hoary Antiquity gazes at you from the past. I was fortunate in arriving at Windsor Castle just as the royal equipage, containing their Majesties the King and Queen drove up from London. Of the castle itself, I reserve a description until I see you.

'I never shall forget my entrance into London. It was an epoch in my life. About two o'clock in the afternoon, while we were yet thirty or forty miles from the metropolis, a friend pointed out to me an indication of its 'whereabout.' A little above the horizon, and as far in the distance as I could strain my vision, lay a long line of watery-looking cloud, like the first faint distant view of the Blue Ridge, in Pennsylvania, seen when the early morning light touches it in October. This was the smoke-cloud that always overhangs London, be the day never so fine or clear- a cloud, the extent and 'volume' of which may be gathered from the fact, that vegetation is earlier by a fortnight on the west and south-west sides of the metropolis, than at the northern and eastern sides - a circumstance alone attributable to the severity of the north and north-east winds being mitigated in their passage over London, by the smokes belched from a million of coal-fires into the hazy air. About ten miles from London, the carriages, wagons, carts, indeed vehicles of every description, began to thicken - and every eminence of the highway that overlooked a long onward reach of the road, showed the mass denser and more dense, as it neared the metropolis. 'And this is London, is it not?' said I, as we entered upon a broad, continuous street, and saw others commencing on either side. 'Not yet-wait a bit,' said the bluff, alderman-like coachman. We rose a slight ascent: 'That is London!' said the driver, with conscious pride, as he pointed with his whipthere's the village! I turned my head-for with boyish eagerness I had been looking right and left-and before me lay the British metropolis, spread all round to the horizon in every direction - a thousand domes, towers, steeples, and turrets piercing the dim atmosphere St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, the Tower, among them a wilderness of architecture, thirty miles in circumference! It was a sight to be seen, but it defies description: he is not a wise man who attempts it - and I forbear. My sheet is fullso, 'particulars hereafter.'

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THE INDIAN GALLERY. The noble collection of Indian portraits-one hundred and fifteen in number, from eighteen distinct tribes - which has been open for exhibition during the month at the Washington Divan, has excited general admiration. The picturesque in human limning was never more strikingly set forth. In connection with this brief reference to a fine collection of art, which we lack leisure and space to notice in detail, we may mention, that Col. M'KENNEY and JAMES HALL have now in press in Philadelphia, and will soon publish, a truly splendid work, embracing all the portraits in this collection, engraved in the first style of American art, colored in all respects like the originals, and accompanied by elaborate biographies.

AMERICAN PERIODICAL LITERATURE ABROAD. — It was erewhile a query of our transatlantic neighbors, 'Who reads an American work? The quotation is somewhat musty, we are aware; but a little circumstance has forced its sententious criticism upon our minds. A late number of the London 'Ladies' Cabinet of Fashion, Music, and Romance,' (which a prominent weekly contemporary has pronounced a very recherche metropolitan publication,) has been placed in our hands, containing no less than nine distinct articles from the KNICKERBOCKER MAGAZINE, and each inserted as original in the Cabinet. The following are the articles: "The Knight,' by PERCIVAL; 'Leaves from an Æronaut,' (changed to 'Notes by an Eronaut;') 'Lines written at Sea,' by J. BARBER, Esq.; 'Scenes in the East,' by an officer in the American Navy; 'A Musical Soirée,' by Dr. Caruthers, of Virginia; 'The Broken Heart,' by J. Barber, Esq.; 'Sketches in Hol

land,' by Professor LONGFELLOW; 'Odds and Ends: from the Port-folio of a Penny-aliner,' (changed to 'Random Sketches in the Metropolis !') and 'The Dream,' by R. S. M'KENZIE, Esq. The most impudent part of the matter, however, is the transformation which many of the articles have been made to undergo, to suit the meridian of London. In the altered 'Odds and Ends,' the streets of New-York are changed to those of the British metropolis, with the coolest impudence in the world. In short, there are in the 'Random Sketches' twenty such amended passages as the following, which we take from the 'Musical Soirée :'

The circumstance is a little mortifying, that the merit of one or two of the articles named above was not discovered in America, until they were re-printed from an English periodical, when lo! they were straightway widely diffused, through the medium of native city and country journals. When shall we learn to think for ourselves?

