terprising man. The fear was natural, and we blame with more hesitation than Don Trueba; though we agi with him, that the measures which it instigated were fi quently tarnished by a narrow and low-minded polic We do not include in this class, however, the establis ment of an Audiencia for managing the civil affairs of t vice-royalty, against which our author so bitterly i veighs; for we consider this to have been the instituti which, more than any other, has kept alive a glimmeri of the old Spanish spirit in Mexico. upon a friendly and familiar footing that astonished the Mexicans. His situation was now critical in the extreme. His small body of troops were in a manner swallowed up in an extensive and populous city, from which the egress was difficult, and might easily be rendered impossible. He had no chain of posts (the paucity of his forces not admitting of such a drain) by which his retreat to the const might be secured. The Mexicans, though friendly and submissive at first, were beginning to be familiarized with their invaders. After some months, Montezuma threw out broad hints that their stay had been sufficiently The remnant of Cortes's life, with the exception of I prolonged. About the same time, the Spanish general discovery of California, and his gallant but useless exp received intelligence, that, by orders from the court, hos-dition to the Honduras, was wasted in empty and fru tilities had been commenced between the Mexican go- less court intrigues. Of his youth we know little, e vernors upon the coast, and the garrison he had left be- cept some stray anecdotes, which indicate a voluptuo hind. His desperate situation called for as desperate and daring temperament—a vehement, but rather fickl measures. He seized the emperor, and conducted him to disposition. The conquest of Mexico is his history. 1 the Spanish quarters, as a hostage for the peaceable con- plunged into that gigantic undertaking, impelled by t duct of his subjects. The captive monarch disavowed the adventurous spirit of his age, without any previous inve conduct of his general, and the latter being ordered to re-tigation of the nature of his task, or the adequacy of h pair to court, was publicly executed by the Spaniards, as having infringed the peace against the wishes of his mastering. He had nothing to rely upon but his own inna ter. The immediate danger was thus averted; but at this critical moment Cortes was called to defend himself against his countrymen as well as the Indians. The governor of Cuba, who had placed in his hands the means of conquering Mexico, became jealous of the independent command to which Cortes openly aspired, and dispatched Narvaez, with a strong body of troops, to reduce him to obedience. Cortes, as soon as he heard of their landing, assembled his forces, and, leaving a slender garrison under Alvarado in Mexico, he marched against Narvaez. By a judicious mixture of intrigue and open force, he obtained an almost bloodless victory over this commander, and added his soldiers to those already under his own command. Scarcely was this victory achieved, when he was obliged to hasten back to Mexico, where his garrison was hard pressed. The state in which he found matters in that capital was such as to render a retreat necessary; and this movement was executed on the 1st of July, 1520, with considerable loss. A painful and dangerous march, cheered, however, by a brilliant victory over an immense Mexican army, brought them in eight days to Hascala, where he halted, in order to mature his schemes for the final subjugation of Mexico. He again advanced against that city on the 28th of December. He had now under his command eighty-six horsemen and eight hundred infantry. His artillery consisted of three large iron cannons, and fifteen small fieldpieces. He was well supplied with powder and other ammunition, as well for his fire-arms as for his crossbows. The wood work of twelve brigantines had been constructed at Hascala, their sails and cordage brought from the coast, in order to the vessels being put together and launched on the Lake of Mexico. He commenced his operations by investing and taking the various cities of inferior force situated upon the lake and in the surrounding country which might have co-operated with the capital. Having finished these preliminary proceedings, he invested Mexico, with the aid of his brigantines, both by land and water. The city was taken, after a protracted siege of seventy-five days, in the course of which the most stubborn bravery was exhibited on both sides, the utmost efforts of their different arts of war exerted, and the greater part of the city levelled with the ground. Cortes having thus finally subverted the Mexican power, showed that he was able to organize a new empire, as well as to overturn an old one. He rebuilt and beautified the capital; he took in and annexed to his government, one by one, the surrounding provinces; and he established courts of justice and an efficient police. He experienced many checks, however, from the Spanish court, which saw with anxiety so valuable