PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED, From October 4th to October 10th.

BOOKS.

Life and Times of Louis Philippe King of the French. By the Reverend G. N. WRIGHT, M.A., Author of "Life and Reign of William the Fourth," &c.

The Dark Falcon. A Tale of the Attruck. By J. B. FRASER, Esq., Author of "The Kuzzilbasb," Sec. In four volumes.

Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation.

Rides in the Pyrenees. By Miss SELINA BUNBURY, Author of " Combo Abbey," &c. In two volumes.

A Comparative View of Social Lye in England and France, from the Restoration of Charles the Second to the present time. By the Editor of Madame Du Deffand's Letters. To which are now first added, The Lives of the Marquise Du Deffand and of Rachel Lady Russell ; Fa- shionable Friends, a Comedy, &c. By the same Author. A new edition in two volumes.

[The first volume of this work was originally published in 1828, and the second in 1831, when they were respectively noticed in the Spectator. The additional matter of the present edition is rather a collection of old productions than anything new or even striking in itself; as if the authoress, Miss BERRY, wished to bring together her writings. The defence of WALPOLE from the attack of the Edinburgh Review, and the biographical notice of Ma- dame Du DEPPAND, are reprinted from the editions of Wearoar's Corre- spondence, edited, we believe, by Miss BERRY. The comedy called The Fashionable Friends was unsuccessfully produced at Drury Lane in 1802. A brief comparison of Lady RUSSELL and Madame DE SEVIGNE, together with Lady RUSSELL'S Life, probably appear for the first time, though they seem to have been composed some years ago. With the weakness inherent in human nature, our authoress seems to ascribe the ill success of her comedy to a report which attributed its authorship to a " Pic-nic Club then existing, which the pit-filling public bad endowed with a power of propagating loose principles and profligate wit." The audience came predetermined to damn ; writing anonymously, the dramatist had no friends to " secure a fair hearing "; and "the newspapers of the day lavished abuse" upon the play. All this may have bad its influence; but we consider the judg- ment right. Acquitting Miss BERRI of any wish to promote immorality, we think it in substance about as immoral a piece as we ever looked into. Without the grossness of the older comedy, it exhibits a society equally corrupt ; but it is devoid of the wit, gayety, and dramatic action that distinguished the comic writers from WYCHERLY to SHERIDAN. Neither CMS we consider it, as the writer intimates, a true picture of the world in which she lived : at all events, were it worth the while, we could go over the piece and appropriate characters, incidents, and almost sentiments, to previous plays. There is a polite elegance in the language, and that is about all for which The Fashion- able Friends is remarkable.

The Life of Lady RUSSELL is a pattern of biography in which digression and

reflection predominate over narrative. So little is known of the incidents of her life, that a very few pages would suffice to describe them ; but, making this Life her text, Miss BERRY has produced a very elegant and agreeable dis- course about Lady RUSSELL and her family.] 214 Uncle the Clockmaker ; a Tale. By MARY ROWITT. [This publication seems designed to form one of a series of " Tales for the People and their Children " : it is in reality a juvenile book planned and executed on a false principle. It has not the ornate elaboration of Geoffrey Crayon's tales; but, like those productions, the story is subordinate to the essay ; descriptions, and what may be termed descriptive occurrences, are exhibited in minute de- tail, as if the writer were challenging attention to her skill rather than noting things which were necessary to the progress of a narrative. The groundwork the story is taken from the common stuck of common novels, not particularly improved by being applied to the juvenile tale. Everything is the exception of life, not its rule : an odd family of country gentlemen, who give the estate to the oldest son and let the younger sons become gentlemanly vagabonds, whence the clockmaker is descended ; the usual roguish lawyer, who, with the accident of bad times, ruins a worthy family, reducing the squire with his wife and children to a state of penury and worldly degradation, from which they are rescued by the clockmaker, returning borne with a fortune. MARY Ilowmr appears to have further aimed at pointing a moral against primogeniture and in favour of dissent ; which still further complicates a tale that is as far removed from the usual probabilities of life, or consistency of conduct, as well can be—a mixture of the Minerva press and the melodrama. The execution is entitled to higher praise : it is worthy of the writer. The descriptions of rural scenery and rustic characters, with some sketches of persons in a higher grade, are very truthful and effective; though perhaps rather heavy, by being over-laboured. The objection to 31y Uncle the clockmaker only extends to the tale—to the conduct of the story, and to the artistical manner in which, in a literary point of view, it is carried on.] Songs and Ballads. By J. E. CARPENTER. A. new edition. Here is a new edition of a poet whese name was unknown to us, though we found we were familiar with some of his productions, or at least with their names. "The Oak and the Ivy," "Oh ! guard her as a treasure," " Beautiful Venice," and others of a like kind, have met the eye in play-bills where a concert is " given in," or in shop-windows, where the pictured page has probably attracted the mind from the name of the writer. The character of the songs and ballads corresponds with the notion this kind of popularity indi- cates: the meaning very clear, the sentiments by no means startling iu their novelty, the versification running, and the general character elegant and ani- mated dogged. Some rise beyond this in style ; but in such cases we think the manner has been caught from other writers.] Vallbliindige Grammatik der Englichen Spraclie, vorzilglich fur jene bestimmt, welche nicht allein die Regeln derselben griindlich Kennen

