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Memoir of John Aikin, M. D. Critical Essays on English Poets-Account of the Life and Works of Spencer; An Essay on the Poetry of Milton; An Essay on the Heroic Poem of Gondibert; Critical Remarks on Dryden's Fables; Observations on Pope's Essay on Man; An Essay on the Plan and Character of Thomson's Seasons; A Comparison between Thomson and Cowper as Descriptive Poets; Essay on the Poems of Green; A Critical Essay on Somerville's Poem of the The Chase; An Essay on the Poetry of Goldsmith. Miscellaneous Pieces.-Aphorisms on Mind and Manners; What Man is made for; On the Touch for the King's Evil; Literary Prophecies for 1797; Remarks on the Charge of Jacobinism; On the Probability of a future Melioration of the State of Mankind; On Toleration in Russia; Military Piety; Inquiry into the Nature of Family Pride; Apology for the Demolition of Ruins; Inquiry into the essential Character of Man; Thoughts on the Formation of Character; On Self-Biographers; On the Attachment of Mary, Queen of Scots; On the Imitative Principle; Historical Relations of Poisonings; A Word for Philosophy; On Cant; On Mottoes. Appendix.-Descriptions of Vegetables from the Roman Poets; Biographical Account of the Rev. Dr Enfield; Description of the Country about Dorking: Biographical Account of Richard Pulteney, M. D.; Memoir of Gilbert Wakefield, B. A.; Memoir of Joseph Priestley, LL. D. F. R. S.; Memoir of James Currie, M. D.; Memoir of the Rev. George Walker.

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Extract from the Westminster Review. "This is an amiable little work, of good native fancy, and what, perhaps, the author himself does not suspect, humour. Though inclined to quarrel with the title, we had not read far before we were assured that the author was not only a soi disant poet-nay, we moreover discovered, not only that he was a bona fide poet, but we had no difficulty, on Lives of the Ancient Philosophers; transproceeding a little further, in detecting under the general designation, the excellent author of "The lated from the French of Fenelon, with Wanderer of Switzerland." The purest feelings Notes, and a Life of the Author. By the of philanthropy have always distinguished that amiable man; and they never, perhaps, were dis-Rev. John Cormack, M. A. First Ameriplayed more conspicuously or more amiably than can edition, revised and corrected. Pubin these very entertaining and instructive essays." lished 1824. Extract from the London Literary Gazette.

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CONTENTS.

Fenelon, Thales, Solon, Pittacus, Bias, Periander, Chilo, Cleobulus, Epimenides, Anacharsis, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, Democritus, Empedocles, Socrates, Plato, Antisthenes, Aristippus, Aristotle, Xenocrates, Diogenes, Crates, Pyrrho, Bion, Epicurus, and Zeno.

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VOL. I.
BOSTON, AUGUST 15, 1824.
No. 9.

REVIEWS.

Elements of Medical Jurisprudence. By Theodore Remeyn Beck, M. D., Professor of the Institutes of Medicine, and Lecturer on Medical Jurisprudence in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Western District of the State of New York, &c. Albany, 1823. 2 vols.

8vo.

