The three Reviews seem to have been running a race
this quarter. The Edinbui;gh and Westminster came in neck and neck ; and now here is the Quarterly, scarcely a length in the rear. The charac- teristic of the Quarterly Review is its information on matters of fact : every number contains a great body of it, though not always connected by first-rate minds. In this number we observe the usual industry in the collection of materials : they are not, however, this time, particularly well-selected ; and they are treated with less than ordinary talent. Captain Southey a short time ago published three thick closely printed octavo volumes, containing a chronolo- gical digest of all that was recorded, of a curious description, con- cerning the West Indies : in the Quarterly is an abstract of the contents of this work, in the style, and probably from the pen, of his brother, the poet, or rather the reviewer Southey, for that is now his metier. The intention of an attack against Continental Residence and Travelling, is better than its execution. Papers which may go under the heads of Astronomy, Psalmody, the Jews, and the Law, make up the rest.
Whatever may be said in detail against these three periodicals, the country has reason to be proud of them. No other language can boast of such combinations of ability, information, and spirit.
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