picture, which strike the observant eye too plainly to be overlooked or mistaken, which are important even to us, and to Europe momentous, perhaps alarming. At other times Austria, France, Great Britain, even Spain and Turkey, have successively kept the other nations in terror, and swayed for a while the sceptre of christendom. Now the Autocrat of Russia rules the ascendant; Great Britain leads the defensive; France follows in the wake of one or the other, while the rest of the powers, including even Austria, are passive spectators. Again; what stability, vigor, and wisdom, on one side! What division, feebleness, confusion, on the other! Behold France, illustrious, beautiful, cultivated France, rent in twain by permanent political dissensions, that can never be reconciled; Russia presenting to the world a compact and undivided mass, or if accidental troubles occur, only making them occasions for new displays of magnanimity and wisdom in the highest quarters. Compare for a moment the generous contention between the Granddukes Nicolas and Constantine, who should not be the emperor of all the Russias, with the paltry five and three per cent. struggles between Messrs de Villèle and de Châteaubriand, each anxious not so much to obtain power himself, as to prevent the other from possessing it. Contrast the correspondence of the highminded Muscovite princes, on the occasion just alluded to, with the debates in the British Parliament, on the several changes in the ministry since the death of Mr Canning. Contrast the tone of the papers and speeches of this justly eminent statesman on the most important subjects, with the decision, depth, and moderation of the Russian diplomacy. We seem to pass from the domain of one of the two great principles which divide the world between them into that of the other, and unhappily the west is not the bright side. The power of Russia is no doubt tremendous, and the steady, untiring march of her military progress must inspire the western nations with serious alarms. While the councils of Great Britain are suspended on the grand question, whether Lord Althorpe shall be chairman of a Committee of Finance, which finally unsettles the government; while France is agitated through all her departments by the momentous debates of half a dozen newspapers, the Russian armies are crossing the Araxes. They dictate peace on their own terms in the second city in Persia. This treaty is, it seems, not ratified, and the next will of course be signed at Teheran. In the meantime, another army is pouring into the Ottoman

6

Empire, while Count Capo d'Istria, with the title of President, is, virtually in the name of Russia, taking peaceable possession of Greece. These are important movements, and they indicate, as we have said, an extent of power that may justly be viewed as alarming. But it is not the mere possession of this power, portentous as it is, that we think the most formidable feature in the political aspect of Russia. There lies a deeper peril in the high intellectual and moral qualities, by which that power now appears to be directed. Mere brute force destroys itself by its own excesses, or may easily be parried by a skilful antagonist. It is only when enlightened by superior intelligence, and employed in the attainment of noble ends by noble means, that it really becomes irresistible. The sublime moderation of the Russian cabinet, the unexampled magnanimity of the Imperial family, the beautiful concord, the deep religious feeling that pervades all classes of the nation, these are signs of the times,' at which the statesmen of the West of Europe may well tremble; these are engines of aggrandisement, which, if they mean to resist, they must first imitate. 'I was not alarmed,' said a Greek philosopher, in whose presence Cicero had been declaiming, while on a visit at Athens, 'I was not alarmed at the progress of the Roman legions, but I now see that Greece is indeed conquered.' In this remark there was perhaps more professional prejudice than good sense; and a sounder reasoner might have argued, that in giving her arts to Rome, the city of Minerva had recoverd, in some degree, the ascendency which she yielded to the sword of Sylla. But what is excellence in art, considered as an instrument of power, when compared with superiority of intellect and morals? Music, poetry, and eloquence enchant the ear; painting, sculpture, and architecture ravish the eye; but wisdom and virtue are the stability of our times, and the fear of the Lord is our treasure.' The British stock-jobbers forget this, when they say that Russia has no finances. If the Western nations of Europe are at once outdone in force, and eclipsed in intellect and morals by their formidable Eastern neighbor, a mere superiority in the fine arts of life, should they retain it for awhile, will have no tendency to sustain their importance, or secure their national existence.

ART. XII. An Epitome of Grecian Antiquities for the use of Schools. BY CHARLES D. CLEAVELAND. Boston: Hilliard, Gray, Little & Wilkins; and Richardson and Lord. 1827. pp. 177.

A judicious compend of Grecian antiquities has long been a desideratum in our classical schools. All the books on this subject within our knowledge are either too voluminous for the use of schools, or they are like Pennock's and Irving's Catechisms, which, though excellent as far as they go, are too limited for the illustration even of the books used in the common course of studies preparatory for college. The author of the work before us has attempted to fill up the chasm in one department, and has given us a volume of convenient size, containing a brief outline of the principal topics involved in an elementary course of studies in Greek.

The nature and design of the work will be understood by the following extract from the Preface.