and so distant an acquisition in the bands of one ambitious and en powers. Once engaged in it, he went on without fa powers. By them he conciliated the affections of the so Don Trueba has composed his biography in a just and manly spirit. His facts have been carefully investigated ; and though we may sometimes dissent from his inferences, they are never such as can lessen our respect for his ta lents. His style is spirited, and, for a foreigner, wonderfully correct. eye for whom we are at this moment singeing the ends of our tawse, the nippiness whereof they shall yet know upon the most sensitive parts of their evangelical bodies. At present, however, we waive this discussion, for the volume before us is from the pen of a lady, and has been published principally with the view of promoting a charitable object of interest. Our fair friend, who seems to be of a decidedly religious caste, presents us with a poem in blank verse, and in two parts, concerning Time and Eternity; and to this longer effort is added another poem, entitled " Redemption," and a considerable number of miscellaneous pieces. The volume, taken as a whole, is decidedly above par, and indicates a reflective and well-cultivated mind, as well as a considerable fervency of poetical feeling. From the first poem, we shall take, as a favourable specimen of the style of the authoress, the following extract, which, although upon a subject that has occupied the pens of a thousand puny whipsters, is nevertheless vigorous, and rather striking: AN ADDRESS TO LORD BYRON. "Poet of Passion!-Poet, whose ocean mind, Pitying looks up to thee!-hast thou not still to learn P. 41-4. We can afford room for no other quotation, but are bappy to be able to say in conclusion, that "Faith's Telescope" is calculated to reflect credit on any lady who thas, for the first time, comes before the public. Lectures on English Poetry, and other Literary Remains of the late Henry Neele, Author of the Romance of History, &c. London. Smith, Elder, & Co. 1830. 8vo. THE present volume has certain indisputable claims on our critical leniency. Being a posthumous work, it naturally contains many imperfections, both in design and execution, which the careful revision of the author him. self could have alone diminished or removed. In every production submitted to the public ordeal under such disadvantages, we have principally to ascertain whether it really contains indications of the germ of genius, though imperfectly matured. The posthumous publication of works distinguished by such merit is not more an act of friendship than of justice; and the individual, undertaking the task, has alike the gratification of endeavouring to confer an honourable distinction on those to whom it is worthily due, and of adding another item to the varied treasures of literature and science. We therefore willingly acknowledge an obligation to the editor of the volume now before us. He has collected all the unpublished MSS. and miscellaneous periodical contributions of one whose genius was as conspicuous as his fate was melancholy. In the introduction to the volume, we are presented with an able and feelingly-written sketch of the author's life and writings. From it we learn that Henry Neele was born in London, on the 29th January, 1798,—that, upon leaving school, he was articled to an attorney, and subsequently commenced business as a solicitor,—that, in January, 1817, he made his first appearance as an author, by publishing a volume of Lyrical Poems, composed after the model of the ill-fated Collins,-and that he continued to pursue his literary labours until the 7th February, 1828, when he committed suicide. He regu The principal part of the present volume is occupied with Lectures on English Poetry, from the reign of Edward I. to the time of Cowper, delivered in the Russel Institution, in 1827. In the Introductory Lecture, a graphic description is given of the various revolutions in the history of English Poetry. The author devotes the second and remaining Lectures to the consideration, first, of Epic and Narrative Poetry; secondly, of Dramatic Poetry; thirdly, of Descriptive and Didactic Poetry, including Pastoral and Satire; and, fourthly, of Lyrical and Miscellaneous Poetry. In taking a detailed review of the merits of different writers, his remarks seem to be altogether untinged by prejudice. He has, on no occasion, allowed enthusiasm for the beauties of an author to render him indifferent to positive defects. lates his decision of each particular performance by its own intrinsic excellence, without reference to the general celebrity of the writer. Every page of his Lectures teems with clear and discriminative analysis-with high poetical feeling with laborious research, and bold, impassioned diction. In his investigation, indeed, of the abstract principles of the Ars, Poetica, we meet with none of those ingenious speculations which so peculiarly characterise the writings of Kames. But in the digest of its practical rules, and in prescribing the standard of taste by which these are to be influenced, we are presented