customs, superstitions, religion, and natural phenomena of the countries throughout which he travelled, it assuredly demands the attention and esteem of the general reader. MR. BARFF TUCKER'S CARTOON. Natives of Newfoundland, presented by Sebastian Cabot to Henry VII. Wehave received, and examined with pleasure and peculiar interest, a litho graphed copy of one of the Cartoons recently exhibited in Westminster Hall. The artist is Mr. Barff Tucker; the subject is, the presentation of two Newfoundland aborigines to King Henry the Seventh in the year 1502. We have said that we regarded the picture before us with pleasure as well as interest, and it is true, for we not only see reason to admire the skill and promise of the youthful artist, but still more, the intention and design of the undertaking, which is, to draw attention to the condition and claims of those children of the uncivilized regions of the earth, who have been brought into contact with, and subjection to, a more enlightened, and, therefore, a more powerful race. But, we have also contemplated the work of Mr. Tucker with feelings of profound melancholy, remembering at the time, that the inhabitants of Newfoundland, of which the Indians before us were specimens, have all been exterminated by the European settlers of that co ony. Barrett, in his manuscript history of Bristol, informs us, that, in 1497, Newfoundland was discovered by Bristol men. Cory, in his history of the same city, states, that Sebastian Cabot found the natives not destitute of reason Fabion tell us, that three of the inhabitants of Newfoundland were presented to Henry the Seventh, clothed in the skins of their country, and were for some time detained by the monarch, for the gratification of the curiosity of the persons about the Court. What is the sequel? The Aborigines' Committee, of 1837, communicate the melancholy fact in their Report, that the whole of the natives of Newfoundland have been exterminated! The object of Mr. Tucker, in his Cartoon, is to throw the mind back upon the history and fate of the natives who have perished, and forward upon the prospects of those who, in other parts of the world, have been, or are likely to be brought into similar circumstances with the aborigines of Newfound. land. Happy should we be, if the fine arts of this country were made subser vient to the purposes of incul ating lessons of humiliation on account of past misdeeds, and of duty as respects future conduct. The sympathy which is begotten in the mind of the beholder, while gazing upon the Indians who represent a murdered and extinct race, is naturally turned to a consideration of the circumstances of those in other places, who are threatened with similar calamities, and the regret for that which is past is changed into apprehension, mingled with hope and effort for those who are yet alive. Abundant materials are afforded in the history of British conquest and colonization for the production of similar pictures. America, Asia, and Africa, suggest to the mind innumerable scenes and incidents which might be illustrated on canvas with the best moral effect. We trust that the patronage, which is bestowed by the public on Mr. Tucker's picture, will be sufficient to encourage him to make many kindred attempts, and that those in high places, whose business it is to decide, not only on the merits of the painter, but upon the comparative excellence of the subjects chosen for exhibition, will be duly susceptible of the importance of making the embellishments of the New Houses of Parliament subservient to the advancement of the cause of true civilization and national duty. THE FORGET-ME-NOT for 1845. Edited by FREDERICK SHOBerl. Ackermann & Co., Strand. 37 66 در The Forget-me-Not for 1845 is as elegant and graceful a volume as can well be devised. The illustrations, ten in number, and of superlative excellence, are engraved from paintings by Gastineau, Sater, Allen, Roberts, and other "good men and true;" the "Hermit and the Rock," Miranda, and "Trent, in the Tyrol," are quite exquisite. Amongst the contributors to the literary department, we recognize the names of Miss Pardoe, Miss Mitford, Mrs. Sigourney, Mrs. Gore, Delta, Calder Campbell, and Lady Emmeline Wortley, who writes the following very fine sonnet: TO THE QUEEN. Written on the day of Her Majesty's Departure from Belvoir Castle. One word of praise and homage, high and true, Great Queen of many Empires! more than crowned! 'Till seems thy whole wide land, thy throne! pierced through Born of thy light, without eclipse or bound! Earth hears loud myriads laud thee to the skies, Young, beauteous Queen! for all in zeal have striven, To speak their duteous love, which never dies! If from their awe-struck heights, alone should rise, A voice, whose sound shall reach-not earth, but HEAVEN! The highest praise which we can, perhaps, bestow upon this volume is to describe it as quite equal in point of merit, to any of its predecessors. THE GERMAN TRESOR; or, the Art of Translating English into German at Sight. By LOUIS P. R. F. DE PORQUET. 