system of jurisprudence is founded on the | fessional topics is a foreign tongue, and who civil law as its basis), and the testimony of know nothing even of the first principles of physicians in our courts of judicature. On the science, to which the question that they the continent of Europe, the medical jurist is attempt for the first time in their lives to in many respects a judicial officer; and many understand, belongs. questions are referred to his discussion, We do not mean to say that this system which in our institutions are determined sole- of jurisprudence is not incomparably betly by the jury. His Report forms an essen- ter than that founded on the civil law. We tial part of the proceedings, in every case in only say, that, as it affords the medical witwhich medical facts or opinions are involv-ness no opportunity to acquire reputation ed. This report is prepared in his closet, or distinction, and little for usefulness, it THE remark has been made by almost every with full opportunity for a deliberate ex- furnishes few inducements to physicians to one who has given his attention to the sub- amination of the question; and it is re- cultivate this branch of science. On the ject, that the science of Medical Jurispru- ceived with a corresponding weight of au- other hand, there is a variety of consideradence has received much less attention in thority. We know not how far it is so at tions, which render it peculiarly unpleasant England and in this country, than among the present day, but it was formerly the to most physicians to appear in court. The the more cultivated of the nations on the case, that the opinion of distinguished med- interruption of their business is often a secontinent of Europe. In France and Italy, ical jurists was sought, in cases where they rious inconvenience; the course of scienand still more in Germany, works have had no concern as professional men, upon tific investigation necessary to form a satbeen published on this subject for more a statement of facts furnished by one or isfactory opinion, may be laborious and than two centuries, in great numbers, and other of the parties, and the opinion thus disagreeable, and perhaps expensive (and of all sizes, from the ponderous folios of rendered, appears often to have decided for this our law provides no compensation); Zacchias, down to the smallest duodecimo; the case. The eighty-five Consilia of Zac- and the exposure of a public tribunal is while the only general treatise on the sub-chias, in the third volume of his "Quaes- irksome to those who are accustomed to ject in the English language previous to form and express their opinions only in the 1815, was the little volume of Dr Farr, of seclusion of a sick chamber; at the same less than one hundred and forty duodecimo time that the dread of a cross examination pages; and this was avowedly little more and of the comments or the sarcasms of than a translation from a work of Faselius, counsel, not a little disturbs them. which was published in Geneva, in 1767. Except several small essays on detached subjects, the small volume of Dr Male, in 1816, was the first properly original work to our physicians. On the contrary, we on Medical Jurisprudence in our language. look upon it as a science of great value in Since that time, however, we have, perthe administration of justice; and one which haps, our full proportion of treatises on How different all this is from the prac- ought to be cultivated, not only by physithis branch of science; though there is tice of our own courts, is sufficiently known cians, but by judges and lawyers also. But still much complaint, which is not alto- to every one who has ever attended a trial. it is apparent from what has been said, congether without foundation, that the profess- The appearance of a physician in court in cise as our remarks are, that this is a very ion in general pay very little attention to it. any case, is here perfectly accidental, and different science from that which is known The cause of such a disproportion in the has not the slightest connexion with the by the same appellation on the continent of extent to which this science is cultivated validity or regularity of the proceedings. Europe. Some of the questions, indeed, among different nations, appears to have A written opinion can never be introduced, remain the same; but very many of them escaped observation. It is not to be sup- unless it happen, as in the case of deposi- are essentially altered by the difference® posed, that in those countries in which the tion of any other kind, that the personal of our institutions, and the grounds upon rights of individuals are better understood, attendance of the witness cannot be procur- which almost all are settled, are greatly and better protected, than in any other ed. Neither can an opinion be pronounced changed. The medical profession in this part of the world, any branch of knowledge by the physician in person, until all the facts country have, in fact, no duties to perform, which is essential to the preservation of upon which it rests have been fully detail- that are in any sense of the word judicial; those rights, should be less cultivated than ed and proved in court; in order that the and the term medical jurisprudence, is rein countries where individual rights are jury may estimate for themselves the cor- tained rather from habit, and from the difless respected. There must, therefore, be rectness and value of his judgment. Be- ficulty of agreeing upon a better, than something in the nature of our institutions, sides, if the opinion (as must generally from any belief of its correctness. as compared with those of the nations on happen), is founded in any degree upon The very circumstance, that the nature the continent of Europe, to render an ex- facts related by other witnesses, and which of our institutions does not afford encourtensive knowledge of Medical Jurispru- were not previously known to him, it must agement to any man to devote his attendence as a distinct object of study, less necessarily be formed and expressed upon tion exclusively to this study, although, as necessary to an effective administration of the spur of the occasion, without any oppor- we have said, it operates to prevent the adjustice. Such is in truth the case. tunity for examination or deliberation. And vancement of the science, is in truth a in addition to all this, the opinion is to be reason why every physician should possess given to a jury of, quoad hoc, "unlearned some knowledge of the subject. Every and ignorant men," to whom the language physician, whatever may be his character in which he is accustomed to speak on pro- or standing in the profession, is liable to

