proofs could be adduced, another interpretation would be perhaps requisite; but, with the direct evidence which the New Testament presents, that the prayers of the Apostles, and others of the very first Christians, were offered to Christ, the conclusion is satisfactorily established. That our Lord is truly and properly the object of prayer, Dr. Smith has very amply shewn; and the portions of his book which relate to that subject, are, in our estimation, neither the least important nor the least satisfactory of the results of his investigations. They are, indeed, quite conclusive of the argument; since in no circumstances can a creature be the legitimate object of religious worship.

It may not be unnecessary that we should caution our readers against the erroneous supposition, that the work before us is adapted only for the use of persons who may be skilled in the learning necessary to understand the originals of the Scriptures. There must inevitably be comprised in a work of this kind, discussions which are adapted for scholars, and into the merits of which they alone can fully enter. But these Volumes are by no means to be considered as fit only for the hands of a learned philologist; they are well calculated for the use of intelligent and serious readers in general. The Author has taken the utmost pains to familiarise to the unlearned the arguments which he adduces, by translations and illustrations, which will be found principally in the Notes; and the body of the work will require, in order that it may be understood, scarcely more attention than is necessary for the profitable study of any theological production. The work, however, is principally designed for the use of theological students and the ministers of Christian Churches. To them, it offers the most valuable assistance. Replete with the proofs of extensive reading, of great critical learning, of sound and effective criticism, and of pure and enlightened piety, it is altogether a most elaborate production, and has deservedly received the suffrages which assign to it a place among the standard works of Theological literature.

Art. VII. 1. The Landscape Annual. The Tourist in Switzerland and Italy. By Thomas Roscoe. Illustrated from Drawings by S. Prout, Esq. Small 8vo. pp. 278. Price 17. 1s. London, 1830. 2. A Series of Subjects from the Works of the late R. P. Bonington: drawn on Stone, by J. D. Harding. 4to. 12s. London, 1829.

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N our strictures on the Annuals' of the present season, we have hitherto been compelled to adopt in our criticisms a mixed and mitigated language, praising or blaming as the subject might require, but always anxiously leaning to the favourable side. In these matters, we sometimes feel unpleasantly si

tuated. We owe it as a duty to our readers, that we invariably present to them, a fair and honest estimate of all such works as may come under our notice, in their way to public observation; and we believe that we may, on the whole, lay as high a claim as any the most scrupulous among our contemporaries, to integrity and impartiality in our critical office. On the other hand, something is due to courtesy; something more to the excitable feelings of an author; and, in the case of the highly ornamented publications just referred to, it is impossible to lose sight of the consideration, that large sums have been expended in the hope of extensive patronage, and that a thoughtless sarcasm or severe censure may affect a reasonably expected return upon a formidable venture. We have endeavoured to avoid extremes, and to maintain temperate justice without losing sight of charitable intention.

In the instance more immediately before us, we are happy to say, that all difficulty is done away, and that we feel ourselves at liberty to speak of the Landscape Annual' as exhibiting a series of engraved subjects, on the whole, of admirable selection and of well nigh faultless execution. With the exceptions, that a more interesting view of Geneva and its majestic waters might have been found, than the exhibition of a groupe of washerwomen in a rude, though not unpicturesque shed,-and that the view of Lausanne might have combined with equal accuracy, a somewhat greater portion of piquancy,-we have nothing whatever against which to make objection, while there is much, very much, on which we can honestly bestow unqualified praise. Our favourite is the very singular view of the two leaning towers at Bologna, the Asinelli and the Garisenda, both built in the early part of the twelfth century. These structures, with their kindred monstrosity, the celebrated Tower of Pisa, have occasioned much controversy, as it should seem, very unnecessarily. It has been a rather generally received opinion, that these irregularities of construction were intentional. 'In ' our approach to Bologna', says Madame de Stael,' we were struck with the distant aspect of two lofty towers, of which one, in particular, leans over in a very alarming manner. vain are we apprised that it was thus built, and that in this 'position, it has stood during the lapse of ages: the appearance 'distresses the imagination. That this notion, however, is erroneous, is made sufficiently obvious by the simple fact, that, in the town of Pisa, the holes for the scaffolding are as much out of the horizontal level, as the building itself swerves from the perpendicular. Montfaucon has stated the matter with entire correctness. 'We several times', he states, 'observed the ' tower called Asinelli, and the other near it, named Garisenda. 'The latter of them stoops so much, that a perpendicular, let

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'fall from the top, will be seven feet from the bottom of it; and, as appears upon examination, when this tower bowed, a great part of it went to ruin, because the ground that side that in'clined stood on, was not so firm as the other, which may be 'said of all other towers that lean so; for, besides these two 'here mentioned, the tower for the bells of St. Mary Zobenica, at Venice, leans considerably to one side. So also at Ravenna, 'I took notice of another stooping tower, occasioned by the 'ground on that side giving way a little. In the way from Ferrara to Venice, where the soil is marshy, we see a structure 'of great antiquity leaning to one side. We might easily pro'duce other instances of this nature. When the whole structure of the above-named tower, Garisenda, stooped, much of it fell, as appears by the top of it.' The tower of the Asinelli is about 350 feet high, and is said to be three and a half feet out of the perpendicular; an exhausting ascent of 500 steps leads to the top. The Garisenda is not more than 130 feet in height. These strange structures are skilfully managed in the view, grouping admirably with each other, and with the surrounding buildings. In this, as in all the other drawings, Mr. Prout has displayed uncommon talent in the delineation of architecture of every kind, from the cottage to the palace and the prison; from the classic ruin to the finished complications of Gothic and Arabesque construction.

