the receptacle of those interior streams to the south-west, crossed by him during his land expedition of discovery in 1818, namely, Parry's Rivulet, Bowen River, Field's River, and Peel's River. A paper has been read before the Agricultural Society, showing that it is not probable that it can be the outlet of that inland lake, in which the river Macquarie was found to terminate, since the whole course of that river for 300 miles is north-west, and it would require an immediate regular diversion to the north-east for nearly 400 miles to reach Moreton Bay; and then the height of its head above the level of the sea would allow the whole river only a fall of about two feet per mile, whereas Mr. Oxley's measurements

make the Macquarie fall in one place 437 feet in little more than 50 miles, and in another 750 in about 50 miles; and Sir Thomas Brisbane's measurements make a fall in the river of 1140 feet in only 30 miles. But this last is impossible, where there are no cataracts, and must be attributed to some error in using the barometer.

Whatever may be its origin, it is the largest fresh water river hitherto discovered in New South Wales, and promises to be of the utmost importance to the colony, as it affords water communication with the sea, to a vast extent of country, a great portion of which appeared to Mr. Oxley capable of raising the richest productions of the tropics. July 26.

FRANCE.

The Drama. Passing over the trifles that have been brought forward at the minor theatres, we have to mention two regular pieces. Bothwell, a Drama in five acts, (in prose) by Adolphus Empis, has been performed at the Theatre Français. The evident object of the author is to clear the memory of Queen Mary from the imputation of having been an accomplice in the assassination of her husband King Henry. This piece succeeded, as the phrase is, on the first representation, because every thing had been arranged to save it; but the critics have treated it with no little asperity, on account of the multiplicity of conspiracies, treasons, and assassinations, and its notorious deviations from history. The author seems to have felt the justice of some of the criticisms, at least, made on his piece, for he has withdrawn it for the present; and it is hoped he will be able to remove some of the most objectionable parts, which tend to obscure the merit of many fine scenes. Cleopatra, a tragedy in five acts, by M. Soumet, has been represented at the Odeon. This composition, though only now brought for ward, is, however, the very first pro

duction of the author of Clytemnestra and Saul, who was not deterred from choosing this subject for a tragedy, notwithstanding the fate of the numerous pieces on the same subject which have been produced on the French stage, of which none is remembered except that of Marmontel; and even this is not only severely censured by La Harpe, but this celebrated critic adds, "To fancy that such a subject can be raised to the dignity of tragedy, the author must have lost his senses, like the hero whom he has chosen." Though M. Soumel, in the ardour of youth was not deterred by this anathema, he probably had some misgivings, which induced him to keep his play back for many years. He has hoped, it may be supposed, that the alterations which his maturer judgment suggested, by raising the feebleness of the characters in striking situati ons, and hiding the faults of the plan by a profusion of admirable verses, might render it worthy of appearing before the public. M. Soumet, like Marmontel, has greatly embarrassed himself by the introduction of Octavia, whom, contrary to known history, he brings to Egypt, where he causes her to fall by the hand of

Cleopatra, on whom he thus throws additional odium, and of course adds to the difficulty of exciting any interest for her in the mind of the audience. Nay, M. Soumet has even introduced Marcellus, the son of Octavia by her first husband (though he makes him the son of Antony), who is left to bewail the loss of his mother; thus committing another and most offensive violation of history, in spite of Virgil, whose affecting verses on the premature death of that young prince are so well known that we ought almost to ask pardon of our readers for only alluding to them. Notwithstanding all that may be objected to M. Soumet's performance, its faults are outweighed by splendid beauties: it certainly does not belong to Voltaire's genre ennuyeux. The two Salems, a fairy opera in one act produced at the Royal Academy of Music, is but the old story of the two Amphytrions in a new dress. The little merit of this piece, the music of which too is very poor, certainly could not entitle it to be performed at the Opera, much as it has declined from its ancient splendour.

