PUBLICATIONS RECEIVEL From January 5th to January 11th. Boom.

The Heretic. Translated from the Russian of LAJETCHNHLOPP. By Thomas B. SHAW, B.A. of Cambridge, Adjunct Professor of English Literature in the Imperial Lyceum of Tsfuskoe Selo. In three volumes. Essay on the _Physiognomy of Serpents. By H. SCHLEGEL, Doctor in Philosophy, Conservator of the Museum of the Netherlands, Member of several learned Societies. Translated by THOMAS STEWART TRAILL, M.D., F.R.S.E., Regius Professor of Medical Jurisprudence in the Uni- versity- of Edinburgh, &c. &c. [ So instinctively are creatures of the serpent tribe shunned by mankind, so re- mote and secret are their haunts, and so perilous is the pursuit of them, that it is not surprising to find the department of natural history to which these noxious reptiles belong has been comparatively neglected; though the beautiful appearance and wonderful structure of serpents render them attractive to the eye of science. Dr. Tniacu observes, in his preface, that this work of Dr. SCHLEGEL is the only satisfactory treatise on ophiology that he has met with ; and he appears to have studied the subject, and consulted several authors who have touched upon it. But no bookseller was found willing to undertake the pub- lication of so large and expensive a work as Dr. SCHLEGEL'S would have proved had it been translated entire, and produced with its numerous costly plates and charts Dr. TRAILL, therefore, was fain to rest content with bringing before the English scientific world what he designates as "the general portion" of the work and selecting a few examples from the plates; adding, however, an outline Of M. SCHLEGEL'S arrangement of the species, with the principal habitat of each individual. That part of SCHLEGEL'S work here given con- sists of a general account of the Ophidians; characterizing their structure through all the details of their anatomy ; distinguishing the innocuous from

the venomous ; and describing their habits, geographical distribution, and other

particulars common to the whole species. In a letter to M. TEMMINCE, the eminent naturalist, the author sketches the history of his work, the sources whence he derived his information, and the difficulties as well as facilities he met with in the course of his investigations ; thus incidentally acquainting us with the patient labour and accurate research exhibited in the work itself. The value of this contribution to natural science is self-evident.] Glossology; or Additional Means of Diagnosis of Disease to be derived from indications and appearances of the Tongue. Read before the Senior Physical Society of Guy's Hospital, 4th November1843. By BENJAMIN RIDGE, M.D., ALR.C.S.L., &c.

[The object of this book is to trace a connexion between certain distinct por- tions of the tongue, mapped out and minutely treated of by Dr. RIDGE, and some leading organs, as the brain, the lungs, the stomach ; the indications on the different parts of the tongue showing the organs affected. The exposition of the theory by Dr. RIDGE does not wear a very convincing air.] Griselda,- a Dramatic Poem. Translated from the German of FRIED- RICH HALM, by Q. E. D. [The subject of Griselda has been so widely popular, and treated by so many different writers of eminence, that it would seem unsafe to doubt its fitness for attracting, did not the origin and popularity of the story go back to an age when woman's inferiority, not to say servility, was received as an axiom, the reci- procal relations of the sexes ill understood, and, let us add, all the finer morals in the same category. So far as regards the metaphysical conception of the subject, FRIEDRICH HALE exhibits judgment: his heroine is not altogether " patient Grissel." She is deceived by a series of well-laid arts into a trial of her affection and submission ; but when she learns the deception that has been practised upon her, she breaks off all connexion with her husband. There is also a good deal of delicacy shown in the delineation of her character—feminine simplicity and fidelity blended with spirit and decision : but there is a strange

i

jumbling n the manners of the poem. Arthur and his knights, his Queen and her ladies, are modern persons in antique masquerade ; and such ancient habits as they have are taken from the times of the Troubadours, not of Arthur. As the principle of Q. E. D.'s translation is to pay more attention "to the lite- ral meaning than to elegance of language," it is not surprising that many pas- sages have a prosaic character ; the wonder is that so much of poetry appears. Perhaps the beauty of Griselda's character, resting on sentiment rather than expression, is safe as long as the meaning is rendered.] Beads front a Rosary. By T. WESTWOOD, Author of "Miscellaneous

Poems."

