And is thy soul's affection o'er, E'en verse, as Cowper's numbers smooth, The smoothness' of Cowper's verse is, to our apprehension, rather a doubtful subject of praise; and, we presume, it was imitated in the first line of this little imitation from the melodious Catullus! Of all extraordinary vagaries, however, which we recollect to have been practised by the modern imitators of the classic Muse, the following appears to us the most unaccountable. The author, (who, by the way, fills up one of his pages with the concise Latin, and another with the prolix English,) as if to shew the greater flow of words which his native tongue possesses, thus translates, as he calls it, the six lines of Catullus beginning "Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus." My Lesbia, let us live and love, And, when once spent, has no to-morrow. While live and love as yet we may ; Thy fears let no vain fancies move, Nor heed what prattling age may say." The Snowdrop' our classical readers must consider as peculiarly fortunate in its introduction. A Passing Hour, a Comedy,' concludes the volume; and here, we venture to say, lies the real talent of the author. Not that the title of Comedy is really deserved by this effusion: but, although we trace little indeed of Menander (as far as we can judge of this lost hierophant of common sense) in A Passing Hour,' it discovers occasionally some spice of Aristophanes; especially where the old soldier and the old sailor are severally astonished at the other's ignorance of military and nautical phrases. * As a whole, however, we cannot largely praise this composition; being, at the * We may add that every sailor will be astonished by the author's ignorance of sea-phrases. He does, indeed, make sad landlubber's work with them. same same time, desirous of affording our best encouragement to the author to cultivate and refine his talent for the burlesque, and to apply it to the production of some happy farce. Another publication by Mr. Bicknell will be found in our poetical class, p.327. Art. 20. Elements of Thought; or, First Lessons in the Knowledge of the Mind: including familiar Explanations of the Terms employed on Subjects relating to the intellectual Powers. By Isaac Taylor, jun. 12mo. pp. 208. 4s. 6d. Boards. Holdsworth. 1822. it The definitions contained in this tract are remarkable for their correctness and precision; and, considering how necessary is towards right thinking to acquire habits of correct expression, we very strongly recommend this little manual to the attention of young students. As an elementary work, it is truly valuable; and the variety of information, which is laid before the reader, ought not to be deemed the less valuable on account of the very unassuming title under which it is ushered to his notice. Art. 21. Hours of Contemplation; or, Essays Philosophical, Literary, and Descriptive, &c. &c. By E. Phillips, jun. 12mo. 6s. Boards. Longman and Co. 1822. We have in this little volume an essay towards a philosophical inquiry into the revival of letters in Europe:' a paper on the pleasures which are wont to accompany the moral study of man;' and 'hints on the first principles of education.' With the exception of some affected phrases, they are written in an easy and pleasing manner; and though they do not contain much novelty, their mediocrity is redeemed by the general justness of the remarks, Considering the fashion of the day, it is some commendation if we say that an author is exempt from all fondness for ambitious writing and paradox. CORRESPONDENCE. We most devoutly believe that all the "lilies and roses," which this charming season produces, are displayed with killing effect on the cheeks of our fair remonstrant Lindamira; and, if she had made her appeal to us in person, we will not answer for the effects of it. As the case is, however, we really cannot alter our decree, nor add to the lilies and roses a laurel-wreath to bind around her brow for which purpose we cannot spare a sprig from our grove, though it is at present luxuriant even to superabundance. - We -- are truly sorry, and would do almost any thing else to please the lady, and obtain our pardon. Nestor is intitled to our consideration, and our thanks. P. B. is referred to the present Number. The letter of R. C. is received, but requires no farther notice. 6 In the Review for June, p. 154. 1. 7., for Grossulareæ,' read Grossulariæ. -- P. 187. l. 1., for densiti,' read destinies. P. 223. 1. 26., for freightened,' read frightened. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For AUGUST, 1822. 4to. ART. I. A Description of the Shetland Islands, comprising an Account of their Geology, Scenery, Antiquities, and Superstitions. By Samuel Hibbert, M.D. F.R.S. E., &c. With a Geological Map, Plates, &c. 31. 3s. Boards. pp. 636. Edinburgh, Constable and Co.; London, Hurst and Co. 1822. AMONG the benefits which accrue to society from the impulse that has been lately communicated to geological pursuits in this country, we may reckon the deliberate survey of the more insulated and remote portions of the empire, by men of education and discernment. We have seen, for example, that Dr. Macculloch, stimulated by the excitements of his favorite study, and waiving considerations of personal comfort and safety, has been enabled to present to the public, as the result of his labors, an interesting analysis of the structure and statistics of the Hebrides; and had the learned author of the volume before us never directed his attention to the contemplation of the mineral kingdom, he might, perhaps, never have set foot on the islands which he has described. We learn, indeed, from himself, that his original object was merely to publish the substance of his geological researches in Shetland, accompanied by an illustrative Essay on Stratification; and that the more popular notices of scenery, manners, and antiquities, were subsequently suggested and adopted. These collateral details, however, are kept distinct from those of a scientific complexion, and are printed on a larger type. We cannot impute blame to Dr. Hibbert for