this character as any we could point out, either from our former divines or present; and, if assisted by an eloquent delivery, we are sure that no congregation could listen to them without improvement. The author in his preface, after an allusion to the propagation of certain doctrines which he considers contrary to the principles of the Reformation, says, "We must not surrender important truths from the fear of misrepresentation, and the possibility of misconstruction. Justification, through faith only, by the merits of the adorable Saviour; holiness as the necessary fruit and only evidence ; the image of our Lord transfused, according to our measure, into the souls of those who are virtually united to him; the sole authority of Scripture as the rule of faith, and the pious ministry of the Church as instruments, divinely ordered indeed for the promotion of the inward transformation of the soul, but valuable in no other sense. These are the principles which are designed to underlie the following discourses, and by which alone they are to be measured." We really have no selection of sermons to make, or any particular ones to recommend; but the reader may, if he please, turn to the 13th, "Banishment from God's Presence,' as exemplifying the qualities which we have said are to be found in the whole volume. We have scarcely room to make one quotation, though short, which we take from the sermon "The Responsibilities of a Christian Nation." "Dear is the price, and inappreciable by human heart, the length, depth, and breadth, and heighth of that love which has purchased salvation for us. The very angels would fain penetrate into that mystery of grace by which the chains of the powers of darkness are undone from our limbs, and the love of them from our souls, and by which the inheritance of saints redeemed, and seraphs who have never fallen, have been opened to those who are by nature only the children of wrath, and made of sinful dust and ashes. Then think for an instant of that machinery which has been set in motion for that purpose! No simple act of power-no creative fiat,"Let there be light and there was light,'but wheels within wheels-intricacies not to be unravelled but only by Infinite Wisdom, and contrivances impossible but for Omnipotence. What stir in heaven and earth to establish this kingdom! What commotion throughout the universe and all its intelligences! Think of the determinate will and foreknowledge of God-the decrees fixed for eternity, and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; and the commands issued forth to the hierarchies of heaven, and the princedoms, dominations, and powers, made to minister unto us who are the heirs of salvation; and the lips of prophets touched with coals of fire from off the altar, and the calling of saints, and the warnings of inspired teachers, and the rod of visitation upon the people, the pestilence, and the fire, and the sword; and reluctant nations made the instruments of Providence, and the chosen of the seed of Abraham, and the descended Godhead, and the despised and rejected of men, and the bloody sweat of Gethsemane, and the unutterable anguish of Calvary, and the triumpher over the pangs of the grave, and captivity led captive by the ascending Conqueror, and the cloven tongues of fire, and the blood of martyrs crying like Abel's from the ground, and the Church militant and the Church triumphant, and nations tried in the furnace of God's judgments, till the earth smokes to heaven with it, yet still blaspheming, and God's preachers warning the last times to repentance, and the consummation of all things at hand, and the reign of the scorner and the infidel, and the terrible wrath to come," &c. p. 148. King Henry the Second. An Historical Drama. THIS is one of those productions in which the author seems superior to his work; but, as the work is the author's, and as every author is supposed to do his best, what do we mean? why, that from something interfering with the full flow of his genius, as, for instance, a defective subject, or from some other cause, its force and capability are not fully developed. In the present drama we feel a want of interest in the progress of the action, and in the development of the characters. The most prominent and leading person, Becket, whom we expected to be the mainspring of all the dramatic movements, disappears in the 3rd Act; and the remainder of the play is composed of King Henry's adventures in France, and, at the termination, of his enmity with Prince John his son. If, however, an historical drama may be considered different in structure from others, partaking less of a dramatic cast, and being rather a succession of events; in that case we should feel a want of sufficiently stirring and interesting scenes and adventures. Henry himself is no very heroic character, and the others are too faintly and indistinctly. marked, much to engage our sympathies or awaken our curiosity; but, in saying this of the plan of the story, we are quite willing to do justice to the author's poetical powers, and to express the pleasure we have received from many detached passages and scenes. The general language, the turn of versification, the poetical expressions, are cast in a sound dramatic mould while the reasoning, the sentiments, and the imagery are such as to please and exercise the mind; but they cannot compensate for the want of variety and movement in the conduct and framework of the story. We give one specimen of the author's style. Henry is speaking of his son Henry, who was crowned in his father's lifetime. ; .monks, "Thou need'st not, I know it all; At least, I am not now in heart to hear it; And at whose prompting comes this evil mind In the demented boy?