during its early career, with the competition of a Sosia, brought forward for public acceptance, by deserters from its own corps. Yet still it keeps the onward tenor of its way; and if its success at all equal its merit, with high acceptation. The Foreign Quarterly gives, in its periodical appearances, full and able descriptions of all the most interesting and important literary phenomena of the Continent. It has, at the same time, done more to extend the field of statistical knowledge, and of the application of economical science, than any of its contemporaries. The work, instead of being characterized by any meretricious glare or splendour, has been always marked by the subdued tone of true taste. Its leaning is liberal, notwithstanding a strange blunder in the present number respecting the liberal press of Germany. We are inclined to look upon the Foreign Quarterly as one of the most useful of our periodicals; and we know it to be one of the most interesting. ON CIRCULATING CREDIT, WITH HINTS FOR IMPROVING THE BANKING SYSTEM OF BRITAIN, &c. By a ScorTISH BANKER."--An admirable book, written by a man whose head is well furnished, and "all compact." Here is the true science of Banking-a key to all the mysteries of the questions of Currency and Credit, and withal an important introduction to the whole subject of Political Economy. What is most singular, too, in these days, when men are doing little but hammering and toiling at the work of Macadamizing the beaten track, our bank. er has taken a path of his own, explored it thoroughly, rooted out every gnarled stump, and made it a king's highway! The name at the bottom of his title-page should make us sparing of the language of eulogy. This Magazine is no bookseller's hack, and shall never be suspected of being so; but we cannot sacrifice truth, even to delicacy. THE PARENT'S CABINET OF AMUSEMENT AND INSTRUCTION. London: Smith and Elder.This is number one of a neat little periodical for children, intended to assist in domestic education. It is full of anecdotes, poems, prints, and cuts, illustrating Natural History, and promises to be very amusing as well as instructive. Brave Bobby is what children will call a very nice tale. ⚫ Edinburgh, W. Tait, 1832: Rev. John Hall's Expository Discourses Goodridge's Narrative of a Voyage to the South Seas, and Residence in Van Diemen's Land, 12mo. 5s. 6d. De Porquet's French Dictionary, 5s. Mosaical and Universal Geologies, by Higgins, 7s. Zohrab the Hostage, 3 vols. post 8vo. 31s. 6d. Herklots' Qanoon-e-Islam, 8vo. 16s. The Diadem, selection of poetry, royal 32mo. 3s. 6d. Anatomical Demonstrations of the HuChristian Amusement, by a Country Cuman Body, Part II. 8s. 6d. rate, 18mo. 2s. Dove's Life of Andrew Marvell, 12mo. 2s. 6d. Ocean Gem, by W. M. Davies, 12mo. 4s. 6d. Lachlan's Narrative of the Conversion of Cook the murderer, 18mo. 3s. 6d. Edinburgh Atlas, folio, completed, 6s. 6d. Vortigern, a Play, 3s. 6d. Valpy's Classical Library, No. XXXIV. 4s. 6d. The Pilgrim of Erin, fc. 4s. Edinburgh Cabinet Library, vol. IX. 5s. Whistle-Binkie, a collection of Songs, 32mo. 1s. Sigsten's Synopsis of Stenography, on Sheet, 5s. Grandineau's Conversations Familieres, 18mo. 4s. 6d. Bishop Hall's Three Centuries of Medita tions, &c. 32mo. Part I. 1s. Edgeworth's Tales, vol. IV. 5s. Orem's Description of Old Aberdeen, Useful and Ornamental Planting, 8vo. 3s. 3s. 6d. The Book of the Constitution, fc. 8vo. 6s. Pollock on the Universal Principle, 8vo. 58. Lyrical Offering, 10s. 6d. The Musical Gem, 1833, 16s. Lamb's Tales of Shakspeare, 12mo. 7s. 6d. Abbot's Young Christian, 12mo. The Excitement for 1833, 18mo. 4s. 6d. Memoir and Correspondence of the late Bransby Cooper's Lectures on Anatomy, Thomson's Materia Medica, Vol. I. 15s. Agents on Life, 8vo. 16s. Poole's Family Account Book, 1833, 3s. Crewen Derby, 2 vols. post 8vo. 17. 1s. Infant Annual for 1833, with Illustrations, 12mo. 4s. 6d. A Mother's First Thought, 18mo. 3s. Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopædia, Volume Goldsmith's Statistics, 8vo. 12s. Geraldine Hamilton; or, Self Guidance, Wild Sports of the West, 2 vols. demy 8vo. 17. 8s. Refugee in America, 3 vols. post 8vo. Illustrations to Keepsake for 1833, 21. 2s. 17. 11s. 6d. Sermons on Important Subjects, 8vo. 10s. Observations on Southey's Life of Wesley, &c. 3s. 6d. Crutwell's House-Keeper's Account Book, Our Island, 3 vols. post 8vo. 17. 