Mr. Mottley's theory really is with respect to that planet. He says, that when the moon is interposed between us and the sun, during any portion of the day, we uniformly observe the heat diminished, particularly if the weather be cloudy; but he is of opinion, that when the moon is eclipsed, the earth receives all the heat which passes off from the moon. Hence it has been found that the average temperature of the earth is always elevated after a lunar eclipse. Such is the substance of this small publication, which we recommend to the attention of the scientific.

ART. XXXIX.-Rhymes and Rhapsodies. By FOLKESTONE WILLIAMS. London: Fraser. 1833.

We do not remember for many years to have witnessed the debut of a candidate for the honours of Apollo's laurel, who has at the outset put forth more promising manifestations of success than the unknown author now before us. There is an elegance, a harmony, and accuracy of composition about these verses, which at once disclose the mind accomplished in all the graces of classical literature. From the goodly size of the volume, we infer that the author possesses, along with his other very favourable qualifications, that of considerable fertility. The work consists of numerous lyrical effusions, in which historical subjects, and the beauties of natural scenery, receive the compliment of the poet's preference. One of the most striking of the pieces which we have read in this volume is that which records the melancholy and affecting way in which a prince of Portugal revenged the murder of his wife, Inez de Castro. The story of this extraordinary event runs thus:

"She was married to Pedro, the son of Alonzo, king of Portugal; but the father of the prince objected to the match, and, with circumstances of great cruelty, assisted in her murder. Until Pedro came to the throne, he had not sufficient opportunities to revenge her death; but almost immediately after his father's decease, his vengeance fell upon the murderers with an unexampled ferocity. When he was satisfied with the summary justice he had inflicted, he proceeded to the church of St. Clair at Coimbra, caused her corpse to be brought from the sepulchre, to be arrayed in royal vestments, to be placed on a throne, with a crown on her head, and a sceptre in her hand, and there she received the homage

of the assembled courtiers and of the highest officers of the state."

The incident is admirably treated by Mr. Williams; but as it is somewhat too long for our purpose, we must be content with giving, as a specimen of the poet's power, the following simple and elegant verses:

NATURE'S MELODIES.

All things in nature have a voice,
Some gentle, others strong;
Yet each can make the heart rejoice
With its own simple song.

There's music in the rushing flood,

And in the wimpling rill; [wood, And tones are whispered from the And echoed from the hill.

There's melody upon the breeze,
At even and at morn;

And tunes among the flowers and trees,
And o'er the waving corn.

The cuckoo's voice is in the oak,

When Spring is coming round; The owlet's call, thebull-frog's croak, Hath no unpleasant sound.

The grasshopper doth chirp away
With all her little might;
The bee doth blow his horn all day,

The cricket all the night.

The skylark singeth to his mate, Between the earth and sky; The robin on the garden-gate

Makes humble harmony.

The rook along the corn-field flits

With chorus loud and deep; The blackbird on the hawthorn sits, And sings himself to sleep.

The sparrow from the house-top calls
Before the fruit is ripe;
The tom-tit nestles in the walls,
And tunes his merry pipe.

The water-wagtail skims the floods,
And hath his music too,
The stock-dove in the forest broods
With sweet and mellow coo.

The heifer and the lordly bull,

The lamb within the fold, Have in their voices rich and full A charm for young and old.

And when the day is growing pale, And all have ceased their tune, For hours the gentle nightingale Doth serenade the moon.

Although the music may be good,

Man's instruments will yield, We've operas in every wood,

And concerts in the field.

But art, though skilful, must give way In human melodies, WhenNature's perfect hand shall play God's glorious symphonies.

The author is evidently a native of the romantic country of Wales; he gratefully devotes to her praise those notes whose sweetness is undoubtedly due to her inspirations.

The volume concludes with a series of sonnets, in which the melody of the versification, and the originality of the ideas, contribute to render them well worthy of the special attention of the reader. There are also several pages of notes, in which the author exhibits a great deal of antiquarian lore, particularly with reference to his native principality, the scene of so many historical recollections. We find also in those notes abundant evidence of a deep acquaintance on the part of the author with the works of the Greek Poets.

A Botanical Libel.-One of the last of the celebrated physicians of the Greek school, named Nicholas Myrespicus, who lived in the thirteenth century, compiled a book on medicines, which afterwards was particularly referred to as an authority. The chief materials for this production were taken from an Arabian work, in which the word Darsini was mentioned, that being the Arabian term for cinnamon. The translator unfortunately gave in his version, the greek word arsenikon, which signifies the mineral arsenic, as an equivalent for darsini, and the consequence was, that cinnamon was for a long period regarded in Europe as a most dangerous poison.