with abundant evidence of the author's intimate acquaintance with his subject. It is true, that the standard of taste in poetry, like the standard of taste on other subjects, is faint and ill-defined. A composition which one man admires for its unadorned simplicity, may, to another, appear altogether devoid of merit-while a poem, in which a third critic discovers traces of vigorous thought, may, to a fourth, seem to overstep the narrow Rubicon which separates the sublime from the absurd. But still there are certain inherent and determinate qualities which distinguish all genuine poetry; and it is in dissecting and explaining these qualities, that our author's critical acumen more peculiarly appears. In the course of this scrutiny, he invariably preserves a marked distinction between what may be deemed the metaphysical school of poetry, of which Donne was the founder, and that more truly intellectual school, the adherents of which have uniformly derived their brightest imaginings from the works of nature, and from all that there invites the eye, gratifies the sense, and gladdens and elevates the soul. To compare poetry fashioned after the latter model, with that which, however pleasing in conception, and beautiful in developement, has nothing of the truth of human nature in its composition, is to compare a lay figure with a statue. The one may adequately represent the mere drapery of the poet's fancy, and the phantastical forms and folds in accordance with which he is pleased to arrange it; while the other seems imbued with the spirit of life, and bears the faithful impress of nature on every feature, and on every limb. galee at Home." All this portion of the work is w ten with a great deal of graphic power and strong feeli The effect, however, produced by the whole, could be preserved in any detached extract. We there prefer selecting a quotation from a previous part of volume, on a subject of very general interest: THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GOING TO IND ""Life in India' is, however, fairly to be estimated found in the different avocations that it presents-the ci and military services of the Honourable Company, and cerned, the first of these holds out the great prizes of mere adventurer. So far as rank and consequence are c Honourable Company, and is the great object of ambiti These prizes are necessarily limited to a few lucky sons fortune; and they are therefore the higher esteemed. W a writership in his pocket, the child of the first man in En land, even at this day, fancies his fortune made; looks t short and merry Life in India,'-a long and wealthy o in England. Out he comes, always what I should call genteel-looking boy; somewhat slightly built in gener for encountering any of the rude blasts of the world, a having a goodly smattering of his mother's drawing-roo hanging about him. His manners-I speak of the gener race of young writers-always please me; there is som thing very English about him, by which I do not me very rough, but a happy mixture of that independence mind and amenity of manners, which constitute the true En gether, before merging from the Buildings, there is, no dout to be seen also not a few of an Englishman's peculiar faul and weaknesses; but these are such rare ares over the Se vices in general, that there is nothing I enjoy more than ɛ evening in the Buildings. With the tales and poems which constitute the remaining portion of the volume, we have had equal reason to be pleased. In some of the former, indeed, the plots are neither very probable, nor very interesting. But even in these, there are several detached scenes sketched with considerable power. The dialogue, in general, is animated, and the different personages are vividly and characteristically grouped. We also discover a few specimens of a lively, though somewhat quaint humour, tending to relieve the morbid sensibility which almost universally per-lish character. When these embryo rulers are collected t vades our author's productions. Grace and tenderness are the most prominent attractions of his poetry, which is also distinguished for purity of style and melody of rhythm. He has generally been successful alike in the selection and management of his imagery-while his descriptions of scenery, though seldom introduced, are always distinct and striking. Indeed, the more we reflect on the varied talents which this posthumous volume exhibits, the more do we regret the sudden overthrow of those hopes which were so justly entertained of Neele's future eminence. The genius unfolded, even at the early age of nineteen, in the publication of his Lyrical Poetry, may well rank him with Chatterton and Kirke White. To the latter, indeed, (whose talents, in our opinion, have been much overrated, in consequence of the merit of his writings being constantly associated with the amiability of his disposition,) we think Neele decidedly superior in every respect; and though he could not cope with the "marvellous boy" in the splendour of his endowments, yet there was a remarkable resemblance in the gloomy temperament of