11s. Gd. Schomberg, on Ship Building, 8vo. 4s. East India Sketch Book, 2 vols. post 8vo. The Works of the Rev. John Howe, im- The Works of Calculator, 12mo. 5s. 6d. Rankin's Present State of the Representation of England and Wales, 12mo. 5s. Taylor's Records of My Life, 2 vols. 8vo. 17. 8s. Theological Library, Vol. III. 6s. proofs. Illustrations to Stanfield's Picturesque Ellis's British Tariff, 1833, 12mo. 7s. Gd. Copland's Dictionary of Fractical Medi- Illustrations before Letters, 27. 10s. Samuel Frey's Hebrew Grammar in the Hansard's Debates, Third Series, Vol. XI. English Language, 8vo. 78. Worthies of Yorkshire, Part I. 5s. 17. 10s. THE FINE ARTS. FINDEN'S LANDSCAPE ILLUSTRATIONS OF the mind to homage of the grandeur of BYRON.. The Seventh Part has appeared, and puts in an equal claim to admiration with the former numbers, if, taken as a whole, The Plain of it does not exceed them. Troy during a storm, a poetically conceived vignette by TURNER, scarcely equals some of his former sketches. The Gate of Theseus, another vignette, is also harder than the favourite productions of his etherial pencil; but to atone for this, he sticks closer than usual to his text. The Temple of Jupiter Olympus, STANFIELD, is one of this artist's best contributions to this series. Every part of the view is treated with the same care as if each were the first in importance; while all are subordinate to those majestic pillars which fill, and, without overawing, subdue ANCIENT ART.- Cape Colonna is commonplace, but very pleasing; and, any where save in this series, would be admired.Cagliari Sardinia, a matter-of-fact view of the kind that ought to be for use, since such views cannot be rendered beautiful.; Patrass by COTTERMOLE, is our favourite view of those in this number. It is charmingly grouped, and full of life and spirit. The pertrait, of which each number has one, is that of Margarita Cogni, one of the Venetian favourites of Byron. He has described her by the attractive name of the "Tigress," which, by his own shewing, was very appro priate to the cattish character of the lady. HARLOWE has made the most possible of the feline beauty. MAJOR'S CABINET GALLERY. NO. II. This Number is a decided improvement on Number I. The subjects are, we think, infinitely better selected. A Landscape and Marriage Festival, by CLAUDE, to which a scriptural name is given for want of a truer, deserved more careful engraving; but the grouping the character is there; and there also is Allan Cunningham's vivid deseription, which makes out what is obscure or wanting otherwise. The other two pictures are masterpieces of REYNOLDS-A HOLY FAMILY, full of English affection and imagination. Holy Family is, however, a misnomer. It is a charming English group, and, though not a holy family, a delightful picture of a grandsire with his daughter and her infants. The back-ground is rich and beautiful. Puck is the flower of this number. He is the antipodes of all pre-conceived notions of the tricksy, elvish, merry sprite of Shakespeare; yet we receive him at once as the true Puck-the realization of a hundred vagrant fancies. There he sits, in guise of a chubby boy, on a mushroom top; his fragile mimic throne, which his light buoyant humours prevent him from either crushing or bending. The whole character is expressed in the attitude, and concentrated in the merry roguish twinkle of the eyes. This picture also is enriched with one of Sir Joshua Reynolds's favourite back-groundsan entanglement of wood and luxuriant trailing plants. The tasteful and critical remarks of Cunningham give great additional value to this work. THE BYRON GALLERY. NO. III. This historical accompaniment to the new edition of Byron's works differs in design from FINDEN'S. The BYRON GALLERY is the more ambitions attempt of illustrating - the writings of the poet by imaginative pictures. Here we have the Invocation of Manfred to the Witch of the Alps, and her appearance, Son of Earth, what wouldst thou with me! A pair of pretty juveniles from the Hours of Idleness, and a scene from the Dream, 66 a Maiden and a Youth," are sweet pictures. The sketch from Parisina is deficient in the grand point, the expression of the passion of the scene. In this important requisite, the picture from Beppo is happier. This is a cheap pleasing publication of its kind; and if so great a proportion of the public prefer