PROGRESS OF PUBLICATION.

THE newest event in the publishing world is tile appearance of the first volume of the Pocket Edition of Byron's Works, with which Mr. MURRAY intends to open the new year. Unless the former cheap edition be on the shelves of all readers of poetry throughout the United Kingdoms, this speculation will prove a hit ; and even if hundreds of thousands have purchased " Byron's Life and Works," we see no reason why thousands should not buy the Works alone; for the specimen volume is such a gem, that it makes the other look gross, antiquated, and distasteful. Nor, whilst the great bibliopole has spared no exertion of taste or expense, has he been unmindful of publisher's tact. Judging from the specimen, each volume will be complete in itself, though forming a component part of an entire collection ; so that those who have their favourite poems may procure them for frequent perusal, without being encumbered with the whole. Talk of the want of patronage for the drama !—why, this cheapest of publica- tions would of itself furnish a sufficient answer. Here, for 3s. 6d. we have beautifully printed, and bound in splendid neatness, em- bellished with a portrait of Bvaosr and a landscape vignette, and illustrated by all the notes of all the note-writers, the whole of Childe Harold—a book whose continuous perusal would fill up more than an evening even at our rate of reading—which we may carry with us all over the world—which we may lend to our friends, and bequeath in our wills; and at no greater charge than one should pay to Mr. BUNN, for a seat in the pit, besides col- lateral expenses, to see Mr. FORREST murder Macbeth, or to en- dure any other infliction that the lessee may subject one to under the pretence of the legitimate drama.

A few sheets of the first number of Bentley's Miscellany, which have found their way to us before publication, afford a promising sample of the new periodical. Its aim is to amuse : grave dis- quisitions and politics are to be eschewed, and fun, facetise, and comic humour, are to be the staple commodities ; an occasional dash of serious sentiment, however, will vary the mirth, and give it more zest by the contrast. Plates, too, come in aid of the writing : GEORGE Cal:IRMA:NE furnishes a drollery ; Mr. LOVER makes his last appearance as a comic sketcher ; and a highly finished engraving of GEORGE COLMAN—a good likeness—illus- trates a memoir of the promoter of Broad Grins. Box, the inex- haustible Box, is the editor ; and he contributes a broadly hu- morous sketch of "The Public Life of Mr. Tulrumble "— a Country Mayor, who affects the great man, and apes in most ludi- crous fashion the inaugural splendour of his lordly brother the Mayor Metropolitan. Captain MARRYAT tells one of his laugh- able sea-stories in his best manner. Father Noes' relieves the prose by a few of his classical parodies, and an English " Song of the Month," that those will relish who cannot enjoy his Latin lyrics. A couple of Irish Tales, humorously told, some smart and clever rhymes on the " Monster Balloon," and a ballad by the witty author of " Headlong Hall,- are included in that portion of the contents that has reached us.

It may r.ot be superfluous to mention, that one of the recom- mendations of this periodical—not a minor one to many readers— is a well-filled but not over-crowded page, and a clear, readable type, that invites to perusal.

The circumstance of having been in communication with NEL- SON and NAPOLEON, and of having fallen upon an age of writers, has given ALI Paste% a celebrity to which he was not of himself entitled ; for the life of many Easterns who have risen to political station would furnish adventures as singular, and fortunes as various, and probably cruelties as revolting. However, a life is always a life, especially when full of character and adventure, both of which belonged to AL!. The narratives of tourists have also provided plenty of anecdotes and personal descriptions; ALI was not backward in furnishing stories of himself, whether true or false ; and authors who had the advantage of residing on the spot have drawn up elaborate biographies of him. From all these sources, Mr. DAVENPORT has compiled a readable and entertaining Life of All Pasha of Tepeleni ; which is published in the Sixty-first Number of the Family Library.

From the number of Juvenile Books before us, the publishers seem preparing for the close of the holydays ; or are they so incon- siderate as to wish that their literary wares should supersede the toys and cakes of the season ? or do they deem that the march of intellect has invaded childhood itself, and that the schoolmaster is welcome at home and abroad ? Be this as it may, there are quite a legion of little publications falling under the head of Books of Instruction combined with Amusement.

Peter Parley's Tales about the Sun, Moon, and Stars, are the most wondrous of all his budget ; and they will give the young reader—and many elder ones too—as distinct an idea as we can conceive of the vast plan and machinery of the universe. Some of the most startling calculations and curious investigations of modern astronomer:: are in. trodueed into the descriptions ; and though these labour under the disadvantage, unavoidable to a certain extent, of scientific phraseology, the narrative is clear and the style familiar. The theory of eclipses, of the seasons, and the changes of the moon, are explained satisfac- torily by diagrams; and there are several telescopic views of the moon, sun, and planets ; in a word, the whole celestial phcenomena are ex- plained as far as they can be. Some effective cuts of moonlight scenes, &c. add to the pictorial attractiveness of this admirable little 4‘ Astronomy made Easy; " and PETER PARLEY'S name now shines with game lustre. There is nothing very new in the framework of Conversations ots Nature and Art ; which are carried on by means of middle-aged ladies and little folks; but the subjects of discussion are varied, new, and entertaining. The first chapters contain an excellent account of the printers ALunsi, and many interesting particulars relative to manu- scripts, libraries, and books ; and the succeeding ones discourse of flowers, fruits, vegetation, manufactures, the whale-fishery, and a va- riety of other matters. Altogether, it is an excellent book for youth and intelligent childhood ; nor would older people peruse it without benefit.

