"Thou bane of genius!-party's sordid slave! Truth, virtue, ne'er from thee did friendship find; Of titles, party, wealth, thou art the cringing slave."' We are tired of this book, and so very likely are our readers; but as we have noticed the imitations (we know not what else to call them, without a periphrase) of all the poets mentioned but Mr. Wilson, we will just give one specimen, certainly no happier than those that have preceded. The piece is named "The Morning Star, or the Steam-Boat of Ulloa." "O beauteous thing! thou seem'st to me That thou bestow'st a loveliness, A deeper, holier quietness, On the moonlight heaven, and ocean hoar, Through the still fount of tears and sighs, Well may the moon delight to shed Her softest radiance round that head, Blends with the glimmering light that plays The cloud-like sails, and radiant shrouds. Some wandering spirit of the sea, That seem'd to rise with the rising Moon, But the Queen of Night will be sinking soon! Or, noiseless as the falling dew, Melt into Heaven's delicious blue." Excepting that this is a performance much inferior both in design and execution, we should have had little hesita tion in attributing it to the author of "The Bridal of Trier maine," in the preface to which are acknowledged various imitations of living poets, inserted in the Edinburgh Annual Register for 1809, but in which the writer deprecates such burlesque productions as most of those before us.Whoever be the writer, he is to be compassionated, not merely because he possesses very little originality himself, nor because he seems to dislike what is original in others, (though that certainly is a lamentable state of mind,) but because he has laid the foundation of destroying more than half his pleasure in literary pursuits, whether as an author or a reader. It is obvious, that when a new poem is published, whether by Scott, Wordsworth, or by any other person, he sits down to the perusal of it, not with the ordinary desire of generous youth, to discover and applaud its beauties those passages which form, as it were, the connecting links of mind between the earthly and the heavenly -but to point out its faults and peculiarities; inverting the maxim, non equidem invideo, miror mugis, and, like the bold personification of our early poet, turning all wholesome food into bitter poison by the mastication of the cankered viper, envy. It is not our wish to deny that the author of "The Poetic Mirror" has talent; but he has yet to learn, that talent is never worse employed than in shewing that others have none. ART. III.—1. An Inquiry into the Laws of different Epidemic Diseases, with the view to determine the means of preserving Individuals and Communities from each. By JOSEPIL ADAMS, M. D. author of Observations on Morbid Poisons, &c. 8vo. pp. 99. 2. A Philosophical Treatise on the Hereditary Peculiarities of the Human Race, with Notes illustrative of the subject, particularly in Gout, Madness, and Scrofula. The second edition, with an Appendix on the Goitre and Cretins of the Alps and Pyrenees. By the same. 8vo. pp. 125. THESE two tracts, particularly the former, having been longer before the public than the time we generally consider sufficient to retain the interest of our readers, would have been unnoticed, but for the frequent inquiries we, in common with our brethren of the faculty, are perpetually encountering concerning the interesting questions alluded to in each. Scarcely do we enter the chamber of a patient in fever without being asked whether "it is catching." To this question the first of these books affords a most ample reply in all its varieties and temptations. For the reasons before mentioned we shall do little more than enumerate the contents of each, adding a short extract to show the style in which it is executed. After an introduction, the principal merit of which is a learned and perspicuous explanation of the terms endemic and epidemic, with the proper distinction between them, the author commences with those Epidemics the contagious nature of which is not yet ascertained, producing all the arguments on each side, and concluding with a general summary and his own opinion deduced from them, and from facts under his own observation. The next chapter is on the manner in which different Epidemics supersede each other. The third comprehends the contagious strictly so called. The succeeding chapters are directed to the means by which Epidemics may be exterminated, or their effect mitigated. Under these heads a view is taken of all the quarantine laws and their probable effects. It is shown that those Epidemics which, like typhus fever, depend on an atmosphere deteriorated by disease and poverty, can only be lessened or exterminated by an improvement in the manners and condition of the labouring class, and a consideration of this subject seems to have suggested to the author the first proposal we have met with of those Saving Banks, which are becoming so popular, and which, we trust, will ultimately prove so beneficial. In order to preserve the chain of reasoning more entire, a considerable number of facts and arguments are reserved for the notes at the end. These make a set of essays of themselves. This arrangement very much lessens the labour of the reader, by rendering the reasoning less complicated, and producing a new interest in the Notes from a previous general knowledge of the subject. The following are the contents of the notes. "On the various kinds of Leprosy. On the Sweating Sickness. On the terms Endemic and Epidemic. On the supposed Contagion of Jail Fever. On the Danger and Uncertainty of receiving it from various Sources. The Mahomedans do not trust to Predestination for their Security from the