having five pretty pictures for less than five shillings, instead of one of real lasting worth and beauty, neither we nor the print publishers of the nineteenth century can help this prevailing taste. We may wish it mended. LANDSCAPE ILLUSTRATIONS of the Prose and Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott, with Portraits of the Principal Female Characters. BYRON and SCOTT have half the artists in England at present enlisted in their service. Parts V. and VI. are before us. The landscapes, if not first rate specimens of art, are pleasing pictures, and have besides the merit of being exact portraits of scenes which Scott has described and animated, and which most of us have opportunity of comparing with the original. Each number contains four landscapes and a portrait, for one half-crown! Among the landscapes, we would distinguish the Solway Frith, Loch Ard, North Queen's Ferry, and Inch Cailleach. The portraits are the Flora Macivor of Finden's series, which gives us at least a female face of great beauty, and Isabelle de Croye, whom we cannot admire. THE DRAMA. No true jockey ever thinks of putting his bit of blood to the top of her speed on starting, and no manager adventures his maximum strength in the commencement of the season. The first month is usually characterised by fugitive representations, the lowly bow of two or three second-rate debutants, the occasional appearance of one of the mighty great, (just to keep the drowsy head of the town from nodding quite,) and, better still, certain goodly announcements of fine things to come, the very hint at which were sufficient to spur a grateful public into anticipatory patronage Bottling up our choicest powers, therefore, like shrewd and thrifty worldlings, for fittest use on fittest occasion, our remarks on the events of the past three weeks will necessarily be of a general character, reserving detailed criticism for those brilliances which are in store for us by-and-by. Our notice, too, of those first appearances which have occurred, shall NO. VIII. VOL. II. purposely be of a cursory nature; for the two-fold reason that the capabilities of an actor are not to be truly ascertained from initiatory exhibitions; and that we are not over-solicitous to indulge in any prophetic antics, which might mislead some, injure others, and make ourselves look immensely silly, if Time, the only safe interpreter of prophecy, were not in a concurrent mood. DRURY LANE.-At this house the season commenced most busily; and, auguring from the activity and promptitude displayed by the management, in furnishing, at so early a period, something wherewithal to whet the appetite, great doings may be looked for. Macready, Braham, Farren, Power, Harley, Miss Philips, and Mrs. Glover sounding names-have already appeared; and if the employment cut out for them hereafter be worthy of their efforts, matters may once more look cheerily in the S eyes of the lessee. The first night introduced Mrs. Nesbit, in her maidenly alias of Mordaunt, as the widow Cheerly, in the comedy of "The Soldier's Daughter," (about the most yawny thing in the language,) selected, we suppose, because being the character she originally supported, it was her fond show-task, and because, also, of divers expressions occurring in the play which appeared allusive to the peculiarity of her situation as a young and bereaved woman. This lady is prepossessing, and of good figure, and her light and agreeable acting appears not to have been impaired by her temporary secession from the stage. Our friend Power (what a name for an actor and a pun!) was rather hardly tasked on the first few nights, but his quiet humour and irresistible drollery gained for him a requital sufficient to subdue any little outbreaking murmurs in which he might have else felt disposed to indulge. In the second week, Mr. Serle's "House of Colberg" was brought out; but it met with equivocal greeting. With every disposition to urge the author to a cultivation of the talent he possesses as a writer, of whom we are inclined to predicate favourably, we confess this to be a production, which, lacking interest, and unmercifully monotonous, never could adapt itself to an audience, whatever its merits might do for it in the closet. Nothing but the spirited acting of Macready and Miss Phillips could have secured for it the few repetitions that were allowed. Mr. Macready, by