nerally conveyed must prove of great service in impressing them on the youthful attention. The Descriptive tables present a vast mass of knowledge in a condensed and agreeable form, while the maps interspersed through the body of the work, and without which a treatise on Geography is absolutely useless, will from the facility of reference be no slight recommendation to purchasers. We observe that most of the proper names are properly accented and their pronunciations indicated after the manner of Jones's Dictionary; How great a desideratum has been here supplied will be evident to any person who reflects how far a mispronunciation in matters of this nature occurring in the course of conversation, creates a prejudice against the offending individual, marking at once the limited intercourse he must have had with travellers or foreigners, in an age when such characters are so readily met with in what is called good society. One of the plates exhibits to the eye the relative height of the most remarkable mountains of the globe, an idea we believe originally borrowed from Humboldt, and which enables the young geographer to appreciate their comparative magnitudes much more readily than by the exhibition of numbers. We are bound however to remark that the engraving to which we allude is by no means so happily executed as might be expected, particularly when contrasted with the very neat manner in which the rest of the work is brought out. We trust that in the next edition due attention will be paid to this. t The Reverie, and other Poems, by the Rev. J. The Disembodied, and other Poems, by the Rev. of our fellow countrymen, clergymen in the established church. Much as we would regret that poetical composition should occupy any considerable share in the minds of those whose duties and legitimate employments are of so much higher a nature, yet we cannot withhold our friendly notice of these two volumes, because we know, that they emanate from individuals who are sincere, active, and zealous, as Christian ministers, in their labours of love, and who are desirous to make even the employment of their leisure hours subservient and contributive to the interests of religion. When a man makes choice of the profession of a clergyman, he should be influenced in all his studies, his pursuits, and his amusements, by far higher motives, than worldly wisdom, pride of intellect, or literary zeal can supply. His uniform aim and object should be to promote moral happiness and virtue. To such servants of the Most High-men of consecrated intellects -the " thoughts that breathe, and words that burn" in Eusebius, writing on the Holy Office, can alone be truly appliedwords which we never read, but with increased admiration and delight. σε. Οι δη τον δε μετιόντες τον τρόπον, φρονηματι την ψυχήν εἰς Ουρανον μετενηνεγμενοι, δια τινες θεοι, τον τῶν παντῶν ἐφορωσι βίον. ὑπερ τοῦ παντος γενοῦς ιερωμένοι τῷ επι παντων θεω, την ύπερ σφων αυτων και των σφίσι ὁμογενών, αποτελούσιν ἱερουργίαν.” "They whose lives are thus directed, Godlike beings, carried up by devout aspirations unto heaven, superintend the lives of all around them. They are set apart and consecrated unto God himself, who is above all, for the sake of the human race: and offering up their religious services as a sacrifice for themselves and If the Horatian rule were applied with for their fellow creatures, they consum strictness, Mediocribus esse poetis Non homines, non Dii, non concessere Columnæ, the poets of almost any given age, might be bounded in a nutshell. "No one knows an indifferent poet," says an eminent author, "and we know very few good." But however applicable the above rule may be to Epic, Lyric, or Dramatic poetry, the public voice unanimously contradicts it in relation to the moral and didactic muse. She has given both pleasure and profit to very many, even when her harp awaked not notes of fire, or strains of genius or immortality. Two little volumes, "the Disembodied," and "The Reverie," have lately issued from the Belfast and the Dublin press respectively, the productions of two mate their hallowed ministry." There is, however no department even of literature that may not be made auxiliary to these elevated duties and principles, and, in the hand of a true christian, of taste and poetic feeling, without pretensions to genius and inspiration, poetry may be, and has been a powerful engine in the cause of religious truth. It is eloquently said of it by an American writer,-that "its great tendency and purpose is to carry the mind beyond and above the beaten, dusty, weary walks of ordinary life; to lift it into a purer element, and to breathe into it more profound and generous emotion. It reveals to us the loveliness of nature, brings back the freshness of youthful feeling, revives the relish of simple pleasures, keeps unquenched the enthu siasm which warmed the spring-time of our being, refines youthful love, strengthens our interest in human nature, by vivid delineations of its tenderest and loftiest feelings, spreads our sympathies over all classes of society, knits us by new ties with universal being, and through the brightness of its prophetic visions helps faith to lay hold of the future life. One of the volumes which we have mentioned above, containing "the Reve rie, and other Poems," is by the