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exist in a degree far surpassing that in which they are found in any other nation of the earth."

The contents of this interesting volume fully bear out the truth of this observation, and Mr. Ellis, in his brief introductory notice of China and Siam, has contributed not a little to the value of the work. In these few pages is comprised all that is yet known by Europeans of the most singular, populous, and extensive empire in the world, except what the author has collected in the three voyages, of which we are here presented in a copious and yet tolerably well-digested journal. Those who know the Chinese through the very limited and precarious intercourse which the jealous policy of their Government has allowed to foreigners, confirm Dr. Morrison's summary of their character-that they are for the most part specious, but insincere-jealous, envious, and distrustful to a high degree-selfish, cold-blooded, and inhumane; and Mr. Ellis adds, that in the punishment of criminals, in the infliction of tortures, they are barbarously cruel; that human suffering or human life are but rarely regarded by those in authority, when the infliction of the one, or the destruction of the other, can be made subservient to the acquisition of wealth or power. There vice exists in all its diversified forms-crimes of the most revolting and debasing character are perpetrated with a frequency unequalled perhaps in any other part of the world-the tender sympathies of the heart are counteracted or destroyed by familiarity with cruelty and selfishness. The female sex, as in every other heathen country, is subjected to the most humiliating degradation-allowed indeed to be human beings, but placed on a level with the inferior orders of creation. Yet what a stupendous fabric is the social edifice of China! To the European, who can view it only at a distance, and not to the best advantage, it is a land of anomalies and wonders, confounding all his speculations, and baffling all his notions, as to what constitutes the true basis of social prosperity and the improvement of the species. The mariner's compass, the art of printing, the manufacture of gunpowder, were in use in China before they were discovered in Europe; and Barrow tells us," when the King of France introduced the luxury of silk stockings, the peasantry of the middle provinces of China were clothed in silk from head to foot; and when the Nobility of England were sleeping on straw, a peasant of China had his mat and his pillow, and the man in office enjoyed his silken mattress." But China is now what she was a thousand years ago; but look at France and England-in the nineteenth century as contrasted with what they were at the period when the luxury of silks was unknown to them. What further increases our surprise at the stationary condition of the Chinese and the unchangeable perpetuity of their strangely mingled barbarism and civilization is, that intellect and individuals devoted to the pursuits of science and literature, are held in the very highest esteem by them, and that they are more concerned for the education of the various classes of the people than perhaps all the European nations put together.

"Whatever defects," says Mr. Ellis, "may attach to the Chinese character, and these defects are of no common order, they are not without traits of excellence, among which their general attention to education is most conspicuous. According to Nieuhoff and Kircher, quoted by Mr. Fisher, in the Gentleman's Magazine,' who states that the Chinese have evidently been for centuries in advance of the nations of Europe; education is more general, and in some respects better conducted in China than it was when the account was written (1669), or is now in any other country. Means were provided by the head of every family for the instruction of its members in reading and writing, either by the parent or hired itinerant teachers. The proportion of the educated to the uneducated is said to be as four to one. This proportion is much larger than that given by Dr. Morrison, who states, that though there is a great number of teachers, and the rudiments of learning may be obtained at so low a rate as two dollars a-year, not more than one-half of the community is able to read. The Government supports schoolmasters for the soldiery, but not for the children of the poor generally, It is however stated, that

the Government encourages education, not only by the bestowment of offices, but of literary rank, with badges of distinction. The Chinese press, according to Dr. Morrison, has been prolific, and the accumulation is vast. Their historians have

preserved an account in many respects analogous with that which Moses has given of the general deluge. They possess also ancient and modern literature in great abundance, an unlicensed press, and cheap books suited to their taste, with poetry and music of elegant composition, and native ancient classics. They have copious histories of their own part of the world, with antiquities and topographical illustrations, dramatic compositions, delineations of men and manners in works of fiction, tales of battles and of murders, and the tortuous stratagems of protracted and bloody civil wars. With all these, and with mythological legends for the superstitious, the Chinese and kindred nations are by the press most abundantly supplied. Nor is their literature destitute of theories of nature and descriptions of her various productions, the processes of the pharmacopolist, and the history and practice of medicine. Besides these, they have what are deemed Sacred writings, being a compilation of the works of ancient authors, of the age of Confucius."