endeavoring to give to his observations the most attractive form: but he would not, in our apprehension, have been more remote from the accomplishment of his aim, had he extended them to the meteorology, botany, and zoology of the region which he undertook to delineate; and had he moulded his disjointed materials into a more regular and consecutive series. Among the other difficulties attendant on his survey, was the total want of any thing like an accurate chart of the islands; a deficiency which compelled him to climb almost every high land in the country, and, with the aid only of a pocket-compass, to obREV. AUG. 1822. Ꮓ tain tain a new draft, suited to his purpose. Accordingly, his map differs from those of his predecessors; and, though not free, as he conceives, from many imperfections, it is sufficiently accurate in a geological point of view, He mentions in respectful terms the encouragement and assistance which he derived from Professor Jameson and Dr. Brewster; and, after some general references to authorities, he concludes his preliminary notice with this very unnecessary apology: 'I may also be permitted to observe, that while this work was in the press, a new novel by the "Great Unknown" was announced, with the notice that the scene was laid in Shetland. Among the many reasons that I have had for regretting the present publication, in its enlarged plan, it is assuredly not the least of them, that this volume must appear contemporaneous with The Pirate; for, in adverting to the scenery and manners of this country, I am sensible that I cannot fail to provoke a comparison which must be highly to my disadvantage. Still, we owe so many obligations to the author of Waverley, for the pleasure he has afforded us in perusing his works, that an author ought not to complain if he has incautiously brought himself into such a dilemma as to stand as a mere foil to the greatest of all modern masters of description.' We must really beg leave to demur to the relevancy of this modest plea, in as much as the cool recorder of existing facts and usages is no fair object of comparison with the novelist; who, even when he adopts history as the basis of his narrative, is accustomed to draw freely on his resources of taste and imagination. Prefixed to the journal, (or, to use the Doctor's technical phraseology, to the Iters,) is a somewhat voluminous Essay on Stratification; the object of which is to convey, at least as far as it regards the geology of Shetland, more precise and accurate notions of the term than are commonly entertained. With this view, he treats first of the molecules of the compact structure of rocks; secondly, of granular particles; thirdly, of concretions; fourthly, of massive portions; fifthly, of veins; and, sixthly, of mountain-masses. His proposed limitation of the expression granular particles, to such minute portions of mineral matter as do not exceed the average magnitude of grains of sea-sand, may probably conduce to greater exactness than has been hitherto attempted, but will in most instances imply a restriction of the original import of the epithet granular, and still leave the line of demarcation between grains and concretions somewhat vague and ambiguous. The granular structure is here farther distinguished into the crystalline, semi-crystalline, and arenaceous; as the concretionary is into the crystalline, semi-crystalline, concentri cally cally laminar, amygdaloidal, irregular, fragmentary, and or ganic examples of which will readily occur to the geological reader. It is observed that the speculative reasonings, which may be applied to the history of these respective modes of structure, are now freed from the trammels of either the Huttonian or the Wernerian theory; Laplace's more comprehensive doctrine of a condensation of gaseous matter equally embracing the agency of fire and water; or the principles of chemical affinity accounting for the production of crystalline and spheroidal concretions, during the fluidity of the base in which they are contained. The internal arrangement of the particles, however, does not necessarily imply a reciprocal and equal degree of attraction for one another, subsisting at all their points of mutual contact; the state of cohesion seeming, on the contrary, to vary at different points. The author 6 proposes that the simple term Structure should be limited to the expression of the mere circumstance of cohesion subsisting among the component particles of a rock. When, however, an order or arrangement under which such particles coalesce is implied, such, for instance, as is generally denoted by the terms Tabular, Foliated, Laminated, or Schistose, the expression of INTERNAL ARRANGEMENT of STRUCTURE is in every respect distinctive and precise.' The leading views of stratification, with which we are here presented, do not materially differ from those of De Saussure and D'Aubuisson: but an important circumstance is superadded, namely, that of a linear direction of particles in. each laminated or foliated plane.' Considerable perplexity and obscurity may, it is surmised, be avoided by applying the epithet definite to that stratification the layers of which are parallel, or nearly so, to one another; or which may be uniformly referred to some determinate point of the compass;the term promiscuous, when no such determinate reference can be made; and partial, when the strata occur in patches, or include small insulated areas. The polyedrous internal arrangement of structure is characterized by a resemblance to the disposition of crystalline lamina meeting under determinate angles: but the tendency of cross seams or fissures to form, with the seams of stratification, massive portions, more or less symmetrical, is not easily explained. After having rejected the Wernerian and the Huttonian theories of the formation of mineral veins, Dr. Hibbert inclines to the more recent opinion of Professor Jameson that they are chemical secretions from the rocks which they traverse, and, consequently, contemporaneous with them. This hypothesis is attended with fewer difficulties than any that |