tiones Medico-Legales," are the opinions
given by him in this manner, upon ques-
tions referred to him, sometimes upon the
application of the accused in a criminal af-
fair, and sometimes upon that of an officer
of government. Thus, when a man is ac- We would not have it inferred from these
cused of having poisoned his wife, the remarks, that we regard the study of med-
Fiscus writes to Zacchias, stating the cir-ical jurisprudence as of little importance
cumstances of the case, and requesting his
opinion whether the circumstances prove
the charge against the husband.

There is, indeed, little analogy between the part which medical reports bear in the judicial proceedings of France and Germany (and probably in all the countries whose

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be called upon to pronounce a professional opinion in cases perhaps of the highest importance; and that too, in most instars without opportunity for any preparation by study or reflection on the point in question. The general professional knowledge of a well educated and scientific physician may be sufficient to enable him to acquit himself in such a case tolerably well; but he will do it much more to his own satisfaction, and to that of those interested in the result, if he has previously made it a subject of study, to regard his knowledge in the new relations in which such questions require it to be placed. A court of judicature is not a place for a physician to acquire reputation; but he may there, by the ability and clearness of his testimony, either aid in the efficient administration of justice, or promote the interests of humanity; at the same time that he will avoid the mortification and self-reproach, that must necessarily follow from giving a hasty and incorrect opinion. One of the earliest reports in legal medicine, of which we have any particular account, exhibits in a very favourable light the humane effects of a cultivation of this branch of science; and it deserves to be quoted for the evidence it affords, that the science of medicine was more free from the superstition of the age, than either of the other learned professions. "The Criminal Court of Paris," says Pigray, (who was Surgeon to Henry III., and published in 1595), "in 1589, appointed M. M. Leroi, Falaiseau, Renard, physicians to the king, and myself, to visit forty men and women, who were sentenced to death, having been accused of witchcraft. The visit was made by us in presence of two counsellors of that court. We saw the reports which had previously been made concerning them, and upon which the judgment against them had been pronounced. I know nothing either of the capacity or fidelity of the authors of these reports; but we found nothing of what they had asserted; among other things, that there were certain places in their bodies wholly insensible. We examined them very diligently, without forgetting any thing that required attention. They were made to strip themselves entirely naked, and were pinched in many places; but they had the sense of feeling very acutely. We questioned them on many points, because they were said to be melancholics; we only found the poor creatures stupid. Some of them were not at all disposed to die; others seemed to desire death. Our advice was, to give them a dose of hellebore as a purge,-rather as a remedy than a punishment. The court followed the advice of our report, and sent them away."*

Dr Beck's Medical Jurisprudence does not pretend very fully to the character of an original work, although it contains much original observation on the laws and institutions of this country. We do not mean, certainly, by this remark, to detract at all from the merits of the work. It seems to

*Fodere's Médecine Légale.

us, indeed, as may appear from what we have already said, that it would have been more practically useful, if the author had directed his attention more fully to an application of medical science in its present state of advancement, to the actual condition of our legal institutions, instead of spending so much time in collecting and examining opinions formed in a very different state of learning, and applied to a very different order of things. Snch was not, however, the plan of his work, and we are not disposed to quarrel with him for not adopting our plan in preference to his own; especially' since he could not have known when he wrote, what plan we should propose. The plan which he adopted, he has faithfully and diligently executed. The sources from which materials are collected with much industry and labour, are various and extensive. The catalogue of works quoted by him, which is prefixed to the first volume, occupies more than eight closely printed pages. We have observed a few errors in his notices of the laws of some of our State governments; but they are not of a kind to affect materially the general value of the work. Errors of this kind are the unavoidable result of the unlimited prevalence of the law-making and lawamending spirit in this country. However correct any abstract of the provisions of the several States may be at the time it is made, the probability is strong, that before it is completed and published, some of those provisions will be essentially altered, by some new "Act in addition to an Act entitled an Act to amend an Act."