Yet, with all these advantages, there is a limit beyond which the Chinese mind seems destined not to pass. Neither political convulsions, nor the spirit of enterprise, the extension of territory, nor the thousand additions made to the common stock of science and literature, have advanced them in the scale of intellectual greatness or social happiness. They have been partially and completely conquered-have delivered themselves, and have been conquered again—and the divisions of their country have undergone a thousand different changes;" yet the consideration of the vicissitudes to which they have been subject affords but little satisfaction in the retrospect. It would be interesting to inquire into the various causes which have thus conspired to keep this mighty empire stationary, while other nations, to which ages ago it was immeasurably superior in knowledge and civilization, have dwarfed it in the distance, and now look down upon it with mingled emotions of wonder and contempt. These are partially touched upon in this volume both by Mr. Ellis and our good friend Gutzlaff, who turns out to be much more of a philosopher than the earlier pages of his book seemed to promise. We assure our readers much instruction and entertainment from this simple narrative. From his account, it appears that the people in China and its dependencies are everywhere anxious for free intercourse with other nations, but that the authorities oppose to this every obstacle in their power. If this be true, and he has confirmed his statement by many interesting facts, China will not long continue what she is. European commerce-the diffusion of true knowledge through the medium of a free press-and the enlightened efforts of men of the liberal professions taking up their residence in China--and above all, the wise, enlightened, and tempered zeal of missionaries, such as Morrison, Milne, and Gutzlaff-will prepare the way for the mightiest revolution in favour of knowledge and happiness that was ever effected for the human race. We are glad to learn that the first impression of Mr. Gutzlaff's work is nearly sold, and that a second, with improvements, is already in the press. The Disinherited and the Ensnared. By the Authoress of "Flirtation." 3 Vols.

The pure and excellent tone of Lady Charlotte Bury's productions has been so frequently and so advantageously known to the public, that we cannot add to the moral reputation of a book when we have said that it is the production of her Ladyship's pen. High born and beautiful, respected by all who had the advantage of being known to her, Lady Charlotte Bury, at a period when literature was not, as it now is-the fashion-devoted much of her time to the enlargement of an amiable and intelligent mind. She loved knowledge for its own sake, and cultivated it because of its intrinsic worth; and now, from time to time, bestows the wisdom she has acquired during an observant life upon those who desire to be ac

quainted with human nature, and the forms and habits of social life. Having always moved in the highest circles, it is to be believed that her pictures of a peculiar class are amongst the best extant; and were it only for this cause, we should anticipate a very extensive popularity for the present volumes. There is something peculiarly graceful and pleasing in Lady Charlotte's mode of story-telling-a total freedom from affectation-and an untiring kindliness of purpose, which renders everything she does useful and effective. The story of "The Ensnared "is one of great delicacy, skilfully managed, and worked out at the conclusion with a useful and instructive moral, which is neither far-fetched nor over-strained. We have seldom regretted more our being unable to give extracts, as there are many passages no less deserving attention for their truth than their beauty of expression and elegance of thought.

We can therefore only recommend the volumes to our readers, assured that they cannot fail to derive pleasure and profit from the perusal. History of the Foundations in Manchester of Christ's College, Chetham's Hospital, and the Free Grammar School. Manchester. 3 Vols. 4to. As long as the study of archæology is cultivated in this country, or an interest awakened by the genuine records of remote periods, such a publication as the present must prove highly valuable; and we are glad, therefore, to see this judicious and important design of giving a complete account of the Collegiate Church of Manchester, and the manifold fortunes which attended it, from its foundation, in the beginning of the fifteenth century, to our own times, placed in the competent hand of Dr. Hibbert, who has sought for information throughout every channel, and shown indefatigable industry and zeal in representing every attractive and interesting feature.