their minds, and in their sad and premature demise. Each fell the victim of his own overwrought imagination : We con where Englishmen are scattered some hundred miles di "Once out of them, once banished to a country station tant from each other; or where, if they congregate, it is c the artificial graduated scale of judge, magistrate, collecto registrar, assistant ditto, doctor,-and all that is English found to be on the wane. By the time the writer comes bac to the Presidency a judge, or something as great, or greate he has been couverted into the most anomalous of all huma beings. There is still something English about him, it i true; he is generally proud enough; but it is an Asiatic not a European, bearing of consequence. He seems to ex pect that all that are in his way should hurry out of it, tha the path may be left for him alone. He has been so lon accustomed to measure his own humanity by the standar of a conquered and degraded race around him, that he fan cies he has risen proportionably above every other class o contact, as above his Omlahs and his Chobedars; and his mankind with whom he may afterwards chance to come in own countrymen are but Hindoos in his estimation, however much they may transcend him in every thing like intelligence, honour, and common sense. "If those at home, who are so ambitious of sending out a son in the service of the Honourable Company, would look at the few who live to return to their native country, and remark the change that has come over them, I cannot help thinking, that they would feel less anxious about procuring a writership or a cadetship for Master Edward and Master Tom. I was long ago a sojourner in Old England, and had an opportunity of comparing some old folks who had started from school together, the one to rough it through Life at Home,' the other to plod his weary way through 'Life in India.' Comparison there was none between the manliness, contentedness, and good-humour of the homebred Englishman, and the hauteur, restlessness, and discontented demeanour of the old Koee-Hy. Unhappy and displeased at every turn he took, the old Indian found every corner sharp enough to ruffle his temper and destroy his happiness;-while the honest English squire swore a big oath at the hinderance, brushed past it, and thought no more of it. I make all manner of allowance for the bile and bad liver, which reward the toils of a in India;' but these natural evils would be surmounted, were it only possible to avoid the moral contamination arising from cohabiting with a race, between whom and an Englishman there is no sympathy; and I am borne out in my theory, if it please the reader to call it so, by the fact, that this moral contamination is found to exist most un THIS work will be read with interest and advantage by all those who have either been in India, or who take an interest in its affairs. It is from the pen of Captain H. B. Henderson, who is on the staff of the Bengal army. The contents, which are of a miscellaneous kind, are not all of equal merit; but there is a sufficient preponderance of talent and information in the voJume to entitle it to an extensive circulation. sider the prose as a good deal superior to the poetry, although "The Cadet," which extends to two long cantos, contains many spirited and excellent stanzas. In the prose department, we are, on the whole, most pleased with those chapters which describe an Indian's return home after spending thirty of the best years of his life so far from his native country. They are entitled, "Leaving India"-" An Indiaman"-" Death on Shipboard" "St Helena" Approaching Home"-" The Beu-native population. Life equivocally, and to the greatest extent, among those who have been most withdrawn from European society, and who have spent the greater part of their life in India, amidst the "Let me, however, take a view of military Life in Iadia. A fair-haired young lad has escaped from school and its confinement, at the early age of sixteen, and, after the annoyances of a four months voyage, has reported himself at the Town-Major's office in Fort William. He puts on his scarlet uniform, and looks round, on passing every seatry, for homage and salutation to his new military character. The first few weeks are but a series of disappointed hopes, and comfortless, pleasureless attempts at Indian enjoyment. He makes himself sick in essaying to smoke a bad hookah; and then barely survives a pucka fever, in having tried his new double-barrelled gun, which he bought on credit at an exorbitant sum, and with which he toiled for hours under a burning sun, in the vain hope of hitting a few snippets or sandlarks. He has a relation perhaps in the Buildings, and madly attempts to rival him in extravagance; and though the soldier's means do not go beyond a cond-hand buggy for his driving, and an undersized stud galloway for the saddle, yet his humble endeavours have plunged him into debts, which hang upon his Indian career for years, and make him miserable for ever. He joins his corps,-he has become a man now,-wanders about in the morning without his cravat or jacket,smokes cheroots by whole bundles,-drinks brandy-paunee, curses his own folly for more faults than one, and lingers through the early and best years of his manhood in tasteless dislike of the little regimental duty that falls to his share, and in gloomy despondency amidst the blighted prospects of his youth. From his brothers and young relations in Europe he seldom hears, and their letters would be but wormwood to him. They have toils there, it is true; one is at college, another at a desk in a merchant's office, a few are fagging for professions, or existing on subaltern's fare in country quarters: but are they not at home?