It is no part of our design to present to our readers an analysis of Dr Beck's book. Of the great variety of topics necessarily discussed in such a work, many are not well suited to our pages. Some are too professional for any but professional men, or too grave, for any but grave and learned men. Yet some amusement may be found, by those whose chief object is to amuse themselves, in the examples and illustrations of some of the subjects, if not in the discussions themselves.

animation. His eyes were closed, and his countenance extremely pale; but his respiration continued free, and his pulse was of a healthy tone. The sustenance he received was eggs diluted with wine, and occasionally tea, which he sucked in through his teeth, as all attempts to open his mouth were fruitless. Pins were thrust under his finger nails to excite sensation, but in vain. It was conjectured that his present illness might be owing to the surgeon to perform the operation of scalping, a fall; and a proposal was consequently made by in order to ascertain whether there was not a depression of the brain. The operation was described by him to the parents at the bedside of their son, and it was performed; the incisions were made, ing all this time he manifested no audible sign of the scalp drawn up, and the head examined. Durpain or sensibility, except when the instrument with which his head was scraped, was applied. He then, but only once, uttered a groan. As no beneficial result appeared, and as the case seemed taken to the house of his father. The next day he hopeless, a discharge was obtained, and he was was seen sitting at the door, talking to his parent; and the day after, was observed at two miles from home, cutting spars, carrying reeds up a ladder, and assisting his father in thatching a rick.

The chapter on Infanticide was written by Dr Beck of New York, a brother of the author of the rest of the work; and is quite an elaborate and interesting article. The manner in which the destruction of infants has been regarded by different nations, exhibits a strong contrast between the morals inculcated by the Christian religion, and those of most of the heathen world. With the exception of Jews and Christians, most of the nations of the world have looked upon it as no crime to destroy their children, whenever their passions, or their views of interest prompted them to do it.

It is a fact, says Dr B., no less melancholy than astonishing, that a practice so unnatural as that of infanticide, should ever have prevailed to any extent. Its existence might have been supposed possible in those unhappy regions of the earth, where untutored passion and brutal sense reign triumphant over reason and morality; but that the fairest portion of society, where genius, science, and refinedisgraced by a crime so disgusting, is one of those ment had taken up their abode, should have been anomalies in the history of human feeling and conduct, which irresistibly prove how perfectly undefined are the laws of justice and humanity, when unguided by the principles of true religion. The fact, however, is not more astonishing than true. A slight review of its history, will show us that this practice prevailed in almost all the ancient nations, and that it is not even yet blotted from the list of human crimes.

The work begins with a chapter on feigned diseases. The various artifices by which impositions are practised upon the credulous, open a curious field of study to Dr B. traces this history, concisely, the observer of human motives and pas- through most of the heathen nations of the sions. There should seem to be in this world, and finds that nearly all of them eicountry, but little temptation to imposition ther permitted or encouraged the destrucby pretending sickness, except in the army, tion of infants. Some Christian nations or in prisons and penitentiaries; yet is have gone to the opposite extreme, and there no "disease which flesh is heir to," looked upon this crime with more suspicion that may not sometimes have its counter-even than ordinary murder. The admirers feit. And the detection is not always so of Jeanie Dean will remember the severe easy as might be imagined. Dr B. gives interpretation which the Scottish law forthe following example among many others. nerly put upon an innocent concealment of a much less heinous offence. A similar

The case of Phineas Adams, which lately occurred in England, shows to what individuals will submit, in order to escape punishment. He was a soldier in the Somerset militia, aged eighteen years, and confined in jail for desertion. From the 26th of April to the 8th of July, 1811, he lay in a state of insensibility, resisting every remedy, such as thrusting snuff up the nostrils, electric shocks, powerful medicines, &c. When any of his limbs were raised, they fell with the leaden weight of total in

provision of law was in force in England, and in some of our American states, until within a few years; and even now, although cases of infanticide are tried by the same rules of evidence as other crimes, yet it is difficult to avoid altogether the influence of this unfavourable interpretation of circumstantial evidence.

