We catch the faded, languid tone, of less power, indeed, than the thrilling tale of broken and bruised affections contained in the former, but strongly evidencing the distinctive contemplative habit of Miss H.'s mind. KNOWLEDGE. Oh! if there were something new, We have selected this, not merely from a sense of its truth and poetry, but for the glimpse it appears to give of the features of an intellect of a higher order, than generally is to be discovered in the deluge of female poetry, which is, indeed, one of the signs of the time. The language of poetry has itself derived from this some new and beautiful expansions, which will never fully appear till some mind of superior mastery again appears in our literature. The refined expression of sentiment, which has always appeared more peculiar to the female pen, has thus received much improvement, and the form of woman's mind been more vividly, correctly, and completely pourtrayed by the hand of female consciousness. The fervor of the passions has acquired a pureness We have touched: we know by rote Its subtle sympathies, and pains, And sweetnesses; and powers that wait We know the thoughts of others now Alas! the poetry of thought Too much of science soon has caught; But and delicacy hitherto unknown, and a softness and grace has been imparted to the breathings of enthusiasm. Of much of this Mrs. Hemans might be cited as the best illustration. there is, generally speaking, in this new department of poetry, an utter want of real depth and vigor, which no fluency of expression, or no force of passion can give. The signs of searching, forming, and creative powers which appertain to the intellect, are too little to be found in those spring-flowers of female fancy. Reason, analysis, the broad and steady gaze of contemplation, the grasp of comprehension, seem for the most part to be masculine attributes, and, with few exceptions, wanting in the efforts of the female writer. Amongst these exceptions Miss H's little volume gives her much claim to be placed. With the refined and delicate tones of sentiment, which are proper to her own sex, she seems also conversant with the more strictly intellectual moods of philosophy; and many of her compositions forcibly indicate the probable future result of such a combination. It is, indeed, more or less visible throughout her volumethe least successful of her efforts, still shewing a mind that looks into the depths, and not upon the surface of the subject. Her volume is, indeed, far too rich for extracts; and its contents go on improving toward the end, till there is scarcely a poem that it does not seem injustice to pass by. The two little poems of "The Poetic Gift" have infinite truth and beauty. The lines commencing "We two have sat together" are solemn, graceful, and pathetic. The lines "To Happiness" display a sweet combination between fancy and moral observation. "TO HAPPINESS. “Beautiful dove they chase thee through the air, Their golden arrows round thee: they shall bind, Fly to thine own green solitudes of peace, Which this world knows not-to the hearts as still Speed thee away! and to the river Death, Where, soothed at last, its cold and gloomy waves But sin's fierce combat with the life of life! Or, if thou leave us for a little while, Let the sad eyes that watch thee on thy flight, Follow thee onward, into realms of light They else had never pierced,-till we shall say Return not here, sweet spirit! come not back, Except to take us with thyself away, Along that glorious never-ending track!'- We have with great pleasure observed that Miss Hamilton's poetry is honorably distinguished from that of her poetic sisterhood, by its pervading character of intellect. We may add that it loses no hue of fancy, or no touch of delicate female sentiment by this alliance with reason; but we have still greater satisfaction in giving our hearty approbation to the Christian "Yes! thou indeed art as an eagle, cleaving High solitudes profound,— Thought's mountain summits, far beneath thee leaving, Oh! earliest loved, I know not where they soar; I only know that this must once be o'er. For take thy flight, which hath a glorious seeming, That aught shall pluck thee from thy sovereign height! Where death itself shall never touch thy crown! One dwelleth there-with Him if thou hast striven, Is there around the lofty habitation Of thy bright spirit any guard from him? With which his wrath all brilliant thoughts can dim? And what shall then those glorious wings avail thee, Become in wisdom's renovated youth, But it is time to conclude. We sincerely hope that this volume may have the success which we know it deserves; and that Miss Hamilton, who seems to draw from a fountain as full as it is clear and pure, may follow it up by the more sustained exertion of those powers of which the present one leaves no doubt. THE ART OF WAR. AMONG the many peculiarities which have marked the progressive diffusion of thought and knowledge in the present age, we hold as not the