ART. 16.-An Introductory Grammar for Young Children, intended to precede and accompany Murray's Abridged Grammar. Compiled for the use of the Misses Wilmhurst and Miss Banger's Seminary, Malden, Essex. London, DARTON, Junr. 18mo. pp. 73, 1816.

THE first part of this little work contains instruction for young children in the parts of speech, assisted by a parsing table. In the second part, those grammatical lessons are elucidated in the abridged grammar of Murray, in order that the pupil may have a clear comprehension as he proceeds. The third part is merely used as an exercise, not, we presume, as the author says, "to discover what the pupils remember of their lessons," but to impress those lessons on their recollection. With a little of the cant of the school-mistress, "the author recommends to her dear young friends, to play sometimes with their maps, tables, and charts during the vacations. As it will prevent their forgetting the instructions they received when at school."

FOREIGN LITERATURE.

ART. 17.-A Literal Translation with the Spanish interlined, of the life and exploits of the ingenious knight, Don Quixote de la Mancha, composed by Michael de Cervantes Saavadra from the Madrid Edition. Vol. I. Part I. London. Printed for the Proprietor by Maurice, 1816, 8vo. p. 16.

THE translator of this work is said to be an independent literary gentleman residing at Windsor, and it would seem by his address to the public, prefixed to the specimen we have received, that he is a native of England, but, from some portions of the translation, we should otherwise have entertained doubts that he was writing in his own vernacular tongue. We perfectly concur with him in the few observations he makes on the exalted merit of his original author, and do not even feel very fastidious when he compares Cervantes to our own immortal Shakespeare. All that we have at present of this work is the Prologo or Introduction, but here most literally rendered Prologue, which the translator should be aware, is only now used with reference to dramatic compositions: he should also be apprised, that the resemblance should be not in the letters of the words, but in the meaning, and that by too close an

adherence to the former, he will sacrifice intelligibility to identity, not of sense but of sound.

We perhaps should have no objection to this rigid adherence to his original literatim et verbatim, if his purpose were to teach the language, and not to display the style and sentiments of his author, or in his own phrase, "to exhibit to his countrymen this ornament of foreign literature in its original force and beauty." He may be assured, unless he reverse his plan, instead of ornament there will be bareness, and instead of force and beauty, we shall have only weakness and deformity. We are much warmer admirers of this profound and elegant Spaniard, than a translator, and we cannot endure that he should have fathered upon him such abominable jargon. A short specimen will expose the folly and absurdity of this new experiment, exhibiting in the translation as much indecency and grossness, as there is delicacy and refinement in the original.

"Tranquility, places pleasant, the amenity of the fields, the serenity of the heavens, the murmur of the fountains, the quietude of the spirits, are grand participations, whereby the muses, to the most sterile, will display their fecundity, and offer parturitions to the world that will fill it with wonder and content."

The original is in this beautiful form. El sossiego el lugar apacible, la amenidad de los campos, la serenidad de los cielos, el murmurar de las fuentes, la quietud del espiritu, son grande parte para que las musas más esteriles se muestren fecundas, y ofrezcan partos al mundo que le colmen de maravilla, y de contento.

The hushed element, the pleasing solitude, the cheerful field, the serene sky, the murmuring fountain, the silenced passion, are principally given that the most inert may receive an impulse productive of effects, which may fill the world with admiration and delight.

We must observe on the incorrectness, that in the passage we have quoted, sosiego is incorrect in the orthography, that colmen, which is the subjunctive, is translated as the future tense, and elsewhere (in the Latin, p. 10.) the first is substituted for the second person: (page 12) abecedario should be alphabet, and sencilla is not sincere, but simple: (page 14) prudente should not be rendered prudent, but wise: (p. 15) estuvé is translated as estuvê en pie, and aquellos, as estos; and (page 16) conocer is intended erroneously to be converted into a substantive, but cognoscence, which is no English word, is employed for cognizance.

We might introduce numerous other blunders, such as the misconstruction of the adjective vanos, passion, and indeed the misuse of all the parts of speech; but we have a distaste for this kind of verbal criticism, and take leave of the translator with this recommendation, that if he give an English dress to the Spaniard, he will attire Cervantes as he would himself have appeared, had he been an Englishman.

LAW.

ART. 18-A compendious Abstract of the Public Acts passed anno 1816; being the 56th Year of the Reign of his present Majesty King George 111. and the fourth Session of the fifth Parliament of the united Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with Comments, Notes, and a copious Index. By THOMAS WALTER WILLIAMS, of the Inner Temple, Esq. London, Simpkin and Marshall, 1816.