The subject of Insanity is one of the most difficult of all the topics that are discussed in works on Medical Jurisprudence; and it is less understood, and the general practice in our courts of law in respect to it, is less satisfactory, perhaps, than any other. We do not propose to follow our author through his examination of this interesting subject. We can only notice a single remark. In a note at the end of the chapter on "Mental Alienation," Dr B. says,

It will be observed that I have not noticed the subject of suicide in this chapter. Whether this is, or is not a proof of insanity, is a question which fortunately never comes before our coroners' juries. We do not war on the dead body in this country. There is an air of complacency and triumph in the concluding sentence, not to say of reproach, not very well suited to the dignity of a scientific work, and which we think might better have been omitted; especially since it is not true (or rather it was not when Dr B. wrote), in reference to some parts of our country, any more than it is of England, that "we do not war upon the dead." The allusion is of course to the law for preventing the crime of suicide, by certain indignities inflicted upon the dead body of the offender, except in cases where the jury of inquest found that the crime was committed under the influence of insanity. We know not how it may be in other states, but in this commonwealth, the provision of the law in this respect, was substantially the same at the time this note was written, as it was in England. In both countries, the law was so much in opposition to the general feeling of the community, that its execution was in almost every case evaded; and in both, it has since been repealed. But the repeal of the English law was made at an earlier date than that

of ours.

Much the greatest number, and the most important part of the questions, respecting which a physician is liable to be called upon for a professional opinion, arise in trials for homicide, by whatever means that crime is committed. A large proportion of this work is therefore taken up in the discussion of such questions. The second volume is principally occupied with the subject of wounds, and that of poisons. On the first of these the author remarks,

The questions which arise in all cases of wounds that come under judicial investigation, are the following: How far has the person who caused the injury, contributed to the death of the deceased, or to the lesion of one or other of the functions of the body? And again to what class is a certain wound to be referred? These are enquiries of great magnitude-and correct views, as well as stable principles, are needed to answer them properly. Medical and surgical works are filled with instances of remarkable recoveries from the most dread

and general rules, is a solid gain to the cause of death; and the various circumstances com-
truth and justice.
municated by our author, have no other
In his classification and discussion of bearing upon the guilt or innocence of the
words, Dr B. follows the arrangement or sener, than as they tend to exhibit the
the French writers, and particularly Fo-intent with which the wound was given. If
deré. He says,
it be proved that the wound was inflicted
with a murderous intent, in other words, if
there was malice prepense, and death is the
consequence, it takes nothing from the guilt
or the responsibility of the prisoner, to show
that such a wound is not generally mortal;

Wounds, from their nature, may be either slight, dangerous, or mortal. By a slight wound, is meant one in which there are no parts injured that are important to carrying on life, or any of its functions, and whose uniform course is to heal quickly, and to leave no lesion or deformity. A dangerous one, implies a wound, which, without being mortal, is still not exempt from danger, and presents more or less difficulty in its cure. Lastly, mortal wounds comprehend those whose consequence and effect is death. In this sense only, is a wound in legal than these which I have named, may, however, be made, and indeed are indispensable. Thus, a wound may be in itself mortal, or it may be mortal by accident. It may be in itself dangerous, or it may become so from some complication, or from not having been properly treated. Even slight wounds may become dangerous from neglect, from a debilitated or diseased state of the system, or from mal-treatment, such as endeavouring to excite suppuration, when the aim ought to be to promote adhesion. In such cases, the blame should be laid where it properly belongs.