-ay, and in that word, HOME, lies all the earthly happiness which an exiled soldier sighs for, and hourly pines in vain. "But he has outlived his brethren in the subaltern ranks around him; has followed hosts upon hosts to the scattered tombs of our up-country cantonments; he is a field-officer now, and with the attainment of higher rank before him. What boots the rank or increasing pay? He is a martyr to a broken constitution, and his yellow and wasted cheek, the sunken and gleamless eye, give token not only of withered health, but accumulating care! He is alone in the world; his native country has long ceased to hold out charms for him; he is unknown there, and the circle of his friends have either ceased to exist or care for the expatriated soldier in the East! Is this a gloomy picture? The Bengalee could point out many who might sit for it, and who, ere they give their bones to moulder beneath the sun of Hindoostan, would feelingly bear testimony to the truth of its description ;—yet this is Life in India!"-P. 215-22. This is a melancholy picture, but we fear it is too true To the diversified lucubrations of the Bengalee himself, we refer such of our readers as wish farther information upon this and a variety of other matters connected with India. a one. Christian Education, in a Course of Lectures delivered in London, in Spring 1829. By E. Biber, Ph. Dr. London. Effingham Wilson. 8vo. Pp. 287. THIS treatise on education is written with considerable elegance; and were the merits of a system to be decided solely on the ground of abstract propriety, without reference to its practicability, that which Dr Biber recommends would be altogether unexceptionable. His grand position is, that education ought to be conducted exclusively on Christian principles,-that divine truth should constitute, not the object, but the subject and ground-work, of education,—and, in short, if we understand him right, be appears to think that it ought to be the care of parents and teachers, not so much to instruct children in their duty, and to prepare them for effectually discharging it, as to watch over the influence of religion in their hearts. He laments the time which, in most schools, is occupied with spelling and arithmetic, he objects to rewards, as encouraging children to act from improper motives, he objects to the Bible being used as a text-book for children, and nsists, somewhat unreasonably, in our humble opinion, that spelling the name of the Almighty is an evident breach of the commandment which forbids us 66 to take the name of the Lord in vain!" He finds great fault with making children commit to memory the Assembly's Catechism, and triumphantly answers the plea that it is a good compendium of divinity, which children may advantageously carry with them into the world, by the indignant exclamation-" Condense the infinite and living truth of God, indeed, and shut up the spirit of the Eternal in a nut-shell!" He also finds great fault with parents who make their little boys and girls say their prayers, on the ground that, if it be not a spontaneous act of the child itself, such prayers are an insult to the Deity. Why does he not extend his censure to the parent who corrects his son for open profligacy, since, unless the young man's change of life be his own voluntary act, his abstaining from theft, swearing, and debauchery, is, according to our German moralist, an insult upon his Maker? Let not our readers suppose, however, that Dr Biber is either a weak reasoner, or a blind enthusiast. His knowledge of the subject of which he treats is far from superficial. Many of his remarks on the prevailing systems of education in France, in Germany, and in our own country, are extremely pertinent; and his strictures upon the refinements of Lancaster, Bell, and the patrons of the Infant Schools, are often judicious. He is indeed-no unusual case with theorists-much more successful in detecting and exposing faults in the existing systems, than happy in his attempt to recommend a new one. Dr Biber confesses that he is not very sanguine in his expectations with regard to his scheme of Christian education, until some great change shall have taken place in the sentiments and order of society; and in this, we think, he is quite right: but we are less willing to agree with him when he expresses his conviction, that we are at present on the eve of such a change. It is our most sincere and serious opinion, in spite