[A volume of occasional poems, easy and fluent in versification, not devoid of fancy, and frequently exhibiting much delicacy of thought, sometimes verging

a little upon conceit,—as in the stanza from "The Village Church ": The very children trod thy paths With hushed steps and slow, Their merry laughter all subdued To timid whispers tow;

Nor gathered they those ittle flowers

That peeped the grasses through :

Perchance they dreamed the uneonteious dead

Might love their beauty too."

The principal fault in Mr. WESTYiGOD as a poet, is what a physician, speaking of a patient, would call delicacy of constitution. He has freshness of idea ; and though sometimes like LEIGH HUNT in his manner of looking at nature, he does not appear to be Mr. RUNT'S imitator. But there seems to us an inherent fragility in the writer's genius, which will prevent him from

attaining the condensation and vigour necessary to render verses widely popu- lar at any time, much more to insure their duration.]

The Tests of Time; a Story of Social Life. By SARA WOOD, Author of "Life's Lessons," &c.

[A simple tale, gracefully told, developing the different characters and fate of two sisters, the only children of an invalid recluse. The sketches of country pleasures and society are true, and nicely touched ; and the characters, though faintly indicated, are natural and consistent.]

Lettres de Madame De Secigne ; precedees de son Eloge par Madame TASTU, qui a obtenu le prix d'eloquence decerne par l'Academie Fran- caise dans is seance du 11 Juin 1840. [Another neat addition to the series of useful, instructive, and reasonably cheap French classics issued from the press of Messrs. DLDOT.] A Popular History of Priestcraft ; abridged from WILLIAM 110WITT'S Work.

[A reissue, we think, of an abridgment of WILLitai HOWITT'S History of Priesteraft, first published a good many years ago. Unless we are deceived, it is the same work which involved our "fiery Friend" WILLIAM in a contro- versy with the True Sun, and induced him to do au abridgment himself ; which being exhausted, the publisher thinks there may be room for this at last.] The Chain- Rule ; a Manual of brief Commercial Arithmetic. By Cos. LOUIS SCHONBERG. Second edition, improved.

[The second edition of a short cut to arithmetic—when the road is learned— which we have noticed before.]

The Life and Adventures of Jack of the Mill, commonly called Lord Othniill, created, for his eminent services, Baron Waldeck and Knight of Kitcottie. A Fireside Story. By WILLIAta HoworT. With forty illustrations on wood, by G. F. SARGENT. In two volumes. [This is a sort of historical "Jack the Giant-killer," founded on facts; and incidentally depicting the scenery, habits, and manners of England in the times of the Lollards, and of Germany during the outbreak of the Hussites. "Jack of the " is a restless, rough-and-ready scapegrace, of dwarfish stature and uncouth aspect, who, tired of the monotony of the mill, sets out to seek his fortune: his address and bodily activity enable him to escape from dangers that beset him from the gangs of gipsies and robbers infesting the country, and the fame of his exploits is noised abroad : he goes to Germany, to recover the lost son of a worthy old knight ; and returns loaded with honours, having slain a robber-chief who was the terror of the neighbourhood: he is received at court by Henry the Fifth, who takes him into his service, and makes him a lord in return for his brave deeds.

The story is full of adventure, and told in the off-hand familiar manner of schoolboys when they "hatch up "extempore fictions to amuse their play- mates, and with a dash of the exaggeration and mystery that characterize those marvellous tales ; but under this guise a lively idea is given of events and the state of the two countries. The descriptions, though a little overwrought, me vivid and true ; and the interest never flags.]

SERIALS.

