parts of it are executed with uncommon power. The fourth tale is but an introduction to the fifth, which is the longest, and doubtless was meant to be the best in the volume. But it is sometimes rather dull, and fixes the attention less than any of the others. The scene is in the Holy Land, and the period that of the crusades. Unfortunately for authors who attempt this species of romance, "Ivanhoe" presents an example of perfection, which it is as difficult for an imitator to equal as for a reader to forget.

The Juvenile Philosopher, or Youth's Manual of Philosophy, In Four Parts. Part I. Natural Philosophy. Part II. Astronomy. Part III. Chemistry. Part IV. Physiology. Second revised Edition, enlarged, and adapted to the Use of Schools and Juvenile Readers. Geneva, N. Y. James Bogart. 1326. 12mo. pp. 372.

THE object of this volume is to give, in a very condensed form, the general principles of the sciences enumerated in the titlepage, for the benefit of those who are not supposed to have sufficient leisure to acquire a more exact and minute acquaintance with them. Indeed it is obvious, that nothing more than a naked summary of the principles of these sciences could be contained in a small duodecimo of 372 pages. Only the general results and conclusions could be given; the methods and steps by which they are arrived at, must necessarily be omitted. The compiler has, we think, executed sufficiently well the design he has proposed to himself; he seems familiar with the subjects of which he treats, the matter is well digested, and the style of expression concise. We are, however, inclined to believe, that the book will not be so extensively useful as the compiler seems to suppose. It has the appearance rather of an abstract or series of memorandums, made by a student for the convenience of reference, in order occasionally to refresh his memory on subjects which he had studied at large, than of a manual to smooth the way for beginners. Those who are not contented with a superficial and scanty knowledge of the outlines of natural science, will have recourse to works which treat, at length and separately, of the different branches; and where they may find numerous and various elucidations and illustrations of the principles, which the very plan of this work excludes. Those who are disposed to be satisfied with an inferior degree of acquaintance with these subjects, will resort to works more attractive and more easily understood. Such works, for example, as the "Conversations on Natural Philosophy," "Conversations on Chemistry," and several treatises on Astronomy, which we

could mention, are not only composed in a more popular and less technical form, but abound with familiar applications of the sciences of which they treat, with various illustrations, with accounts of experiments, and directions for repeating them, which the plan of the work before us does not embrace. With these helps, as well as with the assistance of the drawings by which they are accompanied, we should think that even that class of persons for which this work was intended, might gain a moderate knowledge of these sciences in a much shorter time, and with greater pleasure and ease to themselves, than by studying the “Juvenile Philosopher." There prevails, it seems to us, too great a rage for making these compends, which strip science of all that makes it a wholesome discipline of the mind, and reduce it to dry propositions, without either illustration or proof, which are neither satisfactory to the mind, nor leave upon it a strong and durable impression. We are not prepared, however, to say, that the work may not be found useful as a kind of text-book, in cases where the teacher is willing to accompany its use with copious verbal instructions and explanations of his own, and to supply its deficiencies with apt and familiar illustrations. On the subject of physiology, the importance of which as a general study, we considered in a former number, the author of the work before us is entitled to the credit of having made some interesting and judicious selections, which, in the present deficiency of popular works on that branch of science, may be found useful, and which give to the work a value that would not otherwise belong to it.

The Universal Preceptor; being a General Grammar of Arts, Sciences, and Useful Knowledge By the Rev. DAVID BLAIR. Greenfield, Mass. A. Phelps. 1826. 12mo. pp. 312.

WE are informed, in the titlepage of this work, that it has been "reprinted from the thirteenth English edition, revised and improved." This circumstance, alone, would once have been sufficient to recommend the book to immediate and respectful attention here, and probably to command a concession of all the merit to which it makes pretension. But since we have carried the subject of education to such good degrees of perfection, our intelligent instructers may fairly claim to examine and decide upon their textbooks, without any undue deference to the source from which they proceed. We believe, that most of our school-books, bad as they are, are quite as good as the best of the English; and have, moreover, the advantage of a closer adaptation to our

condition and wants. We have more than once, however, in the course of our labors, adverted to the principles upon which elementary books are compiled or composed; and we shall do it now, and again, and again, till we are either convinced of our error, or have convinced some of our contemporaries that they are at fault.

The author has, with great industry, collected into this small volume, what he conceives to be the essence of the whole circle of the arts and the sciences. His topics are judiciously selected, and well arranged; and the several parts of his work bear their proper proportions to each other. He has, therefore, done all that he intended to do. He has made a very perfect elementary book, upon what we consider a very bad plan. His labor reminds us of those specimens of minute engraving, which we sometimes meet with, where the merit of the artist consists in putting the whole of the "Lord's Prayer" upon a piece of metal of the size of a four-pence half-penny. And we should just as soon expect to give a stranger an idea of the topography and curiosities of London, by presenting to him a view of it, reduced to the size of a dollar, as we should think of teaching a child the arts and the sciences from a book of this kind.