of the distempered dreams of political economists, millennarians, radical reformers, and all the host of quacks who follow, accompany, or precede the "march of intellect," that England is very like what it was two hundred years ago, of course, somewhat more enlightened, more civilized, more religious, and consequently more flourishing and happy, but following out the same sort of systems it has always pursued, under which society, we believe, will continue for a few ages longer to advance in the paths of scientific discovery and moral improvement. With regard to education, we are not ashamed to own, unpopular as our sentiments may be, that we are attached to the old system; we mean the general principles which have been acknowledged, and the general mode in which, with trifling differences, education has been conducted in all civilized countries, since the dawn of science down to our own times. The fashion of the present day, however, is, we fear, against us; it seems to be the general opinion now, that the ferula of the peda gogue should be laid aside,—that the pastry-cook and toy man should be put in requisition, to make the young urchin love literature for its own sake, and, under the no-punishment system of old maiden aunts, and of such mothers as are too foolish to distinguish between loving their children and spoiling them by over-indulgence, the wisdom of Solomon and the experience of three thousand years are equally despised. but We are far from saying, and we are far from thinking, that a system is necessarily good because it is old; neither is it bad only because it is old; and it is necessary to keep in mind this latter truth, more especially at present, when novelty is so eagerly sought after, and so readily admitted as an evidence of liberality and an enlarged understanding. The old system of education, as it is pursued at our country schools, is no doubt imperfect and liable to some objections--what human institution is not ?--but it is founded on experience and good sense. It * Dr Biber once visited a charity school in England, and, upon putting the question-"What things are necessary for subsistence?" was answered by the little girls, " Beer, cheese, cakes, and patties !" is unquestionably capable of being greatly improved; and those individuals who would employ talents and industry for this purpose, would entitle themselves to the gratitude of their country and of their species. Such efforts shall ever command our praise. But those schemes which would rashly overturn our existing valuable institutions, without offering us in exchange any thing better than illdigested, impracticable, and therefore useless systems, we must always discountenance; and among such, notwithstanding the eloquence and wit of the ingenious author, we fear we must class the scheme recommended by Dr Biber in these Lectures on Christian Education. Considerations on Remedial Measures for removing or mi- to estates of a certain value, are unjustifiable restrictions upon one or other of the two classes into which the community is thus arbitrarily distinguished. Less hardship will result from a sudden change, after which affairs will proceed in their usual course, than by a lingering transmutation. To prefer the latter, is to seek with desire the prolongation of a fever paroxysm. Our old proverb holds good even here-" Better a finger off, than aye wagging." The Excitement; or, a Book to induce Boys to Read. Edinburgh. Waugh and Innes. 1830. 12mo. Pp. 413. As Dandie Dinmont enticed his terriers with the foumarts, so the editor of this work proposes to entice boy's with accounts of lion and tiger hunts, boa-constrictors, whales, elephants, shipwrecks, and sharks. The object of this volume," says Mr Innes, in his preface, “is to furnish the youthful reader with an account of those striking appearances of nature, and signal preservations, the description of which is generally listened to, by boys particularly, with the greatest attention; and also with narratives of such striking incidents as are fitted to rouse the most slothful mind." The idea is a happy one; and, as was to be expected from the amiable editor's sound judgment and excellent feeling of the proper mode of communicating instruction to youth, it is no less happily executed. The articles introduced are all such as boys will devour greedily, and we have no doubt that they will amply justify the name given to the volume, by the preference they will be inclined to bestow upon it above many others usually put into their hands. The contents are, for the most part, selected from different voyages and travels; but a few original communications have been also added, and from these, by way of specimen, we select the following anecdotes, illustrative of THE VORACITY OF THE SHARK. for adjudication to Kingston, by one of his Majesty's cruisers, under suspicion of her cargo being enemy's property, as she was laden with coffee from St Domingo, bound to the island of St Thomas, the latter island belonging to Denmark, with whom Great Britain was not at war, the former at that time belonging