Plague. Plague of Marseilles. Plague of Marseilles began and declined at the usual Seasons. Authorities to show that the Physicians sanctioned the Opinion of the necessary Universality of Small-Pox. On Dr. Haygarth's Correspondence." An appendix follows, containing the author's correspondence with the College of Physicians, and also his proposed benefit club for the metropolis. This we shall transcribe; for, though not without some exceptions, we conceive it may serve as a model for any part of the United Kingdom. "After the frequent notice how much the extermination of infectious atmosphere depends on the meliorated condition of the labouring class, I cannot conclude without offering the following hints to the better judgment of others. "The present benefit clubs among the labouring class, seem to have arisen from a conscious incapacity in the character of our countrymen to take the charge of their own money. Hence the necessity of forming a fund which they can only touch under sickness. The same feeling cannot but extend to the period of old age, or even to the uncertainty of employment. This spirit, which ought most of all to be fostered, has been the most abused. Flattering schemes of improving their little capitals beyond what can be fairly accomplished, are perpetually held out to them, and sometimes end in the loss of the whole. The only plan that can be permanently useful must be completely within their comprehension, liable to no uncertainties, and by always keeping within their view the true value of money, induce economy in the management and diligence in the acquisition of it. "May not a Bank be established, ready to receive the smallest weekly contributions of such individuals, recommended by others, who shall be presently described. Every half year the balance should be struck, and interest for six months added to the creditor's side for the lowest balance which has ever appeared in the account during that period. That is, if a person has paid at first five pounds, and afterwards various sums, but has never drawn out more than those last sums, his lowest balance will be five pounds, and for that he shall have an interest of two shillings and sixpence added at the end of the six months, and a fair balance shall be struck, to show the full sum remaining in his name. If this sum is not diminished in the course of the succeeding six months, an interest of 2 per cent. per six months, shall be added to the balance, whatever it may have been at the beginning of that half year. The same to be continued every succeeding six months. "Each individual must have a banker's book, to which must be attached some check or indenture, understood by the clerk and CRIT. REV. VOL. IV. Nov. 1816. 3 P himself, and another understood by the clerk only. He should see the balance struck every six months, and sign it if he is capable. "In order to secure this compound interest, the balance in the office (reserving only a certain sum for contingencies) should be paid every morning into the Bank of England, who should appropriate an office for that purpose. As they would always have a balance, they should allow every week an interest on the lowest balance from the beginning of that week, which should be added to the balance of the current week, and thus the compound interest be calculated from week to week. As a further means of supporting such an establishment, 100 gentlemen of property, principally proprietors of large manufactories, should be invited to deposit one thousand pounds each; half of which they shall be at liberty to draw in any sums they may think proper, but never to leave a smaller balance than five hundred pounds. If they wish to withdraw the whole, they will be expected, but not required, to furnish the Bank with another customer on the same terms. "That the smaller customers may be sensible of the advantage they derive from the establishment, without at the same time seeming to forfeit their independence, they shall be required to produce an introduction from one of the larger customers, before they are permitted to lodge their smaller sums weekly. "It is presumed that the weekly compound interest paid on these joint sums by the Bank of England, will be sufficient to defray the expences of this new Bank, as well as the half yearly compound interest to the smaller customers. "The Bank of England it is true, will derive little or no profit, and a certain expense. But besides the gratification the governors and proprietors will derive from the services they are rendering the labouring class of society, in my opinion, that grand establishment will derive ample advantage from the general interest all the Londoners will feel in supporting, or at least in submitting to their charter. It is not probable the Bank should ever feel any other danger than this jealousy; but should such a moment occur, no better security can be desired than the interest which would be felt by so numerous a body as the class of citizens, which compose their new customers. The loss, however, cannot be considerable to a company who are making hourly a compound interest. "The bankers books kept by the smaller customers, should have prefixed to them a few aphorisms like the following, The benefit arising from compound interest, on sums however small, is greater than can be calculated beyond a certain number of years. The late learned Dr. Price discovered that a penny put out to compound interest at the birth of our Saviour, would at this time produce a sum equal to the worth of several globes of gold of the dimensions of the world we inhabit.' "The calculation of money at simple interest is, that it doubles itself in 20 years; at compound interest, in 14 years and a half, |