the way, is now all that is left us of sound tragic talent; but high as he therefore stands, he must not pronounce himself faultless. He possesses many objectionable mannerisms, which if he study nature with a steady eye, and a humble mind, he will soon perceive how detractive they must be to his reputation. His violent and sudden transitions of voice, and his occasional rapid and inar. ticulate enunciation, though doubtless pleasing to those who are tickled at mountebank gambols, vocal or otherwise, are, to the man of true taste, a capital defect, and mars most wofully the excellence he does possess. Very different, indeed, is it with Miss Phillips, in this respect; her deep and deprecating tones almost pall upon the ear from very monotony, a misfortune which excites not censure but regret. The present position of Mr. Macready on the stage will, it is hoped, induce him to scrutinize his powers and peculia. rities with the just discernment of one who is wisely jealous of honorably acquired fame. Of Miss Phillips, we think so highly that we have scarcely a word of advice to offer her; she has had some uphill work in her career, but she is all the better for it, she may be assured. A new piece called the "Factory Girl," by a Mr. Jerrold, was also produced; would that it had been conceived by Mr. Senator Sadler, for the author's sake. It failed. Three very beautiful scenes were wasted on the occasion. As works of art, they ought not to be allowed to perish. Mr. Serell (who has been engaged here) made his first appearance as the hero: it would be ungenerous to offer an opinion of his abilities under such circumstances. "Der Freischutz" has been again revived, and with a success that amply attests the deep impression its wild and witching music still continues to make on every ear. Braham, the ever-green, was the Rodolph; and sung with exquisite taste, and undiminished skill, the plaintive and beautiful melodies allotted to the character. We had a new Caspar in Mr. Bedford, who supported it with great credit; the drinking song well merited the encore it received. Mr. Seguin "did" the music of Bernhard, but his acting was villanously bad; as a concert singer, this gentleman is a valuable acquisition, but as an actor whenever it is his humour to be humorous, he becomes ridiculous. Miss Betts is scarcely equal to the part of Linda; she essayed her utmost, and pleased. But the great lion of Drury, for this month, has been the grand Pageant, "in commemoration of Scotland's immortal bard," which, in conception, is truly very happy, and in execution admirable. There are those, it is known, who condemn such an exhibition as a mock solemnity, pue rile in design, and dishonouring to the memory of the departed great one; as being nothing more, in fact, than an unholy trick, to put money in the treasury, by catering, to a corrupt taste, in an excited hour. We have nothing to do with motives, but we differ upon the inference; for, whatever tends to call into action those feelings of respect and veneration, which the god-like attribute of genius claims at the hands of all men, is praise. worthy in itself; a wholesome incentive to those in whom it presently exists, and encouraging to the less gifted, by forcing upon their attention its immeasurable va lue, and the importance of cultivating what they do possess. Such feelings, however keen at first, or just, or general, are too apt to melt into speedy oblivion, unless animated and promoted by some publie token of acknowledgment, some stirring occasion, by which they may be kept rife and active; and whether the public mind isi mpressed by what the cynic would call pantomimic mummeries, unworthy of a "thinking people," or by the solitary monument, admonishing, in its marble silence, the object and the act are alike useful and justifiable. Mankind are not all philosophers; and in so far the end consecrates the means. The scenery and the grouping were excellent, and the "Pageant," judging from its great attraction, will, no doubt, repay with interest the labour and expense which must have been bestowed upon its production. COVENT GARDEN THEATRE has undergone divers alterations since last season. A sparkling thousand-guinea chandelier depends from the ceiling; the interior of the house is made resplendent in pearlwhite and burnished gold; re-covered seats, and dress circle stalls, convenient for