Rev. John D. Hull, incumbent of Killarney, in the north of Ireland, he is one, who amongst many trials, is devoting the spring of his ministerial life, zealously and devoutly in his master's cause, and we sincerely trust that he will be strengthened to persevere in his "good part," and be made, under God, the happy means of bringing home to the bosom of many a weary pilgrim that rest and peace of mind, which the Gospel and its great Author alone can give. A spirit of love and devotion breathes through the little volume from which we present the following lines to our readers. (FROM «THE REVERIE.") "Oh balmy peace! where dwellest thou Look on our globe too long denied Thy presence, better far than this whole world beside ? With all its woes, still life is sweet, And, in their midnight of distress, Even the saddest something meet That makes their irksome suffering less. The friendly circle's kind caress The attachments in the heart,that waken For others' weal, an anxiousness The hopes, the ties, by all partaken These in the extreme of ill ne'er leave us quite forsaken. Dear is the joy each warm heart knows, The thrill of mutual love sincere ; Dear is the happiness that flows From making others happy here: Yea, even the consciousness is dear Of warm existence, though unblest; And see almighty love in all things manifest. Who has not joy'd to see the sun, From ocean burst on wings of light, While birds, their morning hymn begun, Would hail the heavens and mountains bright? Who has not joy'd, as jewell'd night Her tent high o'er the world hath spread, To view the grand, the unbounded sight Nor thought, while he the scene surveyed, How infinite that Power which spake, and all was made? Oh! for the hour-the ecstatic hour, When winter's raven blasts take wing; And rapture's renovating power Comes bounding in the breath of spring! When trees are newly blossoming, What heart the impulse can withstand, Nor inly bless the GOD who hath such blessings plann'd ?" In these evil days of calumny and provocation, and trial, and temptation of holy men, it is pleasing to observe such persons as Mr. Hull and Mr. Wills giving proof of the intellect and attainments, which distinguish many of an order, with whom for the most part the world feels too little sympathy, and for whose services and labour of love" it entertains too cold a regard. If such men promote the cause of Christain piety by their example and by their precepts; it becomes an amiable addition to the offices of their ministry, when they endeavour also to recommend virtue to our affection by rendering the exercise of their fancy subservient to the interests of religion. The little volume, unostentatiously presented to the public by Mr. Wills is, like Mr. Hull's, a testimony of this amiable intention, and to us (staunch friends, as we shall ever be to religion, and firm supporters of our Reformed Church,) to us it gives peculiar pleasure to have found a work coming from such a source, worthy of being pronounced the production of a man of genius. This small volume is a collection of poems by a man of sterling talent, and the purest taste. The principal poem is highly imaginative, it is rich however in scenic views of life; and in these there is no extravagance of description. Pleasurable objects, in truth and variety, occupy our attention incessantly, we find our fancy engaged without a consciousness of the delusion; we revel in a temporary transition from earthly restrictions; time and space are forgotten; and like the poets own creation, "the Disembodied," we become a living soul. We regret we have not space for more than the following extract; we hope in a succeeding number to take a more enlarged and adequate view of this interesting poem : "Gone is the glory of moon and star; And the wet clouds rush in their blackness round; With flashes fast of far-vollied light Is man on the wave in this dreadful night? Aye-human clamour is on the wind! 6 With cordage wet and bare poles rush past, It rose in the lightning's lurid track Where the curling wave seemed to walk the sky, Can that frail vessel stand the shock? A flash-a brighter-and all was dark, And a cloud-crash came from the hollow bark, And a cry of horror went o'er the wave— O! for an arm in that hour to save, The light of life had I freely given Ah,' said I in spirit, have mercy heaven!' Flash after flash pale brightness shed, Blue light o'er many a sinking head; I saw pale faces distorted there, The Taxidermist's Manual, by Capt. THOMAS, BROWN, F.S. L., &c. &c. &c.-ARCHIBALD FULLARTON & Co., Glasgow, 1833. The author of this work has given us an excellent and useful volume as a companion to his most attractive "Book of Butterflies and Moths," published in Constable's Miscellany some months since. There are few scientific subjects gaining such deserved popularity as natural history; and few so well worthy the attention of the lovers of the most wondrous part of nature's works, as such a study can only be pursued under circumstances in themselves highly calculated to excite our noblest feelings amidst the fairest of nature's works, amidst the pro It fusion of her charms, where she has spread her rich and verdant mantle. is a study which requires for its successful attainment, neither the mental powers nor wasting assiduity required for the acquisition of