3rd Edition. Fenwick De Porquet, Tavistock Street. Although the plan adopted by the skilful author of the present book, in teaching languages, has now for many years firmly stood the test of experience, and the efficacy of his system been abundantly and satisfactorily proved, we deem it not altogether needless, in thus introducing a new edition of the present volume to the attention of our readers, briefly to notice the method he pursues, and inculcates throughout the entire of his works, in communicating a knowledge of foreign languages. Mr. De Porquet teaches on the principle that nothing but the constant translation of select phrases from his native tongue into the language he seeks to acquire, or, in other words, the constant practice of expressing ideas in that language, will enable the student to think in it, and, as a matter of course, to converse in it, Now, as is well known, the reverse of this is what is usually practised, with the exception, perhaps, of an occasional written exercise for the pupil is customarily, and, in a measure, nselessly, required to read and translate the French or German authors, with the aid of a dictionary, no very difficult matter, and still less so with the additional assistance of a master. The result of this practice is, that a journey to the Continent is requisite to perfect him in a science, which could have been acquired at home with a native in as many months as years are us ally spent. "Had the pupil, on the contrary," (we quote from our author's preface) began by reading the foreign language, with a scholar or native of the country in which it is spoken, at the same time merely learning the most useful parts of speech, and then immediately made an attempt to translate, viva voce, the easiest English composition into German, French, or Italian, he would have been led insensibly to think in either language; the mechanism, or order of construction of which, would have been impressed on his mind." Mr. De Porquet's extensive experience as a teacher, is an ample guarantee for the soundness of these views; and for our part, we have small doubt that, by perseveringly and carefully following his directions, a student will be enabled, in a comparatively brief space of time, to read a foreign work in the very language and spirit of the author. In the present edition of The German Tresor, the notes to the different daily lessons have been considerably enlarged, and in the lexicon, besides a considerable augmentation of words, the past participles, and one person of the preterite tense of all verbs, both regular and irregular, have been added. ANECDOTES OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, chiefly regarding the local dialect of London and its environs, &c., &c. By SAMUEL PEGGE, Esq., F.R,S. 3rd Edition. Edited by the Rev. HENRY CHRISTMAS, M.A. J. B. Nichols and Son, Parliament-street. Of this very instructive and entertaining treatise on one of the most curious subjects offered by philology, we are here supplied by Mr. Christmas with an admirable and considerably enlarged edition. In his editorial labours, he has also been efficiently assisted by several gentlemen of high repute in the World of Letters, and the present volume is further enriched by a biographical sketch of Mr. Pegge, and by the insertion of several papers formerly included in the "Anecdotes of Old Times." To those of our readers who may not be precisely aware of the nature or extent of Mr. Pegge's ingenious labours, we take leave to present, in lieu of any remarks of our own, the following extract from an elaborate and learnedly written notice of the original edition, which we find in a contemporaneous periodical. The late ingenious Mr. Pegge amused himself, and will doubtless amuse his readers, while, under a feigned zeal for the credit of the common London or Cockney dialect, he discussed the awkward state of our language at a period not very remote from the present day, and adduced written authorities, of no mean rank, to justify expressions which are now regarded as evidences of vulgarity, and want of education. With much grave humour, he pleads the cause of 'old, unfortunate, and discarded words and expressions, which are now turned out to the world at large by persons of education (without the smallest protection), and acknowledged only by the humbler orders of mankind, who seem charitably to respect them as decayed gentlefolks that have known better days;' and he insists that those modes of speech, which Dr. Johnson treated with so much contempt as mere colloquial barbarisms,' claim respect on account of their pedigree, though not for the company which they are now forced to keep. Formerly these were of good repute; and though they be now melted down and modernized by our present literary refiners, the cockney evinces his partiality to the old family language, and is not ashamed of being some centuries behind the present fashion. Cockneys then, are entitled to some favour from an antiquary, and their dialect will supply him with food adapted to his taste. "This fondled creature is so much Mr. Pegge's darling, that he will not permit the fashionable world to abuse him as they have done. The sneering courtier is reminded that the dialect in use among the citizens, within the sound of Bow-bell, is that of antiquity; and that the cockneys, who content themselves with the received language and pronunciation which has descended to them unimpaired and unaugmented through a long line of ancestry, have not corrupted their native tongue, but are in general luckily right, though upon unfashionable principles.' These peculiarities of expression, the shibboleths of the common citizens, are here termed Londonisms"* The very copious notes, furnished by Mr. Christmas and his colleagues, are replete with erudition and pleasantry, and very many of them are admirable specimens of verbal criticism; several appendices by Grose, Horace Walpole, Mr. Pegge himself, and other writers, referable more or less, to the subject matter of the treatise, are also contained in the present volume; which we can best describe as a well-plenished storehouse of wit and learning, humour and information. GLIMPSES OF THE WONDERFUL. A CHRISTMAS ANNUAL. Harvey and Darton, Gracechurch-street. It is truly written, that "there is no stronger, or more unvarying appetite in the human mind, than the desire of knowledge." As soon as the newborn infant draws the breath of life, its seuses are put in immediate requisition, and its organs are incessantly employed, in actions which are generally passed by as idle and meaningless, but which are real experiments to learn the size, form, distance, heat, and other sensible qualities of the objects within reach. And when, by the acquisition of speech, a newsource is opened of increasing