UNITED STATES' NAVAL LYCEUM. -We have been highly gratified by a recent visit to this new and flourishing institution. It is steadily advancing, both in popularity and means. We learn that during the past year large and valuable additions have been made to the library, of scientific and other works, as well as the periodical publications of the day. The cabinet has been greatly enriched by contributions from officers abroad; Commodore PATTERSON, and J. L. PAYSON, American Consul at Messina, have contributed two fine collections of lava, one from Vesuvius, the other from Etna. United States' vessels, from all quarters, have brought home something for the Lyceum antiquities, minerals, shells, etc. The pictorial department has been greatly increased; the late LUMAN REED, Esq. of this city having made a donation of portraits of all the American presidents, from the hands of eminent native artists. A noble cornerstone for the department of statuary has been presented by J. C. HALSEY, Esq., of New-York-a bust of WASHINGTON, from the chisel of GREENOUGH. The Naval Magazine, ably edited by Rev. C. S. STEWART, and published under the auspices of the Lyceum, is acquiring a wide circulation, and cannot fail to be advantageous to the interests of the institution, and to the naval service of the republic.

'TALES OF THE WOODS AND FIELDS by the author of 'Two Old Men's Tales.' Our readers have surely not forgotten 'Two Old Men's Tales,' one of the best English re-prints of its kind that has been presented to the American public during the last two years. The volume before us is from the hand of the same author, and fulfils the high expectations naturally raised by that excellent work. Although, to our perception, there is no single story equal to The Admiral's Daughter,' yet there are the same traits- the same uniformly chaste and simple style - the same beautiful truth and unity - which distinguished that performance. The characters of the author, in an especial manner, are traced with great individuality and distinctness and the native taste of the writer, disdaining to ' shine, and blaze, and thunder,' or to eke out pages by the aid of expletives or digressions, has gone hand

in hand with nature; and hence his narratives are not adulterated by the modern improvements in works of fiction or sentiment, wherein probability is shocked, and language strained to its utmost tension.

'Louisa Mildmay,' and 'Love and Duty,' are the titles of the two tales which constitute the present volume of which, though both are good, the first impresses us the most favorably. The great length to which our Original Papers have extended, prevents the insertion of several extracts, and critical and illustratory comments thereon, which were in type, in connection with the preceding remarks. They would far exceed our allotted limits, upon which we have already greatly trespassed.

It may not be amiss to mention, that the edition of SAUNDERS AND OTLEY is in two volumes, of a larger type, and that that of the Messrs. HARPERS was placed in type, handsomely printed and bound, in the space of thirty-six hours!- - a despatch unparalleled. In the latter edition, a chapter flaming with abolition and amalgamation has been very wisely omitted.

THE BIBLE PSALMS.' Mr. JONES, to whose proposed edition of 'Bible Psalms' we alluded in our number for June, has requested us to present his views in relation to Dr. Watts, which were contained on a concluding leaf of his Prospectus that was not annexed to the specimen upon which the comments of this Magazine were founded:

'It is proper that the author should state, to prevent misapprehension, that he claims a place among the lovers of the poetical effusions of that justly venerated and excellent man, Dr. Watts; and that a great portion of his Psalms and Hymns will be found incorporated into this work, should it ever make its appearance. Such of his Psalms as are sufficiently conformable to the text, will still hold their places. Others that are more foreign, will be incorporated into the Hymns, which are intended to be responses to the Psalms. His Hymns will appear under their proper heads among the Spiritual Songs. An eminent author remarks upon Dr. Watts's Psalms, that they appear in general to contain such reflections as would naturally arise in a pious mind upon reading the Psalms, rather than the Psalms themselves.' Many of them are indeed very beautiful, when considered merely as poetical productions, which, at the same time, ought not, in justice to the Bible, to pass for David's Psalms. I cannot expect that my feeble voice will be heard very far against the tide of influence which I am perfectly aware is against me. Several new works have appeared within the last few years, and two within the last six months, that purport to be improvements upon Dr. Watts, in which we find stated what were his leading defects. Still the difficulties that we have alluded to are passed unnoticed. His want of uniformity of accent, his prosaic lines, and the like, are censured with some severity. But his frequent digressions from the sacred text, interpolations of foreign subjects, and imagery, seem not to have caused a regret.'

A NEW AMERICAN NOVEL.-The BROTHERS HARPER have in press a novel, in two volumes, from the capable author of 'The South-west, by a Yankee,' (Professor INGRAHAM, of Mississippi,) which, judging from those portions which we have perused, will find, we think, abundant favor with the author's countrymen. It is entitled 'Lafitte, the Pirate of the Gulf.' The scene is laid in New-Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. Several eminent historical characters are introduced; the time in which its action is embraced is short, and includes the battle and siege of New-Orleans; and the scenes are laid in the city, during the reign of martial law. Some idea of the manner of the volumes may be gathered from the three 'Scenes,' elsewhere in this Magazine: The work will be published, before the close of the month, simultaneously in London and New-York. It is, we understand, to be dramatized by Miss MEDINA, who has acquired wide repute for talent and skill in dramatic literature.

VALUABLE BOOKS OF INSTRUCTION. - The public have recently been much indebted to Messrs. KEY AND BIDDLE, Philadelphia, for the publication of many works of standard value. Two recent issues from the same press are worthy of particular praise - namely, a 'Manual of Classical Literature, from the German of J. J. Eschenburg;' by N. W. FISK, Professor of Languages in Amherst College-a comprehensive text-book, of more than six hundred pages, in the department of classical literature and antiquities — and Oswald's Etymological Dictionary, a work in which those unacquainted with the learned languages may ascertain with clearness and precision the true and radical signification of words derived from foreign languages. The words are arranged according to their genera, and under their respective roots.

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GERMAN LITERATURE. -We have rarely seen an equal amount of fact and judicious criticism condensed so clearly into so brief a space, as in a neatly-printed pamphlet before us, entitled, 'A Lecture on German Literature; being a sketch of its history from its origin to the present day: delivered by request before the Athenæum Society of Baltimore. By GEORGR H. CALVERT, translator of Schiller's 'DoN CARLOS.'' The first paragraph is but a fair sample of its style - and its sententious English would strike the most indifferent reader. We commend this Lecture to the German student, and the lover of German literature, as worthy alike of perusal and preservation.

TRAVELER'S GUIDE. Mr. DISTURNELL has performed good service to the public, in the issue of a small pocket-volume, called 'The Traveler's Guide through the State of New-York, Canada, etc. — embracing a General Description of the city of New-York, the Hudson River Guide, and the Fashionable Tour to the Springs and Niagara Falls; with Steam-boat, Rail-road, and Stage-routes.' The work is accompanied by correct maps, and embellished with two good engravings of the new University and of Masonic Hall, Broadway.

HISTORY OF TEXAS. - Messrs. J. A. JAMES AND COMPANY, Cincinnati, and Howɛ AND BATES, New-York, have published a 12mo. volume of upward of three hundred pages, entitled, 'The history of Texas, or the Emigrant's, Farmer's, and Politician's Guide to the character, climate, soil, and productions of that country; geographically arranged, from personal observation and experience. By DAVID B. EDWARD, formerly Principal of the Academy, Alexandria, (La.,) late preceptor of Gonzales Seminary, Texas.' Such a work, at the present moment, is calculated to supply an important desideratum.