-at hers, I say, Who last of all should hound my sons upon me; If not for love of me, at least for love Of them—but all my life has calumny Been busy with my name-those scribbling [colours They have me down, I doubt not, in such As they daub the enemy of all mankind Upon the margin of their choicest missals. I would, indeed, I were a monk myself, Just pacing up and down one little line Of thought and action, narrow as the cloisters That then would echo to my listless steps. Nay, I would almost wish that I were one Of those same simpletons who bear the cross To other lands, and leave their enemies To reap the goodly harvests from their own; Not that they need be very provident, For few of them return. Alas! I would That I were anything but this. At Gloucester, When a boy, I wandered on the Severn's banks; The Indian deeds of that unbounded man, Might have sufficed to rise, and, what is more, Designed, an odious progeny of dangers These were her offspring too-Well, Arundel, Poems by C. R. Kennedy, Esq. A VOLUME of pleasing, correct, and elegant composition, partly original and partly translated. We shall give a specimen of both; for the former, THOUGHT AND Deed. Full many a light thought man may cherish, When by the wind the tree is shaken, There is not a bough or leaf can fall, But of its falling heed is taken By One that sees and governs all. And buried in the earth remain ; And nothing ever wholly dies, Of unseen works by spirits wrought, And not a work but hath its issue With blessing or with evil fraught. And thou may'st seem to leave behind thee All memory of the sinful past; Yet oh! be sure thy sin shall find thee, And thou shalt know its fruits at last! From the translations we select the Ode to Napoleon, by Manzoni. He was and as all motionless, After the mortal sigh, The carcase lay inanimate Of the great Spirit reft, So struck in mute astonishment Earth at the message stands. Yea, mute, and thinking of the last Hour of the fatal man ; Nor knoweth she, when any like Stamp of a mortal guest, Her bloody stained dust will see Imprint itself again. Their high king on his throne my muse Beheld, and silent was; While he, in quick vicissitude, She mingled not her own. From Alp-rock to the Pyramid, From one to th'other sea. A trace more vast to leave. That burned to gain a throne, And now the exile's pang: He named himself; two ages, one He vanished;-his inactive days As o'er a shipwrecked mariner The wave sore pressing rolls, The wave on which the unhappy one Sate tossing, stretch his eyes Around far glancing to discern Some distant shore in vain : So when this man's soul the sweep His life tale he began The length'ning rays declined, his arms Folded upon his breast, He stood; and of the days that were, Remembrance o'er him rushed. He thought upon the moving tents, The fierce impetuous command, Ah! at the torturing thought, perhaps, And he despaired; but then there came And by her flowery paths of hope Did never bend before. The Lord, upon his couch forlorn The translation of Semele, from Schiller, is well executed; and, indeed, the whole volume bears testimony to the talents and elegant acquirements of the author. The Rector in search of a Curate. THE author of this work, whoever he is, is well-acquainted with his subject. The points of opinion which appear most prominently are his eulogy of Romaine, Scott, Venn, Cecil, Simeon, and others, whom he calls "the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof," and the strong language he uses whenever he mentions the Oxford divines. Such language as the following is painful to find amid the better feeling that surrounds it: "Mary, my dear, you are my librarian, put up these two books; you know their places, I believe.' On the heretic's shelf, papa?' 'Yes; next to the Oxford tracts."" The language used also in conjunction with the name of Mr. Froude we should much wish had been omitted, lenarian, which we are inclined to rank with the best and most important in the volume. Plain Tune, &c. THIS manual of Plain-chant for the use of choirs is very elegantly got up, and forms a most interesting volume. The editor says that it was originally intended to "define the intentions of the Church of England with respect to the use of music in divine service;" but the materials accumulated rapidly, as to render it more suitable to reserve the subject for future consideration. The editor also observes "that the whole history of English church music, from the beginning of the 16th century downwards, must, in fact, have been re-written." Neither Burney nor Hawkins enquired into the subject ecclesiastically; and Hawkins often betrays ignorance so gross as to show that for this part of his subject he was utterly unfit. think, for example, of his ascribing the compositions of four or five of the Gregorian tones for the Psalms to an organist of Windsor in the reign of Edward the Sixth ?" In his very useful preface the editor informs us, "What can we for we do not think it of the tone or spirit which churchmen should use towards their brethren. "Hold fast the faith," says a witty divine, “but don't keep rapping your neighbour's The Order of Daily Service, &c. with knuckles all the while." The whole chapter of the Anglo-Catholic is not written according to our feeling of good taste, resting too much on the extravagances of some few overzealous and ascetic persons, whose actions are really of no consequence in the main argument connected with the opinions and principles of the leading writers and members of that party. As regards the subject of recreation and amusement, the author sides with the more serious view of the question, and adduces the instance of dances and cards. As we neither dance, nor play, nor shoot, nor hunt, we have no bias on this disputed subject, but we know excellent parish priests who do; and we think that no advantage will be gained by treating the subject in the contracted view in which it is looked at here and elsewhere, or making it the watchword of a party; and, be sides, there never will be unanimity in the opinions or practice of the clergy on such points as these, where no immorality is presumed, and the practice, for sufficient reasons, must be left to each individual's feelings of propriety and right; and we must observe that a relinquishment of these amusements must arise from a desire to fall in with the feelings of certain classes of society in the present day, and not from a conviction of their inherent sinfulness; for, if sinful now and in the present day, they must have been equally so in the past; and