The Venetian views are highly characteristic of the scenery of that degraded, but still romantic city. The 'Rialto' gives a better idea of the breadth of that extraordinary compound of bridge and street, than any delineation we remember to have seen before. The Bridge of Sighs' and the scene in Verona, have, in a smaller form, previously met the public eye; but these are most interesting illustrations, and appear, in their improved state, to great advantage. That strange jumble of all styles of architecture, classic, gothic, and morisco, the cathedral of Milan, appears like a fairy structure in Mr. Prout's exquisite front view. The upright drawings of Martigny and Lauey, give excellent illustrations of the Swiss cottage, in connection with native scenery. When we have given the highest praise to the excellent lake views of Como and Chillon, to the fine draught of the old ducal palace at Ferrara, and to the ruins of the theatre at Marseilles, we shall have said all that we have to remark on the graphic portion of the volume; with the exception of the statement, that the plates are twenty-six in number, including the vignette,- for the money quite a heap,'-and that their getting up has been admirably managed by Mr. Heath. Some of the engravings are, of course, better than others, but there is not a single failure.

The literary part is slight, but pleasant: it is, however,

strangely defective in direct illustration of the views. A less partial attention to this requisite, would greatly enhance the interest of the book. As the matter now stands, the letter-press is a rambling mélange of details, not always the most appropriate, and some of them sufficiently common-place; but, on the whole, lively and agreeable. The following account of an almost miraculously gifted linguist, is extracted by Mr. Roscoe from Mr. Stewart Rose's spirited work on Italy.

The living lion to whom I allude,' says Mr. Rose, is the Signor Mezzofanti, of Bologna, who, when I saw him, though he was only thirty-six years old, read twenty, and conversed in eighteen languages. This is the least marvellous part of the story; he spoke all these fluently, and those of which I could judge, with the most extraordinary precision. I had the pleasure of dining in his company formerly, in the house of a Bolognese lady, at whose table a German officer declared that he could not have distinguished him from a German. He passed the whole of the next day with G. and myself, and G. told me, he should have taken him for an Englishman who had been some time out of England. A Smyrniote servant, who happened to be with me, bore equal testimony to his skill in other languages, and declared that he might pass for a Greek or a Turk throughout the dominions of the Grand Signior. But what most surprised me was his accuracy; for during long and repeated conversations in English, he never once misapplied the sign of a tense, that fearful stumbling-block in Scotch and Irish, in whose writings there is almost always to be found some abuse of these indefinable niceties.

The marvel was, if possible, rendered more marvellous, by this gentleman's accomplishments and information; things rare in linguists, who generally mistake the means for the end. It ought also to be stated, that his various acquisitions had been all made in Bologna, from which, when I saw him, he had never wandered above thirty miles.

Of this very extraordinary person, the following anecdote may be relied on as authentic. An Italian gentleman having introduced to him two Russians and a Pole, who were passing through Bologna, Mezzofanti entered at once into conversation with them in their own languages. One of the Russians then addressed him in Turkish, and was answered in the same tongue with much facility, although, as Mezzofanti informed them, this was only the second time of his having conversed with any one in Turkish. The Pole now addressed him, observing, that he thought he was acquainted with a language which even so distinguished a scholar as himself would be unable to understand, beginning at the same time to speak in the language of the Bohemians or Gypsies. To his great astonishment, however, Mezzofanti promptly answered him in the same singular language. When called upon to explain the manner in which he had acquired this singular knowledge, he said that some Zingari, or Gypsies, passing through Bologna, had been seized and imprisoned; that he had sought and obtained permission from the authorities to visit them in their confinement, and that he had thus made himself acquainted with their language. At the

same time, opening a drawer, he displayed several sheets of paper, containing a grammar and vocabulary, which he had framed of the Gipsey tongue.'

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Before we dismiss this beautifully adorned and printed volume, we would suggest, in passing, to the Editor, that bad feelings are in bad taste, and that, in the absence of liberal sentiment and good temper, sound mercantile policy would dictate the omission of the perilous trash about the ferocious tyranny' recommended by Calvin and his brethern, in opposition to the tolerant spirit of Bonnivard. We have no contraversy, we can have none, with Mr. Roscoe; we rest the matter simply on the inexpediency of an ill-humoured and unnecessary outrage, that can assuredly have no tendency to promote the sale of its vehicle.

We avail ourselves of the present opportunity to recommend the interesting publication which stands second at the head of this article. Bonington was a man of high talent and higher promise; but his fame is in danger of suffering, from the eagerness of rapacious individuals to avail themselves of a popular name. We have seen subjects from his sketches submitted to the graver, which he would, himself, have considered as nothing better than mere indications, trials of effect, or utter failures. A better taste has presided over the publication before us; and of the five drawings, admirably lithographed by Harding, all are praiseworthy, and three are excellent. The first is a youthful head, not strikingly beautiful, but treated with a skilful and vigorous crayon. The second, Maternal Solitude,' is successful in the expression of sentiment, but not, we think, happy in other respects. The third, Charles V. visiting Francis I. during his captivity, after the battle of Pavia, is a fine study; the light and shade are skilfully managed, and the figures simply, yet effectively disposed. The fourth is a finished sketch of thePlace du Molard' at Geneva; a close scene of old and picturesque houses, with an ably managed effect of light and shade. The last is a spirited sketch of the Church St. Sauveur, at Caen; the character of age and dilapidation is finely given, though by mere lines and touches, while the ruinous stalls and shops that cluster round its base, with the well-disposed figures that sit, stand, or move in the various engagements of gossip or business, are expressed with infinite animation. Such examples as these are of the highest value to the student.

Art. VIII. Popular Illustrations of Medicine. By Shirley Palmer, M.D. 8vo. pp. 396. London. 1829.

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E had intended to resume, in the present Number, in connexion with a work on our table, the topic of Education,