Mr. Blair, in his Preface, lays it down as a principle, that, “to fill the storehouse of the memory, is the rational business of education." And he offers as a recommendation of his book, the following encouraging prospect to his young learners; "Without interfering with particular branches of education, all the parts of this work may be rendered familiar within two years [two years!]; one paragraph may be committed to memory every day; and the book of questions may be answered twice over within that period. When this task has been finished, what an accession of varied knowledge will have fallen to the lot of the pupil." Now we differ toto cælo from our author in this fundamental position of his, that, to fill the storehouse of the memory is the rational business of education. Nor should we value at a groat the achievement of having committed to memory, in detached paragraphs, this whole book. We should consider this task not only utterly useless, but absolutely pernicious; and should much prefer that a pupil had never seen the book, than that his mind should be burthened with so many crude and undigested materials of knowledge. We think that this crowding the "storehouse" of the memory with insulated facts and principles, is just as pernicious to the mind, as the taking a substantial supper at eleven o'clock is to the body. And the energies of the youthful intellect

must be of uncommon strength, or they will be oppressed with a mental dyspepsia, from which years of wholesome regimen will hardly be sufficient to recover them.

The Boyne Water; a Tale. By the O'Hara Family, Authors of Tales, comprising Crobore of the Bill-hook," "The Fetches," and "John Doe." Two Volumes. New York. J. and J. Harper. 1826. 12mo. pp. 285 and 288.

THE former "Tales" of the author or authors of the novel before us, which are enumerated on its titlepage, have attracted favorable notice and gained considerable reputation in England. The present work, though by no means free from faults, displays more than ordinary powers. It is an historical novel, embracing the period of the struggle between James II. and William for the crown of England. The scene of the story is laid in Ireland. The state of that country, the character of its population, the feelings with which the Catholic and Protestant parties regarded each other, are portrayed with spirit. Many of the dramatis persone are historical, as well as much of the narrative. The character of William is forcibly depicted, although we should imagine, that its harshness and repulsiveness were rather overdrawn. The wild bands of roving plunderers, by whom the country was infested, are well described. The story itself is interesting. The characters are such as we can sympathize with, and do not offend us by mawkish affectation or egregious violations of probability. Many of the scenes of strong excitement, with which the book abounds, are set forth with much ability; for instance, the sufferings of the citizens of Derry, when besieged by king James; and the battle of the Boyne, with the illustration which it afforded of the opposite characters of the competitors for the English throne. The book, however, is too long. The descriptions run too much into particulars. Conversations are protracted till the patience of the reader is exhausted. Some of the characters are superfluous. Carolan, the famous Irish minstrel, is several times brought upon the stage, but plays a very insignificant part, and does little to justify his introduction. There is a poor attempt at the half-crazy witch, in the person of a woman named Onagh; and a deaf and dumb man by name Con M'Donnell, comes upon us frequently, with violent gesticulations and a great display of muscular strength; but his contortions do not add much to the interest of the story. The principal characters, however, are well delineated, and keep our attention constantly awake. The violent manner is rather too predominant. Scenes

of horror and tumult are brought before us in profusion, but often, it must be admitted, with very considerable power. On the whole, we think the book has much merit, from the picture which it presents of the manners of the times, and from its graphic sketches of a great variety of characters and situations.

The History of the Crusades, for the Recovery and Possession of the Holy Land. By CHARLES MILLS. Philadelphia. Carey & Lea. 1926. 8vo. pp. 529.

THIS work cannot lay claim to merit of a very high order. It is a narrative of facts, with but little attempt at analyzing their causes and consequences. It describes, and we suppose with accuracy, the principal events which attended the struggle of Europe to gain possession of the Holy Sepulchre. But the detail of the military operations of this distant period is little fitted to interest readers of the present day. Tales of blood have too long formed the staple of history, and men have at length become convinced that there are things more honorable in act, and more interesting in relation, than the cutting of throats; and the thrice told tale loses none of its tediousness in the narrative of Mr. Mills. Battles and sieges follow one another in endless monotony, unrelieved by the graces of style or the spirit of philosophical disquisition.

The great subject of speculation which the Crusades present in their causes and consequences, the reciprocal influence of the religious war upon Europe and Asia; the changes in arts, literature, government, and manners, to which this gave rise, their influence in accelerating or retarding the great revolutions in the state of society, which subsequent ages have witnessed, have been but briefly considered by Mr. Mills; and a full investigation of them we deem essential to a proper history of the Crusades. For the most striking facts attending their rise and progress are generally known, and the minuter details possess no peculiar interest. They are far better fitted to form the subject of a philosophical disquisition than of an extended narrative; and every professed history of them therefore should be principally marked by the former character.

The style of this history is bad, at once ambitious and careless, with great redundancy of language, and an undue proportion of long words. Cæteris paribus, Mr. Mills seems always to prefer a roundabout to a direct mode of expression, and a word of six syllables to a synonymous one of two; and is inclined occasionally to coin a word, when he cannot find any in the vocabulary of the