medicine termed mortal. More minute divisions

Dr Beck also follows Foderé in his arrangement of the "circumstances which render this division an arbitrary one, and which cause a mortal wound of the lowest class to be inevitably mortal-a dangerous one to become mortal-and a slight one, dangerous." These circumstances he reduces to four classes: First, the constitution of the patient, and his antecedent or coexistent maladies: Second, the passions of the patient, and his negligence or delay, or that of his attendants: Third, insalubrity of the atmosphere, whether it be of a local nature, or the general constitution: Fourth, the ignorance or negligence of the Surgeon. Our author enlarges upon each of these classes; but we have room only for his remarks upon the last.

nor that the deceased had not proper assistance;-nor that the Surgeon was negligent or unskilful, unless the death is very obviously and clearly produced by his applications;-nor even that the deceased did not submit himself properly to medical treatment, but was impatient and passionate, or drinked spirits, or tore off the bandages from his wounds, unless it be also shown that this misconduct proceeded from a wilful and mischievous disposition, and deliberate determination to destroy himself, and not from restlessness and pain, or fever, or delirium, caused by the wounds themselves. We might illustrate this point by examples; themselves beyond their proper limits, and but our remarks have already extended we must quit the discussion.

The literary execution of this work, is, in the main, very good. The style is not always quite correct; and a few instances of a show of fine writing might be pointed out. But, in general, the style is, as it should be, plain, unambitious, and perspicuous.

The History of Matthew Wald. By the Author of Valerius, Reginald Dalton, &c. &c. New York. 1824. 12mo. pp. 224. THE author of Valerius is an established novel writer. All his books sell, and are talked of emphatically. This is very natural, for he writes with great power, and The ignorance or negligence of the Surgeon, he can say more beautiful and eloquent and says, may aggravate or endanger the condition of striking things, than almost any living novthe wounded patient. This happens when futile or elist. One certainly goes beyond him, and when the instruments employed are in bad orinjurious medicines or applications have been used a few may rank by his side, but he must der-when the Surgeon is either ignorant or rash unquestionably be classed among the first or when seeing the danger, he does not obtain the in his profession. All that he writes is at aid of skilful persons. In general, when a dissec- once reprinted here, and thus adopted into tion proves that no wound mortal in its nature has our literature; and we therefore consider been received, and when more of the circumstances already enumerated, can be urged as causing ourselves bound to give some notice of his its fatality, the death of the patient should be at- novels as they appear. He writes too raptributed to the surgical attendant, rather than to idly, and therefore carelessly. Even in our the author of the wound; provided it be proved short career, we have had occasion to that he neglected the sick person, or mal-treated him, by leaving foreign bodies in the wound, which speak of another of his works, and before might have been taken away-by not suppressing the year is out may find ourselves reviewhæmorrhage--by not evacuating collections of pusing a third. We presume he writes for when necessary--by neglecting or hurrying operations, or by not causing the proper regimen to be observed.

ful wounds, and also with cases of death from ap- Dr B. has been led, by his respect for the
It will be seen from these extracts, that
parently the slightest ones. If we take these as
our guide, the consequence will be, that nothing of continental writers, into the error of adopt-
a determinate nature can be agreed upon, and every ing the principles of the civilian, instead of
physician, whenever he enters a court of justice, our own. By our courts, a wound is held
may, by the aid of a corresponding example, prove to be a mortal one in law, which is mortal
that a dangerous wound is not so, and that its fa-
tality has been owing to ignorance or neglect. Such
power is too extensive, and too important, to be
granted to every medical witness, and whatever we
take from his hands, and refer to sound principles

in fact, in the individual instance under
examination, without any reference to the
question whether or not it was likely, un-
der ordinary circumstances, to produce

money, and thinks or finds that he earns a larger income by making many lively and taking books, than by elaborating a very lence. As far as the public are concerned, few into greater and more faultless excelthis is to be regretted. Few men can make such works as Valerius, and he who by the labour of years can accomplish one or two of kindred character to that admirable novel, would do more for the public, if not for himself, by pursuing such a course, than by writing dozens of pleasant tales like Reginald Dalton and the book now under notice.