Egotism of a Philosopher.-Kepler, the famous astronomer, made use of a very remarkable expression, which shows that he was quite a prey to the corruption of pride. Know, said he, that posterity will adopt my theory sooner or later, and why should I not wait for thirty or forty years, since nature hersslf waited a thousand years for me!

Fluent Orators.-It was a notion of Dean Swift's, that a man with a multitude of ideas could never speak well, whilst one with a limited number could address an audience withIdeas he used out interruption.

pleasantly to say were like a congregation in a church, the thinner they were, the less difficulty was there in emptying the church.

Manner of naming Countries,The origin of the word Canada is curious enough. The Spaniards visited that country previous to the French, and made particular searches

"

for gold and silver, and, finding none, they often said among themselves, aca nada" (there is nothing here). The Indians, who watched them closely, learnt this sentence and its meaning. After the departure of the Spaniards the French arrived, and the Indians, who wanted none of their company, and supposed they also were Spaniards, come on the same errand, were anxious to inform them that their labour was lost by tarrying in that country, and incessantly repeated to them the Spanish sentence aca nada." The French, who knew as little of Spanish as the Indians, supposed this incessantly-recurring sound was the name of the country, and gave it the name of Canada, which it has borne ever since.

Mulberry Leaves.-This is the name of a volume of manuscript, and in which certain compositions are inserted every year, in honour of Shakspeare. A club has long subsisted in the West of England, composed principally of men of genius, connected with the fine arts, literature and the drama, who meet together on the anniversary of the birthday of the immortal bard. A festival is held. when one of the members reads a piece, generally in verse, in commemoration of Shakspeare. The Mulberry Leaves," not only contain the manuscript compositions, but is beautifully illustrated by such of the members as are artists.

Beauties of the Statutes.-One of the most amusing of the results which the reckless system of multiplying Acts of Parliament at least used to give rise to was the intro

duction of particular clauses relating to persons and things which had no earthly correspondence or connection with each other. A remarkable example of this was brought to light in the present session. In going through the Acts of Parliament for precedents on the question of admitting Quakers into Parliament, the Committee found out that one of the most important provisions relating to this point was absolutely inserted in the body of an Act for preventing the undue exaction of tolls or fees on the River Thames, and to prevent the spreading of disease amongst horned castle!

Bakers in Paris.-The number of bakers in Paris is limited. Every baker is obliged to record his daily sale, and compelled, by a statute enforced by the Prefect of Police, assisted by the advice of the Syndicat (a body of men selected from among the bakers, with a chief, appointed by the Prefect) to lay up in the storehouses of the city of Paris a certain number of sacks of flour of first quality, which are taken back, or renewed, according as the season is less or more favourable to keep them in a state of preservation. This stock, the produce of all the bakers, is to provide for the subsistence of the inhabitants in case of dearth. The price of bread is regulated by the Prefect of Police, and is kept lower than the current price in the country, when too dear; but if cheap in the country, they keep up the price in Paris long enough to make up for the deficiency experienced by the bakers when obliged to undersell. If a baker has not the means to carry him on the length of time during which he is obliged to undersell, the Syndicat supplies the money out of the funds possessed by the said Syndicat, whose duty it is to watch over the interests of the bakers in general, and the subsistence and safety of the inhabitants.

The bakers of Paris are wealthy, and could not carry on business without being possessed of a lerge capital.

Tenacity of Life.-The genus of animals called sea-nettles is very tenacious of life. If one of these creatures is sliced, either perpendicularly or crosswise, each slice forms a new and complete being, in which will be found the mouth, stomach, and every other organ, as perfect as in the origin. The young of these sea nettles sometimes come into the world from the mouths of their mothers.

Hints to Actors-Madame Clairon attributed her growing prematurely old to the influence of the griefs and distresses which it was her consant province to represent on the stage; and the malade imaginaire of Moliere is said to have proved fatal not only to Moliere himself, but to the actor who succeeded him in the part. Pliny has a still more remarkable anecdote to the same effect: he states that there was an actor who imitated the feelings of the gout so naturally, as at length to bring the disorder upon him.

British Oak.-There are two, if not three species of British oak; one of these alone produces strong and lasting timber fit for naval purposes, i.e. which will endure unchanged, the transitions from wet to dry, from heat to cold, and remain unhurt between wind and water. This difference depends on the tubes, conveying to the cells of which the mass of wood consists, a substance differing in solubility in the different species; so that, when the timber of the one is wet, part of the inspissajed extract is dissolved and borne away; and when this is repeatedly done, the cells become more and more void, and the timber light and spongy, so that during cold weather, the water within freezing and becoming expanded, the cells and tubes are ruptured, and consequently let in fresh