The antiquarian is the miner of history: it is his skill, learning, and assiduity which are continually bringing the buried gold of knowledge to the surface, for the poet, the philosopher, and the historian to shape into the current coin of literature, and enrich the minds of myriads with facts, which but for the antiquarian had remained undiscovered,—still hidden beneath the dust of centuries. Yet, notwithstanding this, it is rarely that publishers, who devote their attention to such works, meet with sufficient appreciation-rarer still that they receive any reward. It should be remembered that, but for such instances of individual spirit, those objects which are generally and justly considered as being of essential importance to literature and science, would never be accomplished. We hope, however, to see a more liberal feeling exhibited towards the present work, which deserves, in an eminent degree, public appreciation and support.

The learned and ingenious author in his Preface, observes, that"The ecclesiastical information, much of which is collected from very rare and almost inaccessible documents, will, I believe, be found to be for the first time published; nor can it be perused by the most hasty reader without his conviction, that the College of Manchester gave the impulse to all the important ecclesiastical events which took place in Lancashire from the commencement of the reign of Elizabeth down to the commotions of the year 1745. Many facts are also narrated, particularly during the great civil wars of England, which not only reflect a new light upon the general history of Lancashire, but are calculated to explain many obscure points in the ecclesiastical annals of the kingdom at large. These I have assiduously collected, and have endeavoured to record with impartiality and fidelity."

Almost every page invites us to extract; the following is curious:

"In the year 1536, an act was passed, directed against vigils or wakes, which, in Manchester, had no little influence in stemming the ascendancy of popery over the minds of the populace; few persons are ever to be entrusted to feast, and fewer are to be allowed to meet in numbers together. There is a contagious viciousness in crowds; though each individual of them, alone and by himself, would act with a religious propriety; yet, all together, they act with irreligion and folly."

The importance attached to the gathering of Robin Hood's men is curiously illustrated in a sermon of Bishop Latimer, preached before Edward VI., in which he inveighs against the profanity.

"I came once myself (says he) to a place, riding a journey homeward from London, and sent word over night to the town that I would preach there in the morning, because it was a holiday; and I took my horse and my company and went thither, but when I came there the church-door was locked, and I was obliged to give place to Robin Hood's men."

Then,' says an old writer, 'martch this heathen company towards the churchyard, their pypers, pying, their drums thundering, their stumper dancing, their belles iyngling, their handkerchiefs fluttering about their heads like maddemen, their hobbie-horses and other monsters skirmishing among the throng; and in this sort they go to church (though the minister be at prayer or preaching), dancing and swinging their handkerchiefs over their heads in the church, like devils incar nate, with such a confused noise that no man can heare his own voyce. Then the foolish people, they look, they stare, they laugh, they fleere, and mount upon forms and pewes to see these goodly pageants solemnized in this sorte. Then after this, about the church they go againe and againe, and so forth into the church-yard, where they have commonly their summer haules, their bowers, arbours, and banquetting houses set up, wherein they feast, banquet and dance all that day, and peradventure all that night too.'"

The interest of the work is considerably augmented by the graphic embellishments of J. Le Keux and others, many of which are in the very first style of the art. "The Choir" is exquisitely beautiful; altogether, it is one of the most brilliantly illustrated works ever published; and highly worthy the patronage of every lover of literature and the arts.

Slight Reminiscences of the Rhine, Switzerland, and a Corner of Italy. 2 Vols.

We had just laid down a "Tour," after toiling through 700 mortal pages, closely printed, with intercalary episodes of trap and hornblende, printed still closer, when we took up the next book, expecting some recreation, or at least relaxation of labour, from variety, in our task. It turned out to be another tour, and we were just about to chuck it away with the exclamation of the tired satirist, occidit miseros crambe repetita magistros, when the title," Slight Reminiscences," induced us to hope a review of it would not be very fatiguing. We found it not only negatively not so, but positively delightful. Whatever a man may say, it is well known his opinions are influenced more or less by a name; and there was nothing, except an ambiguous quotation in the title-page, to enable us to guess at even the sex of the tourist, till we got to Coblentz, when a turkey-cock, by gobbling at "my red shawl," satisfied us on that point. The next object of our curiosity was the name of the fair tourist. There was something so livelyso droll-such an odd way of seeing things-and such a happy manner of describing them, that the first impression on our mind was, that we had met our old friend Lady Morgan again on her rambles. Some of the modes of expression, too, we thought were her own. She was broiled with heat till she was "done to rags; she 66 saw a pious prodigality of churches ;" and St. Patrick, she says, spreads his mantle " of holiness over half the public-houses in Ireland.' Other internal evidence, however, was against this supposition. It was published without a name-a sacrifice of celebrity which her Ladyship would not be like to make, unless, perhaps, she expected that the authoress, like Johnson, would be deterré by the merit of the work. Again, much anxiety was expressed that "little Mimi's cold was worse," and we are sorry to know that her Ladyship is not a mother; but this was not conclusive either, for after all, " Mimi" might have been a poodle. But finally, the authoress evinces a serious impression of religion, and a decent respect for the Sabbath-day: this determined our opi

