What mattereth that? we must one day fall, Than to wither away by the hand of decay, "It is not with mirth, it is not with glee, But grief-deep, unspeakable grief! Draw near! for such things in a whisper should REVIEWS, &c. The Weather Almanac for 1839. By P. Murphy, Esq. There are few things in which our rural friends are more intimately concerned than the weather, and few subjects on which so much uncertainty has prevailed. When the Weather Almanac came out last year the object it professed to attain, a prediction of the weather, was looked upon by the generality of the enlightened public as so utterly beyond the reach of human calculation that the idea was conceived to be preposterous, and he who propounded it little better than an imposter. A few days at the commencement of the year, however, most singularly fulfilled his prophecies, and though in wonder at the result, and at a loss to account for it, the public felt compelled to give in to his belief in the author's possession of some singular power of ascertaining this hitherto most dubious matter. The almanacs of olden sages, including Messrs. Francis Moore and Co., had made such outrageous claims on the faith of their readers, and so grossly abused the confidence reposed in them, that the hydra-headed tribunal to which Mr. Murphy submitted the result of his lucubrations, could but look with a very suspicious glance, and that even askance, on any new aspirant for their belief. The cold weather came. The prediction and the fulfilment were wonderfully close. John Bull warned into admiration, and the exuberance of feeling broke forth from his heart for the injustice his incredulity had inflicted on the prophet, and Mr. Murphy pocketed several hundreds for his trouble. Messrs. Whittaker sold some fifty or sixty thousand of his book. But alas! there is a change in all things, and poor Mr. Murphy got into the wrong house. The weather and his book would not run together at all. His old friend turned round with redoubled indignation at what he conceived to be this second take-in, and fairly spurned him out of every thing like respect, and his standing fell as low at the latter end of the year as it had been high at the beginning. Mr. Murphy, however, is not so to be shut out. He feels that he has a good thing in hand, and he again makes his appearance with another declaration of his perusal of the heavens. He again modestly states his claims to attention, and that too very reasonably. Jesting apart, the present number of the Weather Almanac is well worthy the attention of sensible men. Whether the science of meteorology has yet attained to that degree of certainty which the author of this pamphlet would assert, we are not competent to judge, but we have had too many instances of opprobrium having been thrown upon those whose discoveries have led mankind ultimately to an advanced stage of knowledge, to view this attempt to rectify our notions on a very inportant matter with contempt, or even indifference. We trust it may lead to more extensive enquiries into the matter of which it treats, and prompt an excursion into those lands of science and thought, which lie beyond the pale of present knowledge, and are not even "dreamed of in our philosophy." Seriously it may be incumbent upon us to state that upon the prognostics contained in those few pages, we do not place much reliance, but we look upon it as the precursor of new thoughts, new labours, and new knowledge; and beside its weather predictions, it contains much valuable matter. The Little Villager's Verse Book. 1st and 2nd series, by the Rev. W. L. Bowles, Canon Resedentiary of Sarum. These little but most pleasing books need no recommendations that we can give. Their amiable and highly revered author has long since taken a position in the republic of letters alike beyond the reach of our praise or blame. But here criticism is not our office. Our first object is to lead the notice of our readers to such works as are likely to interest or to benefit them, and we therefore readily comprehend within our pages Mr. Bowles's delightful and simple verses. They have already obtained a very extensive reputation and justly so, for they breathe all the sweetness and purity of Village Life. We have selected a fair specimen of the volumes, and can cordially recommend that of which it forms a part to the attention of our readers. HOUR-GLASS. As by my mother's side I stand, Whose hairs from time are few and gray, I watch the hour-glass shed its sand, Her sight, by age, is now decay'd; Upon the Bible-leaf are laid, That open in the window lies. Though age must many ills endure, This shows her Christian comforts sure, STEAM LOCOMOTION. No. II. BUT the objection probably refers only to railways, since from the connection they bear to each other, it is impossible to tell the extent of their benefits as yet. The chain must be perfected ere we can put it to full use. Man is not made of any one member, but by an union of many. Yet, imperfect as the system is at present, who is there that can take a bird's-eye view of England, and say that nothing has been achieved? Is it nothing, in a brief period of a few summers that we have a direct communication between London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Liverpool, at a rate varying from twenty to thirty miles per hour. The average on the Birmingham and London line is twenty-eight miles per hour. Is it not something that we may "within the limits of a day" visit each of those vast emporiums of trade, and rest at home at night? Yes, this one example, out of many in operation, is sufficient to remove this objection as to what has been accomplished. As to what will be, out of a multitude (the fact that in 1836 and 1837, forty-five Railway Bills passed through Parliament, authorizes the term), two lines, the one bringing into direct and daily communication the north and south, the capitals of England and Scotland, as well as the numerous intermediate cities; and the latter joining the east and west, the Humber and the Mersey, Hull, Leeds, Manchester, and Liverpool, will be sufficient to controvert the objection. Vill. Mag. March, 1839. U Where then is the defalcation? Where has theory failed in practice? Verbum sat sapienti. Nowhere! "telum 3rd. The third objection is "neither frivolous nor vexatious," but both well grounded and important. Were we to deny the former, our assertion would be as imbelle sine ictu," and deservedly make no impression; for the experience of the last few months, thronged as the retrospect is with "explosions," deplorable losses of life, &c., &c., must overthrow any argument to the contrary-the latter is a natural sequent to the former. But let us not be misconstrued, let it not be supposed that we are the supporters of this objection, for it is by no means so. So far do we agree with the supporters of it that it is well founded, and as such so important to all her Majesty's subjects as to call for legislative interference; but as to the nature of that interference we differ. For, in our opinion, that call is for preventive regulations, and not for the abolishment of the system. We would cultivate, not uproot. It would be absurd in us to call for death to prevent the pains of illness; reason tells us we should do it more effectually and consistently by guarding life. So with regard to steam power, it is our duty to use the advantages, which for his wise purpose God hath given us, not to spurn the gift because its possession may be dangerous; but to apply our energies to discover the source, and to guard as far as possible against the recurrence of that danger. For nothing human can be perfect the gold is not without alloy, and the rose has its thorn. Yet the farmer can sort the tares from the wheat; the purifying flame separates the dross from the pure metal; and the pruning hook removes the obnoxious thorn. Thus the corn is rendered more useful, the metal more precious, and the rose not less beautiful gives its fragrance without a sting. : By those, however, who oppose all interference with the system, it may with some justice perhaps be urged that in proportion to the traffic and business performed by Steam Locomotion, the accidents will in the aggregate be less than by the old method of communication; but, on the |