12mo. pp. 152.

Ir is justly remarked, that a correct abstract in a compendious form of the acts annually passed by parliament, is of considerable utility from their extent and variety, and from the complicated subjects of foreign and domestic policy to which they extend. To supply, in a convenient shape, such an epitome, is the design of this publication; and we are glad to observe, from the introductory notice to the public, that it is the intention of the editor, who is well qualified for the undertaking, to communicate in like manner, as early as possible after the close of each successive session of parliament, a detail of the clauses and provisions comprehended in the different statutes.

The course adopted has been, to give the acts in the order in which they were respectively passed, and the date of their receiving the royal assent has been, properly, thought of sufficient importance to be subjoined. To make the abridgment of the easiest reference, a copious index is added, and some comments are made in notes upon several of the statutes, which will evince both the attention and the ability of the editor in this compilation.

NOVELS.

ART. 19.-Eglantine; or the Family of Fortescue. A Novel. By CHARLOTTE NOOTH. London, Sherwood and Co. 1816.-2 vols. 8vo. pp. 300,-321.

THE author of this short novel has before published some original poems, with translations from the French, Spanish, and Italian languages. The present work is introduced by a preface somewhat lengthy, in which the lady expresses much sensibility as to the success of her work, and enters into the difficulties peculiar to a female writer, from her inexperience on account of the comparative sameness and seclusion to which her sex is consigned. The incident is rather deficient; but notwithstanding this chariness as to the transactions or bustle of the story, the interest is throughout maintained. Good taste and sound judgment are very generally diffused; and so true to nature is the colouring in some critical situations, that we are inclined to believe that the writer has herself witnessed the scenes she so accurately and feelingly describes. This we understand to be a first attempt at what she is pleased to call the "familiar epic ;" and she has been so far successful in this experiment, that we consider ourselves perfectly justified, if these few words of encouragement should be any inducement to her, to proceed in the same walk.

POETRY.

ART. 20.-Poems. By ARTHUR BROOKE, Esq. Canterbury, Rouse and Co. 1816.-12mo. pp. 56.

MR. BROOKE is obviously a very diffident man; and though the poems under our eye are by no means first-rate, even in their kind, there is nothing offensive in them, and several of the pieces are very pleasing. The attempt in the note at the commencement to vindicate Pope from the attacks made upon him, is rather uncalled for; nobody denies that he was a man of great wit and acuteness, and that he was, in some respects, an admirable versifier; but these qualifications no more constitute a poet than that admirable piece of mechanism, a watch, can be called a living creature. We would advise the author of this small collection of poems, to set up for himself some other standard of firstrate excellence in the higher walks of poetry, than the writer whom he so much applauds.

ART. 21.-Emigration; or, England and Paris. A Poem. London, Baldwin and Co. 1816.-8vo. pp. 52.

THE author of this poem is in a violent rage against all who at this time pay a visit to the Continent; and, like most people in a passion, he is indiscriminate in his invectives; he lashes, quite as rancorously, those who merely desire to spend a few months abroad for the sake of becoming acquainted with foreign manners, and acquiring foreign languages, as those who abandon their native soil in disgust at its institutions, and at the habits of the people. This is ridiculous: those whom we can willingly abandon to the censure of this author, are persons who, having narrow incomes, and minds still narrower, quit England for the sake of keeping up appearances of beggarly grandeur: this is one of the pangs of pride, which really feels much more pain than the proverb allows. The small work before us, however, deserves considerable praise, and not the least for the moral vein in which it is written, though we could have excused a sickly excess to which it is now and then carried.

ART. 22.-The Literary Bazaar; or, Poets' Council. A grand Historic, Heroic, Serio-comic, Hudibrastic Poem, in two Cantos. With a Pic-Nic Elegy on Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Esq. By PETER PEPPERPOD, Esq. M. P. F. R. S., F. L. S., R. A., F. S. A., &c. London, Harper and Co. 1816.-8vo. pp. 70.

THIS is one of those productions which it is vain to attempt to criticise-it must speak for itself; for ourselves, we confess that we do not understand at all the connection between the title and the body of the book; we supposed at first that the songs of Southdale, Colewort, &c. were meant for imitations of living poets, but we were mistaken; the great theme is the old stale story of the poverty of poets, which few care to hear, and fewer wish to feel. We cannot commend the "Literary Bazaar" as a whole, though parts of it are not devoid of talent.