History, Memoirs, and Biography. As it may be in general presumed that in the market of literature, as in every other, those whose business it is to furnish the supply will take care to consult the taste of their customers, we are surely authorised in considering the great number of historical publications which are continually issuing from the French press, as a proof that a love of serious reading must be very general among our neighbours; for though the superficial and the gay may take up a volume of Memoirs in the hope of meeting with amusing or scandalous anecdote, such motives cannot be supposed in those who read historical works of the nature and extent of those to which we have alluded. We have already had several opportunities of noticing, in their progress, the several collections which are now publishing simultaneously at Paris; but we think it not beside the pur

pose to recal them altogether to the attention of our readers. These collections are five in number. The first, directed by the care of M. Guizot, embraces the first eight centuries of the French monarchy, from Clovis to St. Louis. The first eight volumes of this collection are published, faithfully translated from the barba rous Latin into French, which is suitable to the simplicity of the times of which they treat, and enriched with valuable explanatory notes. This collection, which will form 30 volumes, is followed by that of M. Petitot, which includes the Memoirs from the 13th century to the middle of the 18th. Many of these are inedited. These two collections are completed by Mr. Buchon's edition of the Chronicles of Froissart, Monstrelet, the great Chronicles of the Abbey of St. Denis, and the Memoirs of Duplessis Mornay, making in all 60 volumes. The 4th and 5th volumes of Froissart are now published. We have already spoken of the valuable additions made to this new edition. These three collections include the whole of the original history of ancient France. The fourth collection, consisting of Memoirs relative to the French Revolution, of which we have repeatedly spoken, proceeds with rapidity, and will undoubtedly furnish the future historian with most valuable materials. cannot refrain, however, from observing that we think the publication of some of these Memoirs might have been spared. The latest that have appeared are those of Thibaudeau, who, having held important political situations under all the governments, had opportunities of observation under the Convention, the Directory, the Consulate, and the Empire, which are calculated to render his Memoirs very interesting. Two volumes are published. The Memoirs of Condorcet, extracted from his correspondence and that of his friends, particularly of Suard and Morellet, are advertised, in 2 vols. 8vo. The celebrated Madame de Genlis has advertised the Memoirs of

We

pire; it gives a true and faithful sketch of the reign of the Emperor Julian, and the Invasion of the Barbarians. Albert and Lucile, or the Castle of Monteuil, 3 vols. 12mo. by the author of the Family of Montelle, and of Maurice and his Children, by Mademoiselle Dupetival, is well spoken of. This lady's name is now made known for the first time. M. Jouy has given to the public another volume of his Hermit in the Country: it describes the manners and customs of Normandy.

GERMANY.

Mr. Horn has published the third and last volume of the Poetry and Eloquence of the Germans from Luther to our times. Frederick V. Elector Palatine and King of Bohemia, by M. Lipowsky, keeper of the Archives at Munich, is a valuable addition to the History of the Thirty Years' War. M. Wiebeking is now on a tour in France, the Netherlands,

and England, collecting materials for the third volume of his History of Civil Architecture. The first two volumes contain descriptions of 2200 edifices, and the views, sections, &c, of 489 edifices, ancient and modern, on 83 plates of the largest Atlas size.

RUSSIA.

Commodore Krusenstern has undertaken to publish annually two volumes of Memoirs of the Russian Navy. The Voyage of Malespina is in the press: it is remarkable that it should first appear in the Russian language. A Journey to China, by M. Timbrowski, is publishing: the first volume contains the journey to Pekin; the second will be occupied with a description of that city.

DENMARK.

M. Ingemann has just published a Danish Epic Poem, " Waldemar the Great, and his Followers."

THERE is but little foreign intelligence since our last, though certainly strong indications that the present dearth will not be of very long continuance. In France all distant wars are totally forgotten in the bellum internecinum, which the dismissal of Chateaubriand has caused amongst the ministerial coteries. Villele, firm in the King's confidence, and in the servile adhesion of the Chamber of Deputies, seems quite quiescent under the daily attacks of the journals and the occasional defection of the House of Peers. He has had several majorities against him in that assembly, and his exiled colleague keeps up a continual fire of pasquinade and denunciation. For this, no doubt, Chateaubriand is eminently qualifiedthe French Canning-he is a perfect master of squib, and jest, and epigram, and all the light artillery of literary opposition; and he has so managed as to leave Villele without a single gun to answer him-scarcely one journal supports the minister-a strange fact in the history of any press, but more particularly in that of the Parisian. It is not, we hope,