then what venerable names would have instantly a cloud drawn over their former brightness! Only a very few years have passed since we have seen two bishops (one now alive) playing fraternally the rubber of whist, and two more learned, pious, diligent, and even illustrious men did not adorn the bench. Why do we mention this? because we do not join in any feeling of disapprobation or censure, nor do we think it often of any use to draw prohibitory lines in such matters. Chap. 7, "The Unfortunate Man," is very amusing and well-drawn, and has somewhat of novelty about it. We also recommend the ninth chapter, called the MilGENT. MAG. VOL. XXI. "That in the 16th century the term plain tune was sometimes used to express any kind of unisonous singing. Thus in the Confession of the Puritans, 1571, (Neale, p. 480,) they say, 'concerning the singing of Psalms we allow of the people's joining with one voice in a plain tune, but not of tossing the Psalms from one side to the other;' that is, they called the use of metrical Psalm tunes in unison. At first, however, the greater part of the Psalm tunes (that even the Puritans used) were adaptations of the old melodies of the Hymns in the Breviary to modern versification. Afterwards, when the Psalm tunes used to have any relation to Gregorian music, the melodies continued to be termed the plain tune, as distinguished from the harmonies that were set to them." Of the present compilation the author thus speaks : "That something of the kind was wanted is admitted by Dr. Burney: and when it is considered that above a century and a half has elapsed since the publication of the most recent work professing to be a directory for the plain song of cathedral service, and owing to the extreme rarity both of that and the other formularies already noticed, that the practice of choirs has for a long period rested solely on tradition, it is hoped no apology will be required for the present undertaking, even though the editor is unable to boast of the qualifications which Dr. Burney seemed to reckon indispensable to the labour.* If the book has no other merit it has at least that of completeness, so far as the order of daily service and the office of the Holy Communion are concerned. The publication of Merbeck wanted the Litany, that of Lowe nearly all the plain song given in Merbeck's work, except the intonations of the versicles and suffrages, which are inaccurately printed. There was not, therefore, in existence any publication in which the scattered fragments of plain song were brought together. Besides, the first Prayer book of Edward VI. to which Merbeck adapted plain song, differs from that now in use, both at the commencement of the Morning and Evening Prayer, and in the office of the Communion. The music accordingly required to be re-adapted to suit the changes made at the revision of 1662, and though Lowe professed to do this in the preface to his work, it is quite certain that he made no attempt of the kind. Whether the attempt has succeeded in the present work must be left to the judgment of the learned and musical reader," &c. A Christmas Carol. By Charles IT is impossible to read Mr. Dickens's works without being convinced that he is a man possessed of very kindly feelings. He has shewn this in his delineation of the character of the amiable Pickwick, in our favourite Smike, and the little milliner, and, indeed, throughout his various entertaining volumes. His powers of observation, also, must be very great, as we constantly meet with little graphic touches equally affecting and true to nature. He is, indeed, a sort of Teniers or Wilkie, and, like them, portrays scenes in humble life with a force and accuracy which exonerate him from the charge of either exaggeration or flights of fancy. This undoubtedly constitutes one of the great charms of his writings. These observations will apply peculiarly to Mr. Dickens's Christmas Carol, written evidently with the intention of opening the hearts of the rich towards the poor at the season of turkeys and mince pies, roast beef and plum-puddings. Nor have his benevolent intentions been unavailing, as we have reason to believe that more extensive kindness has been dispensed to those who are in want at the present season than at any preceding one. In the "Christmas Carol a rich old miser of the name of Scrooge has long shut his heart against the distresses of his fellow creatures, but is at length visited by some compunctions of conscience in consequence of fearful dreams, or rather of visits from three spirits in the shape of Father Christmas, past, present, and to come. Like Don Cleophas, in the Devil on Two Sticks, he is made to accompany these spirits in succession, and to witness scenes while he remains invisible, which convince him at length of the wickedness of his own conduct, and induce him in the end to make all the restitution in his power. He has a worthy but half-starved clerk of the name of Cratchit, on whom he bestows a salary of fifteen shillings a week, out of which he has to maintain a wife and some five or six children. It is to the Christmas feast of this humble family to which we would particularly refer, not only because we think Mr. Dickens shines most in his relations of the "simple annals of the poor," but because we find something irresistibly beautiful and affecting in the whole description. Tiny Tim is quite perfection, and will serve as an illustration of the great affection shewn by the poorer classes to a diseased or deformed child. Indeed it is impossible to visit the gardens of Hampton Court on a Monday in the summer without seeing numerous proofs of this. Often have we watched a mechanic carrying in his arms a little cripple, eying it with affection, and occasionally pointing out some object of interest to it. Sometimes he will gently seat it on the grass, watching it while it plucks a daisy, or crawls over the verdant turf. Nor is this to be wondered at. The children of the poor are partakers with their parents of the same dish, the same room, and frequently of the same bed. They are the sharers of their poverty as well as of their more smiling hours, |