to the French. On examining her papers, Danish bills of lading were produced, to show the cargo was neutral property, and there was no demur respecting the vessel being a Dane; however, the doubts being strong as to the cargo, she was detained. I beg leave here to remark, I have understood that no other vessel was in Company, or in sight, but the two individual vessels at the time the capture occurred. THIS pamphlet contains many valuable suggestions respecting the difficult question of which it treats. Any doubt as to the necessity of an alteration in the system of Scotch entails, was silenced by the result of the examinations before the Committee of the House of Commons. It had been previously acknowledged that entails were introduced into Scotland at an alarming period, in order to secure the independence of the Scottish aristocracy, threatened as it was by the measures of an arbitrary and profligate government. It was likewise acknowledged, that the time had long passed when any such fence was necessary. In addition to this, the investigations of the committee to which we have alluded established, that the existence of entails was most detrimental to the commercial stability, and to the economical interests, of the country. It was further established, that in England a much milder system of entails had been found adequate to the preservation of the high spirit of the aristocracy; to which beneficial operation the defenders of entails have latterly limited their assertions of their efficacy. It was even broadly declared by many gentlemen who had en- "During the late war in 1800 or 1801, I was on the Jajoyed ample opportunities of observation, that our entail-maica station. A Danish vessel was detained, and sent in ing laws threatened rather to exert a demoralizing influence on our Scottish gentry, from the difficulties in which they involved them. Finally, these laws were admitted to be a fertile and vexatious source of litigation. There could be only one way of dealing with an institution, denounced by the concurrent voice of the country as anomalous and dangerous-its abrogation. The only question that remained, was the best method of setting about it. Various plans have been suggested, the merits of which are discussed by Mr Irvine, in a manner displaying at once much natural sagacity, and an extensive acquaintance with the subject. If we had any voice in the matter, it should be given for that mode of procedure which is most brief and speedy in its operation. All innovations ought to be carefully weighed, deliberated upon, resolved and re-resolved beforehand; but once they have been decreed, then the shortest way of giving them effect is always the best. They are attended with pain and inconvenience, in whatever way we set about them; and every thing that tends to prolong the transition from one state to another, but adds to the annoyance. This holds true more especially in legal enactments; all kinds of compromise between principle and expediency, all half measures and temporary arrange. ments, serve but to increase the uncertainty which is in some degree inseparable from every extensive system of law. In one word, if entails are to be abrogated, away with them at once. The arrangements between existing heirs of entail may be made with comparative case to speak of the claims of those who are yet unborn-of the vested rights of possible contingencies, is a solemn farce. All arrangements for gradually disentailing estates are only of use to produce lawsuits ;—all arrangements for maintaining existing entails, while no new ones are allowad to be made, or for restricting the power of entailing "Some short time after this, a tender, belonging to his Majesty's ship Abergavenny, which ship was stationary in Port Royal, was cruising off St Domingo, and caught a shark. The general practice, from the known voracity of the animal, is to examine the maw, or contents of the stomach. Mr Haycock, afterwards Lieut. Haycock, R. N., was master's mate in the tender, and opened the stomach, when, to his astonishment, a pocket-book, with other substances, appeared. From the short period it had remained, but little injury was done to the papers contained in the book; with care and drying them, they became perfectly intelligible, and proved to be a set of French bills of lading. appertaining to a cargo shipped to St Thomas's, on account returned to port, and delivered the pocket-book and its conand risk of French subjects in St Domingo. The tender tents to the admiral, when it was found the bills of lading were the identical papers relative to the cargo of the Danish vessel detained some days previous; and on the trial for the condemnation of her cargo in the Admiralty Court at Kingston, these bills taken out of the shark were produced to prove that the cargo was enemy's property; and the vessel was condemned accordingly, and made prize to the cap tors. "I have only to observe, in relating this singular event, which led to the condemnation of a valuable cargo, that the officer above-mentioned, who cut the pocket-book out of the |