any esprit de corps which makes us think Villele mistaken in this policy; a pun in France is worth perhaps at this moment just as much as it was in the days of Sterne, and the French are not now for many reasons peculiarly lynx-eyed towards a politician's inconsistencies; let Chateaubriand only write well, and wittily, and he may revile as he pleases, when out of livery, every opinion which he advocated when in it-neither Talleyrand nor Marmont will blame him, and thousands of imitators in every department downwards will support him in the opinion, that principles, like fashions, ought to have their leader, and depend upon the ascendancy of the season. A momentary depression of the rentes has added the jobbers to the journals. In short, there is some reason to suspect that the minister's triumph rests chiefly on the very infirm foundation of his master's life-a very rotten tenure.

The intelligence from Portugal is characteristic enough of the wretched state to which priestcraft and tyranny have conspired to reduce that un

fortunate people. The King, like Ferdinand, has published an amnesty, though it is difficult to say for what; an amnesty really appears to have become now in those countries a kind of customary state paper, first rendered necessary by the governments, and then, though somewhat more tardily, promulgated by them. A proclamation has also issued announcing the intention of the King to convoke the ancient Cortes, an assembly described as being a representation of the clergy, the nobility, and the people. Another official paper attributes the late conspiracy to the influence of improper companions over the mind of the Prince, Don Miguel -no doubt he will learn better constitutional notions at the Court of the Thuilleries, with the additional advantage of learning French at the same time. A much more serious question however has arisen, so far as England is concerned, than either the son's manners or the father's amnesties. It seems, Don John, finding the attempt at governing his ferocious domestic factions by his own means utterly hopeless, has applied to this country for a military force. After much deliberation, England is said to have promised the aid of some companies of British marines and a Hanoverian brigade. No doubt, had we denied the request, some other court would have been found complaisant enough to have entertained it. To be sure, the cause in Portugal-the keeping in check a turbulent servile faction-would have been something different from that which France at present maintains in Spain; but still her troops might then garrison all the strong holds in the entire Peninsula, and until morals and policy form a more holy alliance than they hitherto have done, we fear some statesmen will be found scurvy enough to prefer the possession of a fortress to the maintenance of a principle. It is not, however, our province to do more than merely announce the fact; yet, to say the truth, we must borrow a leaf out of the French ultra code in order to justify our anticipated interference the cause we aid may be different, but the principle of foreign interference is the same, and if we to-day at the mere request of the king of Portugal yield to his desires of inter

ference against the serviles, we cannot see how upon principle we can object to-morrow to the interference of Russia on the claim of any other king against the liberals. The party we aid may be different, but the principle upon which we afford it is the same. No doubt this difference in the cause may furnish matter for a very fine and flashy declamation in parliament; but all the sophistry on earth will never dispose of the precedent. A curious proof of the state of society in Lisbon is to be found in the fact, that the Queen, notwithstanding her disgrace, gave a grand assembly after Don Miguel's exile, to which she invited three hundred of the most staunch of her own and her son's partizans! The King, who latterly seems to have acquired a sort of factitious firmness, banished the greater proportion of the company from Lisbon next day.

The intelligence received from South America is of a very mixed character, and in our mind preponderating rather against their final emancipation. Bolivar, in his new capacity as dictator of Peru, has advanced into that country with an auxiliary Colombian force. In consequence of this the executive government of Colombia has for the present devolved upon the Vice-president Santandor, who has addressed the Congress in a message of some interest and importance. This document is an imitation of those published on similar occasions by the Executive of the United States, and presents a very favourable picture so far as the individual state to which it refers is concerned. It gives a very satisfactory account of the triumph of the liberal party over their domestic opponents, not concealing the fact, however, that Ferdinand is determined on hostility, so far as his power goes. A clear exposition is made of the relations of Colombia with the United States, and their recognition and assurances of support are dwelt on with gratitude and dignity. The presence of a Commissioner from the English government is next referred to, and cited as a proof that the current of popular feeling is in favour of their independence. The internal regulations_of the country-its cultivation -education-army-post-office establish