It has been subject of remark and regret among scholars, that Grecian Antiquities should receive so little attention in our preparatory scholars. But the neglect of this essential part of classical study should be attributed to its right cause ;-to the want of a suitable book. Potter, though a most full and learned work, is adapted only to advanced scholars. It is too large and expensive for a school book, and as such, we think, it can never be generally introduced. To the young student it appears formidable; its mythological and historical digressions become tedious; and its long and numerous quotations from the Greek and Latin poets increase its size, without adding much to its value. Robinson, though better than Potter, is still too large for those who have made but little progress in the classics; and Bos is seldom met with in this country.

The following pages have therefore been compiled for the use of our Classical Schools. The work was suggested by a desire to make accessible to the youthful scholar, a compact and unexpensive manual, for the illustration of his elementary studies and the task has been executed in the conviction that no such manual existed.'

The materials of this little volume have been carefully compiled from the best authorities, and judiciously arranged after the manner of Bos's Greek Antiquities, which the author has made the basis of his work.

Although from the nature of the case me might expect this work to be rather dry, yet we understand it has been found not only useful, but interesting, in several of our best schools where it has been used. In point of mechanical execution the book is admirable. It is printed with great neatness, on beautiful paper, and in a style altogether above that of ordinary school books. And for this too, as well as for the internal excellences of this Epitome,' we feel much obliged to Mr Cleaveland. The miserable system of printing school books on the poorest paper, and in the cheapest possible manner, is gradually giving way to a more enlightened economy, and a better taste in the community.

Should we notice any thing in this manual as subject of improvement, it would be the want of a little more fulness in some parts. In selecting and abridging from materials so copious as those which offered themselves in the present case, it is extremely difficult to hit the happy medium. The danger is of being too diffuse, and of swelling the volume beyond the size convenient for schools. In attempting to avoid this, the author has, we think, erred on the other side, and reduced his subject occasionally to an unnecessary leanness. But this defect may easily be supplied in a future edition. We have discovered several errors of the press; but perhaps not more than ought to be expected in the first impression of a work of this kind. We consider this little work highly creditable to Mr Cleaveland, and a valuable auxiliary to our classical seminaries; and we are happy in having an opportunity of recommending it to the attention of teachers of the ancient classics.

ART. XIII. The Substance of a Journal during a Residence at the Red River Colony, British North America; and frequent Excursions among the Northwest American Indians in the years 1820, 1821, 1822, 1823. Second Edition enlarged with a Journal of a Mission to the Indians of New Brunswick, and Novascotia, and the Mohawks on the Ouse or Grand River, Upper Canada, 1825, 1826. By JOHN WEST, A. M. Late Chaplain to the Honorable the Hudson's Bay Company.

We have here two Journals of an English clergyman, while in performance of his duties as chaplain to the Hudson Bay com

pany, and afterwards on a mission to the Indians, in some of the other British possessions on this continent. The author appears to have been actuated by a pious spirit, which is constantly shining through his pages; and his work affords considerable information concerning the territories occupied by the British fur traders, as also the state of the Indians, which it appears, is wretched enough. Nor can any other consequence ensue while they remain under the influence of trading companies, who have no object but gain, and whose cupidity in this pursuit will allow of no material melioration of their condition. Accordingly we find that our author's attempts to teach them the arts of civilized life, were discouraged by the agents of these companies, as tending to detach them from the pursuit of furs, and that a settlement commenced for this purpose had actually been destroyed. He succeeded however in obtaining several Indian children for instruction, and we are gratified to learn that the use of ardent spirits, as an article of trade, has been considerably diminished. It is to be hoped that the example of our government will be followed in prohibiting altogether this pregnant source of disease and wretchedness to the Indians.

Our author seems also to have met with some success in his attempts to introduce better habits among the settlers at the Red River colony, and the rites of baptism, and the marriage ceremony among the half breeds, a numerous class, which has sprung from the intercourse of the hunters with the Indian women, of whom we are told that it is the too common prac-. tice of the country, to put them away, after enjoying the morning of their days,' or desert them, to be taken by the Indians with their children, when the parties, who have cohabited with them, leave the Hudson's Bay companies territories.' Mr West states that he had much difficulty in imparting religious instruction to this class of persons, from their speaking the Indian language only, their mother tongue.

We extract for the benefit of our readers the relation of our author's journey from York Factory on Hudson's Bay, where he first landed, to the settlement on Red River.

The scenery throughout the passage is dull and monotonous (excepting a few points in some of the small lakes which are picturesque), till you reach the Company's port, Norway house, where a fine body of water bursts upon your view in lake Winnipeg. We found the voyage from the factory to this point, so sombre and dreary, that the sight of a horse grazing on the bank, greatly ex