her, and at the close of the story Wald
kills him, thus:

Lascelyne followed me in silence-I walked ve-
ry rapidly, I promise you-until we were fairly
among the trees. I halted, and flinging my cloak
on the turf, bade him choose for himself.
Swords!' said he-two swords, Mr Wald!-
was not prepared for this, sir,-I assure you
had no such intention.'

I

I

Choose, my lord, choose,' I answered; 'the
blades are good both of them.'

'Sir,' said he, and he drew himself up in a very
stately fashion-I must say that for Lascelyne
Sir, I refuse no man's challenge; but neither do I
accept it but upon certain conditions--name your
quarrel, sir, and
your friend.'

But the little space which we have to fill, gives us an admonition to go at once to this book, and to be very brief in our remarks upon it. Matthew Wald was of Scotch extraction; his family was respectable and acquired considerable wealth by prudently allotting, through successive generations, different sides, in every political or religious dispute, to father and son; so that one might always be on the lucky side, -and by making it a rule to marry every estate in the neighbourhood, when the ladies attached to the acres made no particular objections. This accumulated wealth fell to the father of Matthew in consequence of the rebellion and sudden death of his brother; but he saw fit to leave it all to his brother's daughter, cutting off Oh no, my Lord Lascelyne, not to that only. Matthew with his own younger brother's-Come, come, here is no time for trifling; portion, and leaving him no way the better for the rebellion. Matthew, when he grew to man's estate, departed in quest of a living; many misfortunes befell him, some of which he sought and some sought him. But, like all heroes, he escaped through ev

ery thing with life and unscathed limb, and

'My quarrel!"

'Yes, sir, your quarrel-Do you pretend to say that you have any rights over my child? It was that only my letter referred to.'

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choose."

I insist upon hearing what is your quarrel, Mr
Wald.'

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celyne," I think, too?--Come, my lord, draw.'
My quarrel?--You sign yourself," Wald Las-

And wherefore?-Speak plainly, at all events.'
In me, sir, you see the representative of an in-
choose, and choose quickly.'

sulted blood-that is not all, but that is enough

Friends!-Friends to see us!-Seconds, for

sooth!"

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Ay, sir, seconds; 'tis the rule, and I have no passion for singularities, whatever may be your taste.'

lord

'Come, come-when you next fall out with
some fop about a pointer, or a dancer, my
some pirouetting dancer--this puppy legislation
will do finely. I thought we were serious."

Wald.'