least remarkable and important in its general influence on society that spirit which is so strongly prevalent in leading men to reveal the arcana of arts and sciences to the mass of mankind, through the medium of popular and familiar treatises. Despite the flippant criticism, the wholesale and untenable arguments, and superficial and sententious cant of interested opposers of the system, it is impossible to deny, as a general proposition, that the commu nication of knowledge in a popular form and through an extensive medium can fail to exercise a beneficial influence on the community at large, unless we are also prepared to defend the anamoly that barbarism is a state superior to civilization, or repudiate the principle that knowledge is power. Hence it is that though such treatises are, and of necessity must always be, to a certain extent, imperfect, and often display occasional faults of execution and detail, we are yet even disposed to view with favor each successive attempt as an accession to that moral force which, with a speed constantly accele An Historical Sketch of the Progress of the Art of War. Nicholson Magrath, Lieut. 3d Regiment, East Kent, or Buffs. Dublin: Wm. Curry and Co. 1838. By Richard 1 vol. 8vo. rated and ever uncontrollable, is urging forward the human mind in its approach towards that congenial though unattainable spiritual perfection from which no secrets are hid. The volume to which we propose to devote a few of the following pages is one of the class of which we have been just writing, though not, indeed, as ostensibly so as many of the works emanating from the Committee of the "Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge." To the reader whose pursuits are peaceful-and such, for the most part, are they who study the history of nations-much of the matter with which such works abound-campaigns, battles and sieges-present little else than a confused mass of incomprehensible facts, from which he is in most cases unable to extract any available information. He, therefore, who would essay to enlighten the path and clear away the difficulties and obscurities that perplex such a reader, contributes, in no small degree, to advance the value and utility of these studies. Mr. Magrath has, with much modesty, but considerable success, put forward this attempt as a popular elucidation of the art of war, and though he has not been enabled to draw very largely on his own personal experience or active service, yet has he abundantly supplied that deficiency by extensive reading and accurate research. Nor are we disposed to view this volume as useful merely to the general reader. The junior member of the military profession, in his first efforts to acquire an acquaintance with the principles of the art of war, will find it a valuable introduction to the course of his studies, supplying a deficiency, which the author himself assures us, and which we believe the experience of others in similar circumstances will corroborate, has been long sensibly felt. The author's purpose is to trace through its progressive stages the art of warfare from its first rude origin in the ages of ignorance and barbarism, till, aided from time to time by the mechanical sciences, and, in fine, by chemical discoveries, it has at length grown up into a system, both in practice and principles, of noble and profound art, requiring in those who profess it in its highest branches as well the most extensive abilities and acquirements as the most superior mental and moral qualifications. "To trace," are the observations of the author-“ to trace the operation of those sublime principles in the success or defeat of armies, cannot surely be useless; and their truths must be carried home to the viction, when be observes that they have been always invariable, although the prac tice of the art has varied, in varying situations, ages and climates." student's mind with the more firm con The progress of the art of war divides itself not unnaturally into three great eras, and of these the author has availed himself in his historical sketch-the first era from the creation of the world to the fall of the Roman empire—the second, the period of the middle ages-and the third, from the time of the invention of gunpowder to the present day. Under the first of these divisions are discussed the modes of warfare and military tactics and weapons of the Egyptians, Jews, Persians, Scythians, Numidians, and other early nations of whom any authentic records are in existence; but the more civilized and enlightened state of the art, as practised by the Greeks and Romans, of course claims the greatest portion of the author's attention. This latter is a subject of no small difficulty, seeing that few subjects have ever created more angry discussions between learned tacticians than the nature and modesof Grecian discipline; and wedges, orbs, triangles, rhombs and geometrical orders of battle have successively inflamed the erudite disputants. we are bound to adinit