other branches of natural knowledge; which cannot be accomplished in the secluded chamber, nor amidst the tumult of a city life, but requires the walk over the mountain heather, and wandering "through wooded dell," or by meandering rivulet; and which, in all its circumstances, must be accompanied by health and mental repose. Such is the science we are treating of, for the successful prosecution of which we must possess the means of preserving our specimens, and keeping them from decay; as much of the pleasure in collecting specimens of natural history consists in being able to refer to the preserved animal, and thereby recall the recollection of all its peculiarities of habits and locality,and such is the aid afforded by this excellent work of Captain Brown. It con tains the most detailed account of the method of preserving the various objects of natural history, (we limit the term to the animal kingdom,) and in the compilation of which he was assisted by that able naturalist M. de Dufresne, chief of the preserving department in the Jardine de Plantes, from whom part of the Museum of Edinburgh was purchased. In this country where there is an anxiety for the study of natural history, beginning to be developed, we trust this most useful volume may find many readers. Field Naturalist's Magazine. Edited by Profes Zoologist's Text Book, by Capt. JOHN BROWN. sor Rennie.-W. S. ORR, London, 1833. -FULLARTON & Co., Glasgow. These are two publications of great merit, deserving our warmest commendation, as they are most admirably adapted to supply the want so universally felt among the less scientific students of natural history. Mr. Rennie, with much judgment, has avoided the jargon of technicality so thickly studded over works of similar design. His style of writing is easy and flowing, and likely to induce many persons to engage in a study, from which before they may have shrunk, deterred by the mere difficulty of learning the artificial nomenclature of scientific arrangements. In Captain Brown's book (though a most useful manual) we cannot discover any thing that is very new, we think we recognize the plates given with his edition of “ Goldsmith's Animated Nature," they, however, are most accurate, both in design and execution, and he could not have substituted any of a higher character to illustrate his work. THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE. No. IV. APRIL, 1833. VOL. I. THE EARLY IRISH REFORMERS.-PRESENT MORAL STATE OF IRELAND. Having in a late number of the University Magazine directed the attention of the reader to the early English Reformers, and to the spirit that animated the Reformation in the Sister Kingdom, we would now consider the subject in relation to Ireland, and in connexion with the present moral condition of our beloved but unhappy land. "Our Luther," "our great Luther," are the names by which the once obscure Monk of Aisleben in Saxony, is proudly and affectionately known throughout Germany. His portrait is in the study of every Pastor, and in almost every Inn. The centennary anniversary of the Reformation is observed with solemnity and state, and its commemoration in Darmstadt a few years since is thus described to us by an eye-witness. "The preceding evening, was announced by a full chorus of solemn hymns sung from the top of the tower of the great Lutheran Church-the morning was ushered in by the same impressive ceremony. The hymns were of a simple and striking melody. The shops were closed, and all business was suspended; the Protestant Ambassadors, nobility, and townspeople attended church in their best equipages and uniforms. At ten o'clock, the whole court of the Grand Duke of Hesse and his family and suite proceeded to the great church, the Grand Duchess and her ladies of honor, except one fair Roman Catholic, occupying the state-coach, drawn by eight cream-coloured palfreys, in blue velvet trappings. An old picture of the Reformer was transferred, for the occasion, from the Hotel de Ville, and suspended in the church, adorned with VOL I. wreaths and flowers. The church was crowded to excess. A Te Deum and other fine music, concluding with the grand "Luther's Hymn," were admirably executed by the orchestra of the Court chapel, accompanied by the swelling and unanimous voice of a multitudinous congregation. Celebrations proportionably inferior in splendour, were universal in the villages." When we turn from these interesting ceremonies of the Protestant churches of Germany to those of the Church of Rome in Ireland, what a contrast presents itself! In the same year in which this commemoration took place, Ireland was pouring forth pilgrims, through the length and breadth of her land-not to commemorate the triumphs, under divine providence, of religious liberty, nor the name and mighty achievements of the great Leader in the march of truth, but to celebrate the threemonths' festival of Saint Patrick's purgatory at Loughderg, where the human intellect is laid prostrate before the idol of self-imposed penances, and salvation is put up to sale, for money and for price, at the shrine of the absolution-omnipotent priest. Three hundred years have elapsed since the Reformation was first introduced into Ireland, yet in the nineteenth century, thick darkness that may be felt, still broods over the land, and 2 z |