lumen, sunderu auch in iliren Geist eindringen ihre beaten Kiassiker Kritisch niirdigen, and sick cinen natiirliehen, genaucn and eleganten Styl in dieser Sprache aneigneti wollen. Von S. MUST, Graduirtem alitgliede der Universitet zu Cambridge.

[This lengthy titlepage declares that Mr. II /RST'S Grammar is intended for those Germans who, not contented with a profound study of grammatical rules, wish also to penetrate into the spirit of the English language, attain a critical know- ledge of its best classics, and acquire a natural, accurate, and elegant style. Titlepages of this kind are apt to remind one of the pictures outside of wild- beast caravans, raising expectations the interior cannot gratify. An examine- tion of Mr. HIRST'S quarto (1) has convinced us that in his case the suspicion was just. It iS the substance of LINDLEY MURRAY and WALKER broken up into analytical tables, in which the excessive subdivision and classification which is the besetting sin of one school of German writers is exaggerated be- yond all bounds. It would require as long a time to master Mr. HIRST'S dim• tinctions and definitions as a foreigner usually requires to master our language; and after they were learned, the study of the language would still have to be begun. The work is commonplace in its matter, with an affectation of origin- ality and scientific arrangement in its form, that renders it, if not unintelligible, at least useless as a grammar.] Rambles by Rivers : the Duddon ; the Mole; the Arun, Adur, and Wey; the Lea ; the Dove. By JAMES THORN. With numerous wood-cuts, from the drawings of the Author. (Knight's Weekly Volume for AU Readers.) [An agreeable, intelligent, gossipy guide to the picturesque beauties and poetical associations of these pretty little rivers, with topographical Durkee of the places in their vicinity : a nice book for the pocket of the angler or pedes- trian.] Travels in Scotland By J. G. Korn., Author of " Travels in Ireland," &c. Translated from the German. With Notes by the Translator, in correction or elucidation of M. Kohl's observations.

The completion of the cheap and " uninutilated" edition of this traveller ; forming a neat enough little volume.] SERIALS.

The Lives of the English Saints. Nos. VI. and VII. [The sixth number of this semi-Romish publication contains the biography of St. Gilbert ; the seventh, the lives of no fewer than eight saints and saintessea.

From the numerous biographies already published, and those which are adver-

tised as to come, the English soil would seem to have been fruitful in the pro- duction of saints. From the two first parts having reached a second edition, it would appear that a demand exists for this species of literature ; though it probably originates as much in literary curiosity as religious interest. The style of the books is certainly elegant ; the matter a variety to the beaks of the day ; and the subject a singular branch of literature, though it would be easily displayed in a more philosophical manner.] Ireland. Parts IV. V. and VI.

[These three parts bring down the history of Ireland to the Union ; the sta- tistics being displayed at convenient intervals. The historical portion begins

with Sraarronn's government, detailing its oppressions at great length ; and the same course is pursued throughout, especially in the last Irish Rehelhon. This gives more personal interest to the narrative than a comprehensive ac- count of the larger events, but is not so historical.]

The New PliantUSUL C. By HENRY bantam Fart L [Little tales and verses about flowers and fairies ; innocent in their prettiness, and of a sentimental cast with moral purpose, suited to the youthful fancy.]