that Mr. Magrath has acquitted himself most creditably. The renowned Macedonian phalanx, of which Philip is commonly but erroneously supposed to be the inventor,* is fully and accurately treated Yet This opinion is supported by Diodorus Siculus, who alleges that Philip conceived the first idea of this body from a well-known passage in the Iliad. « Ασπις άρ ασπίδ' έρειδε, κορυς κορυν, ἀνερα S' avse Ψαυον δίπποκομοι κορυθες λαμπροισι φαλοισι " Iliad, N. 131. "An iron scene gleams dreadful o'er the fields; of by our author chiefly relying on the writings of Elianus. "The real phalanx was so disposed, preparatory to the attack, that on coming to the charge, the sacrissæ or pikes of even the seventh or eighth rank should project beyond the front of the body, thus bringing as great a number of wea pons as possible to bear upon the point of attack. This arrangement being well imagined, and based upon the correct principles of war, was formidable in the extreme upon a level plain, where nothing occurred to interrupt the advance or cause disorder; but on ground in the slightest degree intersected, it is obvious that such clumsily-formed bodies could not for a moment preserve their compactness in movement." It seems probable that the various other formations of the Greek infantry belonged rather to the theory of tactics, and were never employed on actual service. This much, however, is well ascertained, that there were three distinct species of infantry-the Oplites, Peltastes, and the Psilites. Of these, Mr. Magrath gives the following account: "The Oplites, or heavy armed, (of whom the phalanx was composed,) wore helmets, breastplates of hammered iron, with greaves on their legs, large shields of wood or folds of bullocks' hides covered with plates of copper or brass, and they carried pikes and short swords. Iphicrates, general of the Athenians, about the year 357 before Christ, made considerable alteration in these respects, diminishing the size of the shields, substituting flaxen armour (which must have resembled the quilted sabre-proof jackets now used in Asia) for the iron plastrons or breastplates; and increasing the length both of the pikes and swords. The Peltastes were more lightly armed, and had shorter weapons than the first species of infantry, carrying small round targets, from which they derived their name.The Psilites were the light infantry, who wore no defensive armour, and were va riously armed with darts, arrows, and slings. This division of their infantry was a very judicious arrangement; for their light armed foot could skirmish with and harass the enemy, performing all sorts of the Peltastes, were capable of preventing detached duties, and, when supported by any small parties of the enemy from annoying the main body of heavy-armed infantry on their march. Zenophon relates an example of the excellence of this disposition, when the ten thousand Greeks, on their celebrated retreat, were opposed in their passage through the country of the Carduce. The heavy infantry was divided into as many as eighty distinct bodies, who advanced up the mountains, their intervals being covered by the light armed, protecting those little battalions from hostile slingers and archers, and in solid bodies." their turn receiving support from the The comparative merits and advantages of the two great rival formations of Greece and Rome have been long a debateable subject. Polybius has entered into a very learned and minute examination of the former, and acknowledges that as long as the soldiers of the phalanx were able to preserve their disposition and close order they were invincible-it was impossible for an enemy either to sustain the weight of the phalanx, or to open and break it. It happened but rarely, however, that the phalanx was able to maintain its integrity of formation, as it required a flat even spot of ground, of large extent, without either tree, bush, entrenchment, ditch, valley, hill, or river, circumstances bined. In this respect the Roman which could all be rarely found comarmy possessed a vast and obvious advantage over the other, for being divided into small bodies calculated to execute with ease and rapidity, and in more circumscribed ground movements of which the large, dense, and cumbrous phalanx was incapable, it was able to take advantage of all places and situations, to sever and unite at pleasure, and as a whole or in detachments, go through such evolutions as the occasion might require. These latter qualities it was that enabled Paulus Emilius to obtain his celebrated victory over Perseus at Pydna. The Spears lean on spears, on targets targets throng; Pope. There is, however, good reason for holding that Philip only new-modelled and disciplined a formation with which the Macedonians, in common with the rest of Greece, were long previously acquainted. Indeed the lines above quoted may seem to indicate a very remote origin of the phalanx. On this subject see Leland's Life of Philip of Macedon, p. 45 and seq. |