Schlosser's History of the Eighteenth Century, Part Ill. (Foreign Library.) [The present Part continues this history of the mind and manners of the Eighteenth Century, by continuing the survey of its literature and so forth. Germany, England, and France, are the countries whose characteristics are ex- amined; and, it strikes us, with much more of the hard inflexibility of national ignorance, and its inevitable tendency to dogmatize, than M. SCHLOSSER dis- played in the previous parts.] Dialogues, Metaphysical and Practical, by J emus FORREST, A.M. Dialogue IL between Mind and Matter.

PERIODICALS.

Hood's Magazine and Comic Miscellany, No. I. [This' new monthly, by the facetious THOMAS HOOD, seems designed to appear on the 1st of the month; but it did not arrive here till the 11th, amid the hurry of winding-up our week's literature, when the mind was intent upon various things. It has had, therefore, a hurried perusal ; and our opinion must be taken with this qualification. That opinion is not favourable. The book seems to be planned upon a false consideration of what a periodical should be—or, which is just as likely, upon no consideration at all. The first necessity of a periodical, in our opinion, is to deal with realities—to be a true reflection of the time in the subjects which chiefly occupy it. It may be very true that many of the older periodicals do not fulfil this condition : but they did it at starting, or they would not have lasted; and when they cease altogether to reflect this spirit, and their old u nbecribers die off, the work quickly follows them. It is equally true that we are not to expect solidity and seriousness in a publication designed to be humorous ; but the fun should be on the topics of the day. No one expects from Punch the elaboration and information of the Quarterly; but he expects, and he finds, passing events facetiously handled,—the cause, probably, of the ularity that has so long attended a work whose peculiar style seemed so ult to sustain.

There is little of this reflection of current interests in Hood's Magazine. The only article strictly relating to the time is "An Irish Rebellion",— a letter from a Repeal labourer's wife, made funny by dint of misspel- ling and facetite invented by a litterateur in his room, but offering no idea of the state of things in Ireland ; not satirizing the broader features of

• Repale," and a mere repetition of what has been done already on more

felicitous topics in the Comic Annual. The rest of the book is the usual Intermixture of prose and verse; the prose consisting of tales, reviews, and articles, but differing nothing from similar light articles in other Fight publications, excepting by individual merit. The poetry is mostly very good, but scarcely, we think, of the kind adapted for a new magazine, though as good as may be met in older periodicals, or perhaps better. In a literary sense, the opening poem, "The Haunted House," by the editor, is very ex- cellent; but it wants purpose and patness. The description of a haunted house, after the style of WASHINGTON IRVING'S prose sketches, though not at all in his manner, is carried on through some fifty stanzas ; but, though ad- mirably done, they seem, where they stand, to illustrate the line of POPE,

" Whilst pure description held the place of sense."

"The Rake's Progress" is the story of HOGARTH'S pictures in verse ; well done, but deficient in applicability to the time. " A. Song for the Million" is better in its subject, which is a hit at HuLLALI's singing-classes.] British and Foreign Review, No. XXXII.

Church Magazine for January.

ILLUSTRATED WORKS AND PRINTS.