nion of the non-identity of Mi-ladi, for we are sorry to say she cares too little for such things, and is fond of displaying her carelessness.

Whoever the authoress is, however, we assure her we accompanied her with great pleasure through her rambles. Though we had ourselves gone over the same ground, we were not tired with the sameness of repetition, for ideas and things were presented to us which we did not think or see ourselves. Who could suppose anything could be said of Calais that was not a thousand times said before? yet the sketches en passant, even of this dirty thoroughfare, are not only striking but novel. Besides its former historical recollections, there is one of recent date, which we confess we did not know before-" It stands alone in its indignant rejection of a revolutionary tribunal. None could be found willing to become members of the bloody league, and thus was it saved, by a fine feeling of repugnance to exercise an unjust authority, from the regeneration by fire and sword.”— Sunday-The bells rang at a very early hour this morning, as we supposed for prayers, but learned that it was a call to players to rehearsal. This species of Sabbath recreation is wholly repugnant to our feelings." Certainly; and there is nothing that shocks English society so much when they first visit the Continent as the total removal of that partition which, at home, so entirely separates the Sabbath from an ordinary day. At Waterloo we are entertained, not with details of slaughter and glory, but much better amused with ingenious versions of French into English. The "Hotel du Roi d'Espagne" was translated on a card over the chimneypiece, for the better understanding of the English traveller, "An Inn from the Spanish King;" and they were informed by their guide, that "Quatre Bras" meant "de three leg." As a pendant to this, some curious versions of English into French are given. An Englishman was travelling en diligence, and overset in a ditch; the compassionate conducteur inquired with great interest, "Avez vous du mal, Monsieur?" 'Non," said the traveller, rising out of the mud, "je n'ai qu'un portemanteau." A better example of literal translation follows: one of our countrymen, annoyed by the importunity of a French beggar, dismissed him with the following reproof"Tenez votre langue, Monsieur, vous êtes en liqueur." These are equal to any of Swift's Latinisms.

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At Liege, the students of the University did not much resemble those of Oxford. They lounged about in the negligé of a carter's frock, or the demi-toilette of a great coat and casquette, or sat before the shop doors, peeping through an atmosphere of tobacco, in the full equipage of laziness. Spa and Aix-la-Chapelle seem the Bath and Cheltenham of England. The first was solemn and stately, but so deserted by company, that at a ball attempted to be got up, there did not appear a single female of any description." At the latter, new scenes branched out into gay and pretty suburbs, and at the ball a sprinkling of ladies of the best water;" but the circumstance most striking, was that the same open indulgence in gaming, that connects its name with "cards and dice, sharks and pigeons, seducing confederates and infatuated dupes," still continues. The players continue their occupation in death-like silence, undisturbed by the buz or the gaze of the lookers-on; not a sound was heard but the rattle of the heaped-up money, as it was passed from one side of the table to the other; nor was the smallest anxiety or emotion visible in any countenance." This utter silence-this calmness of death, where the mental emotion is too dark and solemn to appear on the surface-is one of the most awful and terrific symptoms of this mortal amusement.

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At Cologne, they did not go to see the relics of the Three Kings, for the French, it seems, had carried off their crowns of rubies and diamonds, and they did not think it was worth ten francs a-piece to see apocryphal sculls covered with gilt silver: nor did they visit St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins, though she gives a vivid description of Claude's picture of them. The lively tourist was not, we presume, aware that the Abbess and her nuns