not bring the dealer under the denomination of regular traders and shop-keepers; and we know not how to proceed against them in case of misbehaviour, unless we can swear to them as a nuisance, or indite them under the Vagrant act. Some of these parties write great names over their stalls, as if in defiance of the beadle or magistrate. Thus, one penny magazine puts up the popular name of Mrs. Sherwood; another, that of a much esteemed clergyman; a third, that of John Campbell, whose book about Africa every one has read; and a fourth, that of the Religious Tract Society. Why, who would enter the lists with the whole Tract Society? And then, just in front of their stall, here is Dr. Hawker opening an opposition Gospel Tract Society,'-a sly intimation that the Tract Society do not deserve that appellation, do not favour, by their publications, the gospel according to Dr. Hawker. It begins, surely, to be time that these matters were looked into, and that neither hawkers, nor pedlars, nor tract companies, should be suffered to trade without a licence.

One word with regard to the Tract Society, whose apparent invasion of the province of the Trade has subjected them, it seems, to some severe animadversions. It may be thought high presumption in us, to offer any objection to plans repeatedly discussed and fully considered; but, without casting the slightest imputation on the motives of the Committee, we must express our regret that a measure, not unanimously approved by their own body, and involving the Society in all the responsibilities of authorship,-a measure, too, which has so invidious and trading a character,should have been engaged in. The very tone of apology which the Committee have found it needful to adopt, proves that the step was an unwise one. The apology for the Tract Magazine, is, that nearly all the religious societies of any magnitude publish some periodical account of their proceedings. But out of twelve pages in each of the last three numbers, three only relate to the proceedings. of the Tract Society, and many of the extracts are not of very high importance. We should have imagined that if quarterly extracts were thought necessary, it would have been better to lay the charge of a penny upon them. Other religious societies publish reports of their proceedings and extracts from correspondence; but, with the exception of the Home Missionary Society, we recollect no other that has had the indiscretion to commit itself by a miscellaneous magazine. The Missionary Register, connected with the Church Missionary Society, is strictly confined to articles of intelligence. The London Missionary Society is by no meaus responsible for the Evangelical Magazine. But, in the present instance, we have

the Tract Society-one of the most useful and efficient of our popular religious institutions-identifying itself with a "Christian Miscellany," conducted by an anonymous Editor, unsanctioned by the names of its proper Officers, who ought to be responsible for its contents, and, in the style and character of its composition, far below some of the rival pennyworths. In the last Number, we open upon the following remarks on the heart.'

The difficulty' (of reconciling the phrase pure in heart with the doctrine of human depravity) perhaps consists in our misapprehension of the word heart: it is not unusual to confound it with the affections or feelings, desires or wishes, which indeed more or less influence, but are distinct from, the heart itself. The heart in man is his will or purpose.'

Is this a style of writing adapted to the readers of tracts? Is an Institution like the Tract Society to lend its sanction to the publication of crudities like this? The statement is as incorrect as it is muddy: the heart does mean the affections, both in Scripture and out of it, and to affirm the contrary can serve only to perplex a simple reader. Then for poetry, in the same Number, we have the dying Christian,' to the metrewe hope not the tune-of" Poor Mary Anne."

When the spark of life is waning,

Weep not for me;

When the languid eye is straining,
Weep not for me,' &c.

The "Child's Companion" appears to be conducted in much better taste. With less of an official air about it, it is more worthy of the Society. But still we doubt the expediency of a general society like the one in question, entering the lists of authorship, and deviating so widely from its original plan, in order to cater to the passion for novelty. The character of the Society must greatly depend on the respectability of its publications. We have long regretted that these are not uniformly the best of their kind, either in style or matter. It is not a tract's being issued from No. 56, Paternoster Row, that will give it currency, if proper measures are not taken to secure the Institution against being outvied by private speculators in the quality of their articles.

We find that we have not room to notice Dr. Hawker but he deserves an article for himself.

ART. XII. SELECT LITERARY INFORMATION.

ART. XIII. LIST OF WORKS RECENTLY PUBLISHED.

THE

ECLECTIC REVIEW,

FOR JUNE, 1824.

Art. I. An Inquiry into the present State of the Statute and Criminal Law of England. By John Miller, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn. 8vo. pp. 332. London. 1822.

THIS work is the substance of two articles on the respective

subjects of the Statute and Criminal Law, which appeared a few years ago in the Quarterly Review. Either the Author's parental affection for his productions, or an earnest desire of disseminating his opinions, has led to the républication now before us. They evince, we admit, considerable professional reading and much labour; but, as disquisitions, they are manifestly wanting in the liberal spirit of a sound philosophy. Upon the important subject of Criminal Law, we have many serious objections to urge against his argument and his inference; but we cordially agree with Mr. Miller on one point. The boundless accumulation of statutes and law reports, of which he complains, constitutes an evil of appalling magnitude, and renders law, which ought to be a clear and intelligible rule of action, a deceitful snare and a most impenetrable mystery. Too little notice has hitherto been taken of this alarming subject. Session after session, year after year, the Statute Book is swelled by new acts of parliament, made on the

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spur

of an occasion,' to use Lord Bacon's words, not framed ⚫ with a provident circumspection for the future.' Every young senator tries his inexperienced hand on an act of parliament. Every grievance that happens in the circle of social life, is brought within the jurisdiction of parliament. Every body goes to parliament as to a parish pump, said the late Mr. Windham, when he was noticing this mania of legislation prevalent in the House of Commons. Hence, the discordant lumping together in one enactment, as in the Black Act, of different provisions, each having a different object. Hence,