The Amateur's Drawing-Book. By W. L. WALTON. With Observations on Drawing, and General Instructions in the Art. Printed in tint- lithography, by STANDIDGE and Co. [The rational and efficacious system of teaching drawing from models having well nigh superseded the futile and tedious plan of setting learners to copy prints, the supply of drawing-books has slackened; and it is remarkable that a new one should attempt to recommend itself by advocating the use of models and deprecating the practice of copying. By the way in which this is done, it is ingeniously contrived to infer the superiority of the Amateur's Drawing-Book over the whole host of its predecessors : the drawings are said to have been composed expressly to obviate the difficulties and disadvantages of the copying system, which are attributed to "the manner" of artists, and "the neglect of broad principles of art "; assuming, of course, freedom front them -.defi- ciencies in the present instance. Now the fact is, that these sketches by air. WALTON are conspicuous for "manner" of the worst sort—a tame imitation of another's manner; they are HARDING at second-hand. As for the "broad principles of art," they are only exemplified by the " neglect " of the most important, especially that best of "broad principles" breadth : hardness, want of keeping, and had drawing, are glaringly evident. They are neatly litho- graphed, though the " manner " is cold and meagre; and would pass muster among the mass but for this unwarrantable assumption of superiority. The " general instructions" are rather particular directions for acquiring the con- ventional knack of imitating foliage, aptly called by a lady "the stitch for trees."] The Comic Album, 1844; a Book for Every Table. [A medley of magazine facetite in prose and verse, profusely illustrated by caricature-sketches of the broadest kind. The effort to be droll is too con- stantly manifest. Mr. BLANCHARD'S "Young England," and the imitations of Moorish ballads, are the best papers. The pen-sketches of CnowouruL are very grotesque ; but they have the appearance of systematic disproportion me- chanically produced, not the result of ludicrous ideas of incongruity. The wood-cuts by French artists are richer in drollery, more pointed in satire, and artistic in effect ; though they are often overdone. The groups of men and women with heads of animals, by GRANDVILLE, are capital, but no longer new.] Leaves from the Book of Nature. Part L [For the union of accuracy, beauty, and cheapness, these illustrations of na- tural history are unrivalled. They consist of the plates of Sir W. JARDINE's "Naturalist's Library," printed on demy sheets, and coloured like the origi- nals; each part containing five sheets, and every sheet carrying eight or nine plates. The first part includes one sheet each of Sun-birds, Humming-birds, Dogs, Butterflies, and Fish ; in all sixty-eight objects, at a price less than penny for each : the butterflies are the gayest in point of brilliant hues; but the tairy-like birds are the most delicately tinted. A brief popular descrip- tion of each subject would be an acceptable addition, and comparatively inex- pensive; and it would enhance the value of this attractive publication as a means of instruction in schools and families.] Roberts's Sketches of the Holy Land, Syria, Idurnea, Arabia, Egypt, and Nubia. Parts XL and XII. [The views in this double Part are of more than ordinary beauty and interest. Acre before the last siege, Jaffa, and Tyre, are represented as seen both from land and sea; the foregrounds enlivened by characteristic groups of figures, or the vessels of the Mediterranean, and the buildings relieved in dazzling whiteness against the distant sea or clouds of the horizon. The pearly gray of the middle tints and the silvery brightness of the high lights in these subjects exhibit the utmost purity and delicacy of which lithography is susceptible in the hands of a master, such as Louis HAoriz. There are two views with effects of an op- posite character, that are equally brilliant and powerful: one is a magnificent scene, Cape Blanco, with storm-clouds lowering above the rocky heights ; the other is Mount Carmel, with a fiery sunset at sea : the luminous transparency of the waves and the fleecy lightness of the clouds are rendered in the lithe- graph with almost the force of painting. The printer, Mr. DAY, deserves great praise for his share in the execution of the plates ; which render every justice to Mr. ROBERTS'S drawing.) The Laws of Harmonious Colouring, adapted to Interior Decorations, &c. To which is now added, an attempt to define 2Estbetica1 Taste. By D. R. HAY, House-Painter and Decorator to the Queen, Edinburgh. Fifth edition.

ALMANACKS.

The Poor Man's Compassion; a Political Almanack for 1844: containing a great amount of valuable statistical information. Compiled from Parliamentary and other documents, by Josnue HonsoN. [A threepenny almanack; containing a variety of tables relating to taxation, expenditure, population, crime, and the New Poor-law. The principles of the compilation, if not tending towards Chartism or Oastlerism, are at all events opposed to Free Trade and the New Poor-law, with a sort of leaning to the landed interest.]

Mum.

The Woodman ; an Emigrant Song. The poetry written by T. W. BORTHWICIL, Esq.; the music composed by T. GERMAN REED.