after a while unlike most heroes-became
an established physician in good practice. ticular title to fight me because I have happened
Why, sir, if you think that you have any par-
From this condition he was elevated to to have some disagreement with your cousin, that
that of "a landed gentleman," by discov- is well enough in its way, and I sha'nt be the man
ering one day some proofs that his wife's to baulk you-but not here, nor thus, if you please.
father had almost married, whereby the-I must have my boy, sir, first; and secondly, I
requisitions of the very courteous Scotch must place him in hands that I happen to approve
law were satisfied, and he recovered her of-that's my fancy, sir; and then, Mr Wald, if
you have no very particular objection, I rather
estate. Then there is a bird's eye view of prefer going through such things in the most re-
him in possession-how, it is not told-of ceived fashion-in short, I choose among my own
his paternal estate, and acting very queer- friends, ere I pick among your blades-that also is
ly indeed. Matthew, the disinherited, and my fancy.'
his cousin who has his estate, appear to be
considerably in love with each other
throughout the game; but they are also in
love with other people whom they respect-
ively marry. For specimens of our au-
thor's style we refer them to our review of
Reginald Dalton, in an earlier number.
It is always indicative of great and various Serious! partly so, partly not, Mr Wald. I
ability; eloquent, ornamented, or playful, consider, (but I won't baulk you, though,) I con-
as the occasion requires, and always inter-sider this as rather a laughable hurry of yours, Mr
esting. There are, however, some instan-
ces in this volume in which the author
aims at a bolder flight than heretofore,
and he rather fails in most of these at- "The regles!-Madam Francoise has taught
tempts. At such times, both in his best you that pretty word, too.--Come, come, do you
and least success, he reminds us of our old wish me to spit on you to kick you to crush you
friend Neal, who actually had a knack of-to hew you down like a calf?
of sometimes saying terrible things in a swords-
most terrible way. We can cite a speci-
men of our author's endeavours in that
way. Wald, who was altogether a very
truculent and reckless kind of fellow, add
ed to his other excellencies, that of being
a most bitter hater. He first felt this ten-
der passion for an hypocritical scoundrel
who availed himself of his priestly office
to win the affections and the wealth of
Matthew's widowed aunt. Our hero was
a boy-and being severely whipt by his
new uncle, almost killed him in return,
and speaks of his indignant wrath, as if he
were maddened by the recollection. But
his most intense agony of hate comes over
him when he sees Lord Lascelyne winning
his cousin. Lascelyne afterwards deserts

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Sir, you are a ruffian: but give me your

How beautifully we went through all the parade!--how calmly we proved the distance!-How exactly we took our attitudes! You would have sworn we were two professed fencers-and yet for me I knew almost nothing of it-I had never tried the naked sword before but once; and you know how-

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'Matthew,' said she, where have you been?what have you been about?-your looks were strange before-but now'

I drew my cloak closer about me. 'Oh! Matthew-your eyes!-will you never compose yourself?' 'Never, Kate.'

'But now you were softening.-Come hither, Matthew.-Oh! try if you can weep,'

I drew out my sword from below the cloak-I

held out the red blade before me-the drops had
not all baked yet-one or two fell upon the floor.

Ha! God of Mercy! there is blood upon that
Speak, Matthew! what is this?-Speak!-

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THE descriptions in this work are extremely scant and meagre; all of them put together would not cover half of a page. The volume, indeed, is only this, a Scripture atlas, well executed, with lists of the modern names corresponding to those in the Bible, and questions well suited to direct the attention of a child to those particulars of geographical position and relation which he could easily learn by inspecting the proper map. We think the author would have made a far more valuable book, had he in fact given descriptions of the most interesting places mentioned. The principal purpose and use of this book, we suppose to be the giving so much interest and entertainment to the study of the Scriptures, as to make children love to read them. This is unquestionably an important object, but it might have been far more perfectly accomplished, by the aid of such general descriptions as could be made sufficiently animated and picturesque to be very acceptable, and sufficiently accurate to be instructive to children, without any necessity of resorting to other materials than those which are every where accessi

ble.

We think the author errs in one particuBut after the first minute of ceremony, what a lar of some little consequence; we mean joke was all this!--I rushed upon him, sir, as if I in making no difference between his mode had been some horned brute. I had no more of asserting facts which can be verified to thoughts of guards and passes than if I had been a bison. He stabbed me thrice-thrice through a good degree of certainty, and those, the the arm-clean through the arm-that was my truth of which is, to say no more, extremeguard--but what signifies this? I felt his blade as ly doubtful. Thus he informs his readers, if it had been a gnat, a nothing. At last my turn that Paradise was about sixty miles from came--I spitted him through the heart-I rushed the mouth of the Euphrates, that Hiddekel, steel out of him.-I spurned him off it with my foot. on till the hilt stopped me.-I did not draw my a river of Paradise, was the same with the Lie there, rot there, beast!' a single groan, modern Gyndes, and that Ashkenaz, a and his eye fixed. grandson of Japhet, peopled France, while

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