GRAY'S BOTANY, a handsome volume of some four hundred pages, illustrated by very numerous and well-engraved wood-cuts, has just been issued by the Messrs. CARVILLS AND COMPANY. It indicates great industry and research, and is simply written. It is divided into seven chapters, under the following heads: On the organs of vegetation in flowering plants; on nutrition in flowering plants; of the organs of re-production in flowering plants; of flowerless plants; of the classification of plants; with a 'Glossology,' and directions for collecting and preparing plants for the Herbarium.

'GALLERY OF AMERICAN PORTRAITS.' A small volume, in the plain outward garb of Webster's Spelling Book, but not the less attractive in its contents, which are devoted to brief histories of most of the prominent public men of this country, many of which were formerly published by the author- GEORGE WATERSTON, ESQ., -in a little work entitled 'Letters from Washington,' ostensibly written by a British nobleman to his friend in England. The work has reached its third edition. Washington: FRANK TAYLOR.

'WESTERN LITERARY Journal AND REVIEW,' is the title of a new monthly publication, issued on the 1st ultimo at Cincinnati, under the editorial supervision of WILLIAM D. GALLAGHER, Esq., a young poet of very clever parts, of whom favorable mention has frequently been made in these pages. The Journal' bears evidence of both industry and talent; it has, however, a powerful rival in the 'Western Monthly Magazine,' conducted by JAMES HALL, ESQ., a terse, vigorous, and well-known writer.

'RUSSIA AND THE RUSSIANS.' Messrs. CAREY AND HART have just published in one volume, 'Russia and the Russians,' or a Journey to St. Petersburg and Moscow, through Courland and Livonia with characteristic sketches of the people.. By LEITCH RITCHIE, ESQ. It is an interesting volume, but not uniformly well executed. It strikes us as an enlargement, merely, of the Russian descriptions contained in the Picturesque Annual for 1836, of which Mr. Ritchie was the editor.

MR. BARNARD'S ADDRESS BEFORE THE ALBANY Institute. We have perused this Address with unqualified pleasure. It goes over the whole ground of popular education, and in language nervous and concise, enforces arguments founded on sound principles, and on a just perception of the evils that exist in prevailing systems of public instruction. It is beautifully printed, and will command general applause.

'WATKINS TOTTLE, and other Sketches.' - Messrs. CAREY, LEA AND BLANCHARD have not misjudged in the publication of this exceedingly clever volume. The writer has drawn copious supplies from wells of unadulterated humor; his observation of men and things, moreover, is acute and discriminating; and he possesses an unusually felicitous power of communicating his impressions to the reader. Long live 'Boz!'

PHILADELPHIA BOOK. -The 'Boston Book' would seem to have suggested the idea of this work, which is a collection of well-known and popular articles, from the pens of native or resident Philadelphians. There are several old favorites from Dennie, Hopkinson, Brown, and others, which have lost none of their attractions by age. KEY AND Biddle.

MAY MARTIN, OR THE MONEY-DIGGERS. This is a re-publication, in a small volume, of a prize-tale, written some time since for the New-England Galaxy, and subsequently widely circulated in the journals of the day - a proof that its merits have not been unappreciated. Montpelier, Vermont: E. P. WALTON AND SON.

The favor with which 'Ran

'RANDOM RECOLLECTIONS OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS.' dom Recollections of the House of Commons' was received by the British public induced the speedy publication of the present volume. It bears evidence of the haste with which it was prepared, in its great inferiority to its predecessor.

CONVENTS. Messrs. VAN NOSTRAND AND DWIGHT have published a small volume of some two hundred pages, entitled 'Open Convents: or Nunneries and Popish Seminaries dangerous to the morals, and degrading to the character of a republican community. BY THEODORE DWIGHT.' We have found no leisure to peruse it.

'MY AUNT PONTYPOOL' is the title of a novel, an English re-print, in two volumes, from the press of E. L. CAREY AND A. HART. Receiving it late, our perusal has been but cursory. It has impressed us as a work much above the ordinary run of English fictions.