knowledge, how eagerly is information of all kinds sought from parents, or elder friends, and with what a relish is every new fact treasured up in the rapidly-filling storehouse of the mind! Soon the art of reading comes in, and the young philosopher is endowed with a new power, and introduced into an unbounded field of knowledge, cultivated by the intellect of all nations and ages, and which every day is enriching with new discoveries in science and art. The immense amount of contributions to this aggregate of information, is a striking characteristic of the present age; the ardent thirst for knowledge is slaked by books suited to every grade of mind and to every variation of taste. Yet still the demand increases, and to the opening mind of the young, the hope of the future, is here presented—in a volume remarkable alike for the beauty of its internal embellishments and outward decoration-another offering; "gleanings from the wonders which the mind of man has achieved, and from the mightier wonders which have emanated from the infinite mind of God." Thus, amidst a variety of other subjects, are furnished ample and accurate descriptions o the Steam Ship, Eddystone Lighthouse, the Cave of Elephanta, a Tiger Hunt, The Crocodile, Pearl Divers, the Flying Fish, Icebergs, and the Moon, concisely yet elegantly written, and in language admirably adapted to the comprehension of the youthful reader. The really exquisite illustrations-engravings on the wood -in many of which fancy is made to illustrate science, accompanying each article, are very numerous; they picturesquely and truthfully disclose a world of wonders, and are far-very far-superior in every respect to any we have hitherto seen. Aitogether the volume is quite a pictorial treasure, and a perfect gem of its kind. PETER PARLEY'S ANNUAL FOR 1845. Darton and Clark, Holborn-hill. This is the seventh volume of this pretty annual, and our old friend Peter Parley appears on the present occasion, to have put forth all his strength with a view to the suitable entertainment of his young friends. The tales The Monthly Review for 1805. the stories-the adventures and the anecdotes are all interesting and welt related; the engraved illustrations occur in every page, and are equally well engraved. As an acceptable, welcome, Christmas and New Year's present to our younger friends-rendering the acquisition of knowledge a pleasure instead of a task-we cheerfully recommend the present volume. A JOURNEY ACross the Desert, from CeylonN TO MARSEILLES; comprising Sketches of Aden, the Red Sea, Lower Egypt, Malta, Sicily, and Italy. By Major and Mrs. GEORGE DARBY GRIFFITH: 2 vols. Henry Colburn, Great Marlborough Street. This is a light and interesting narrative of a journey home from Ceylon, by an invalid lady and her husband. The former has undertaken the literary portion of the task, and the latter has contributed some accurate sketches of the various objects which he deemed worthy of being represented to the eye of the English reader. As far as Mrs. Griffith has described the usual route taken by overland passengers from India, her book may be taken as a faithful guide; with this exception, that, to us, she appears to have exaggerated the discomforts of the journey, a thing which, as an invalid, she might do without the slightest intention of being any thing than faithful. Mrs. Griffith and the Major left Point de Galle by the India steamer, on Sunday, the 21st of April. (The year is not given, but we presume it was 1841 or 1812.) "I sat on the deck above an hour before we weighed anchor, and took a lingering look at the beautiful though familiar scene. The view from the harbour of Galle is certainly lovely; the entrance being narrow, the panorama is uninterrupted. To the right is the picturesque fort, with its old walls and fortifications jutting far into the sea; at the extreme point is the flag-staff, and beyond it are several rocky islands, upon one of which is a single cocoannt tree, which adds much to the effect. In the centre of the town and rising above every surrounding object, are the two gable ends of the old church, built by the Dutch, and from the harbour it appears shaded by a large tulip tree which grows in our garden. The whole place is shaded by trees, which appear as numerous as the leaves, and make it look from as like fairy-land. Further on is the quay, where multitudes of canoes are moored, which have an exceedingly picturesque appearance. On the left of the bay is a lofty headland, clothed to the summit with trees and the most luxuriant vegetation of the richest and most varied colours. Two lovely islands are in the same direction, partaking of the features of the mainland; but the prettiest part of the whole is the back of the harbour; here is the Galle face or esplanade, and at the back there are verdant hills, clothed to the summit with cocoa-nut trees; at the top of one is the pretty little Catholic chapel, peeping its white face through the trees. At the foot of these, and close to the harbour, is the native town and bridge, all of white stone and shaded by numerous trees." On the 12th of June-"As soon as it was light we passed the narrow mouth between the peninsula of Aden and the main land of Arabia, and anchored in the back harbour. I know not how to describe the seene that presented itself to our view. It is completely different from anything I ever saw or imagined-huge mountains and rocks rising in every direction, and of the most grotesque shapes; but the most striking thing of all is that there is not the smallest particle of vegetation to relieve the eye from these huge cinders, for they are literally nothing else, which reflect the sun threefold. The whole place is supposed to be of volcanic formation, and it certainly gives the idea of the mouth of a crater. Notwithstanding the disadvantages of the glare and heat, it is remarkably picturesque, and affords a wide field for the |