ingress, egress, and regress; refreshment lobby, and other accommodations have been all sedulously contrived for the accommodation of a comfort-loving public. A young gentleman with a curious name, having no foes to save him from his friends, opened the business of the season by undertaking the inarduous task of failing in Shylock; which, having fulfilled, he sagaciously retired into his pristine privacy gloryless. This achieved, the absence of Miss Kemble gave an opportunity to Miss E. Tree to exhibit her powers in the character of Julia in Knowles' comedy of " The Hunchback ;" which seems to lose none of its influence by frequent repetition. A part so identified with the former lady, and latterly not less ably sustained by Miss Phillips, offered difficulties in the way of fame which few actresses would have been de lighted to contend with. Miss Tree, how ever, may rejoice in her triumph. Her performance was admirable, and must have exceeded the expectations of her warmest friends; the feeling and spirit with which she pourtrayed the indignation of a slighted woman, and the striking energy of her entreaty to Master Walter, in the last act, to spare her from the marriage her passion had caused her to assent to, were most excellent, and called forth long and loud applause from all parts of the house. Mr. Knowles sustained his original character of Master Walter, and is evidently improved in his new walk of life. Mr. Butler, an actor from the provinces, has made two or three successful appearances in the higher walk of tragedy. He came out in Hamlet; and his subsequent repetitions of the character appear fully to have justified the very high commendations that have been generally bestowed upon his abilities. He possesses a commanding figure, a good face, and a full sonorous voice; these physical advantages united with judgment, feeling, and apparently well-disciplined powers, make him a very valuable acquisition to Covent Garden Theatre; and his engagement reflects credit upon the discernment of M. Laporte. The new military spectacle of "His first Campaign," is really a splendid affair; the costumes are picturesque, and the scenery most masterly, and very beautiful. The ball-room scene at the close of the first act is brilliant to magnificence. Little Miss Poole "transfixes" everybody by her clever performance; we hope the talents of this delightful child will be more enduring than precocity usually gives promise of: she is a treasure. The "Pageant" at this house, and Mr. Knowles' version of " Waverley" appeared too late in the month to allow of notice in the present number. THE MINORS.-These theatres, from their number, and supported by the talent consequent upon competition, have assumed a position formidable to the patent houses by rivalry in excellence, and important to the public in opening up new channels for the efflux of amusements, "various, yet the same," and of far more attainable price. Within the last three or four years they have challenged an attention they seldom previously received, and rarely deserved; and by unceasing and well-directed efforts, have, at length, fairly effected a more than equal division in the public patronage. The coincidence that exists between the metropolitan stage and the current literature of the present day, is somewhat remarkable, and might be wrought into a pleasant conceit of argument. A few years ago the great leviathans of our press, the QUARTERLY and the EDINBURGH, exercised a domination against which nothing could withstand; they were "alone in their glory," and ruled with the sceptre of a true despot; but despotism, be its aim physical or moral, seems ever to contain the seeds of its own The comedy of "All's Well that Ends Well" has been hashed up into an opera of three acts; but the sacrilege was not, we are glad to say, well countenanced. Mr. Jones, after a lapse of six years, reappeared in the part of Parroles, and was destruction. Other lights arose; minor most flatteringly received. This old favourite, and a masque very effectively, arranged from the "Midsummer Night's Dream," were the two most pleasing novelties of this very insipid opera, by Shakspeare! periodicals began to peep forth one by one, and backed by enterprise and irrepressible genius, acquired by degrees a sturdy maturity that became formidable soon and subsequently irresistible. A new era opened upon the world of letters: |