Adventures of a Coal-Mine. Adeentures of a Sugar-Plantation. Adventures of a Cotton-Tree.

The plan of these three little books is similar. Under the guise of an allegorical biography, not always maintained, the natural, manufac- turing, and commercial history of each subject is plainly told, and occasionally varied by connected digressions—as Slavery in the account of Sugar. Of course, in such tiny volumes, only the mere outlines of such extensive and complicated matters can be given ; but the COM-. mler has perhaps put into them nearly as much as they would hold, and seems to have drawn his facts from the best sources.

Little Tales, for Little Heads and Little Hearts, is a collection of children's stories, not greatly differing in plan and purpose from several other publications. The stories are, however, told with more effort at sprightliness and vivacity than is usual in books of a similar kind; and the volume is illustrated by a greater number of wood-cuts, in a higher style of art, than has been yet offered to children.

Floral Sketches, Fables, and other Poems, by AGNES STRICKLAND, inculcate throughout pure morality and religious impressions : they exhibit the characteristic elegance of the fair author, and are written in fluent and flowing verse. To many they will probably appear fault- less : to us, whom much reading has rendered dainty, they would ap- pear to have gained strength and effect by compression—the writer is sometimes apt to drain an idea to the dregs.

The Child's Sacred Year, or Thoughts in Verse, consists of fifty-two paraphrases of texts of Scripture, more or less appropriate to the Sun-

day which they are chosen to illustrate. The poetry glads the heart something after the style of HOPKINS and STERNHOLD ; but it will perhaps be as well relished by early childhood as the more refined verses of Miss STRICKLAND.

The Walk, by WILLIAM ROBSON, is a dialogue between father and son; in the course of which, the former shows the advantage of literary studies, by proving what a number of associations can be called up even during a common stroll. And certainly, papa does pour forth such a number of anecdotes and pleasantly apt quotations, that unless he is a miracle of learning, we should think a few such walks would run him out. The book from its variety is readable, and is pervaded by a sentiment of elegance, though we scarcely perceive its uses.

Aerial Sights and Sounds, by CHARLES WILLIAMS, is another ot the series of lively and instructive conversations of the Elwood family, by the same author ; u hich describes and explains the pluenomena of the atmosphere in as amusing and explicit a manner as the previous volumes have done the wonders of the " World of Waters," the " Treasures of the Earth," &c. The charm of these books consists in the happy way in which really scientific knowledge is conveyed so as to be interesting as well as intelligible ; anything like monotony being pre- vented by the introduction of descriptions of places, anecdotes, and brief narratives, which seem to originate while they illustrate the sub- ject. The effect upon the reader is that of a real conversation of intelligent persons, in which the parties strictly confine themselves to the topic under discussion, and bring all their stores of reading and ex- perience to bear upon it, and exemplify- their views and opinions.

The date of our paper seems to plead for a batch of' Almanacks- " now or never." So let us chronicle them ere the year expires. Amongst the most marked is

°Limit and Bevies New Edinburgh Almanac/:; which answers to our Calendars, but its contents are more ample and comprehensive. The publishers justly boast of having improved this year's volumefse beyond any ■receding one. Certainly England does not furnish such a well-arranged mass of information on matters connected with bu- siness.

The Bijou Almanack actually comes te us, as we jocularly predicted of a tiny Annual a year or two hence, enclosed in a velvet case lined with satin, like a brooch. By the aid of a microscope, we discern - portraits—we cannot call them all likenesses—of the Queen, MALI. BRAN, Miss SOMERVILLE, GOETHE, COLERIDGE, VON RAUMER, and COOPER; with verses to each, by L. E. L. The atom of a volume looks like a Lilliputian folio, and almost requires Lilliputian fingers to handle it, and insect eyes to discern its contents,—for the attempt to read its finger-nail pages is too much for human eyes. Of the smaller fry of Almanacks, all of them but one are of the genus Tiltii. Poor Richard deals out prophecies of the weather, and moral precepts in prose and verse : he gives some really useful infor- mation besides, in the" Notes of a Naturalist," and the "Evening Amusements of an Astronomer." The rest are mere calendars. The National Abnanack is a legibly-printed sheet, with a fanciful bor- der, for the counting-house. The Paragon, a smaller one, for the desk or study, is out-paragoned by Till's Useful Abnanack, which is the neatest, most compact, and comprehensive of any of its kind : it is also made up in a tiny book for the waistcoat-pocket, under the title of Tilt's Miniature Almanac/i. Mr. TILT also supplies a Sunday Almanac/i.' giving, on a small leaf, printed in gold on a blue glazed ground, or in blue ink on white paper, a calendar of the Lessons for the Morning aid Evening services, that may be stuck into a frayer-book. Limbirif Real Diamond Almanack, though it cannot be worn on the finger, will take up but little room in the pocket. It is full of information ; among which, the lists of London sights, public institutions and offices, London and Country bankers, and the agents of the latter, are most useful. It contains, moreover, the first principles of Political Economy, expounded by Mr. MUDLE, in two small pages, and a new system of Short-hand to boot. In addition to this formidable array, the double close of month and year has brought forth an unwonted number of varieties, pamphlets, reprints, new editions; most of which are obviously only fitted for announcement in our advertising columns. A pub- lication of Captain GRINDLAY *9 on Steam Navigation to India, the Annual Biography and Obituary, and Mr. COLBURM.S new edition of HORACE WALPOLE'S Correspondence, are the only ap- parent exceptions. If, on examination, any of the rest can claim a literary notice, they shall have it-next year.