ther, thou holdest by an arm, a little infant besmeared in its own brains. To the tender wife, a husband dashing from rock to rock, and at last his remains thou gatherest up in thy hand, and spreadest out every bit by turns. To the affectionate son, thou shewest a father clasping the briny wave for refreshment, and then leaping in madness to the shark's tooth. To the faithful friend, thou displayest a heart wallowing in black and treacherous blood. For every one, canst thou find an agonizing sight. Merciless being, and powerful as thou art, none can stem thy malice but Virtue with the torch of Piety!" Vol. II. P. 1.

Let the reader picture to himself Horror, with a lantern, (a dark one of course) lighting the imagination to a heart (query a hog) wallowing in black and treacherous blood. The sight is too dreadful, let us haste to a more composing scene.

"Order! thou art the soul of matter. Without thee, Heaven is no longer Heaven, and the Universe is chaos. Thou art the master-spring upon which the wheels of creation move: on thy head is balanced the sun; with one foot thou rockest the planets in their cradle, with the other thou dost press the back of Time, which is ever moving to escape thee, yet never succeeds; thine hands are spread in devotion over the sacred hierarchy of the Eternal, whilst thou lendest an ear to harmony such as angels love. As thine influence extends through the thick confluence of heavenly bodies, so is it observed in the least of created works. The grasshopper does not sing but at thy appointments; the leaf hides itself till thy season; water kisses the shore and retires at thine hour, and birds frame the nest according to thy direction. Man too, the lord of created beings, loves and has pride in his submission to thee. Full well he knows, that thou art the base of every virtue and every attainment. If he would be great, if he would be good, if he would be brilliant, if he would be admired, he must court thy favour, and bend to thine authority. Order! permit that I salute thee." Vol. I. P. 80.

The idea of rocking the planets in a cradle, and singing a Hush a by-baby to the solar system, is quite original. From these specimens of the sublime, the reader will doubtless assign to Miss Appleton the place she so much covets, between poetry and prose. Sometimes, however, Miss A. condescends to shackle herself with rhyme.

"Now in a length of solemn strains the verse extends,
Low o'er sepulchred worth she mournful bends.

Here 'twas a pair by virtue bound,

And there the tender friend;
A little Hope earth weeps around,
And now proud Glory's end.

The swelling sigh the audience mournful heaves;
The maid from Elegy relieves,

And

And Epigram to wield

She rubs his polishd shield;
Plays in his line,

And nerves his wing,

In attic brine

She steeps the thought, and points the smarting sting."

Vol. I. P. 112.

We have heard of attic salt; a grain of which was formerly held sufficient to savour a whole epigram. Miss Appleton, however, would, by the quantity she proposes, and the time of immersion, actually convert a bright idea into pickled pork.

Descending, however, from these high-flown proems to the humble narration, Miss Appleton discovers equal skill in her descriptions of actual nature. Let us take, for instance, het hero in the full tide of power and of glory.

"Months rolled away; the glory of Atheling increased, and could the applause of his people give perfect happiness, then had he possessed it; but other hopes fluttered in his breast. Like the prattling babe, whose eager eye is caught during a few moments by the caress, on the glitter of a stranger, but who almost instantly turns round its little anxious gaze for the nurse, and mourns if it see her not; thus Atheling amused, occupied, labouring in his duties of the day, had not the leisure to give his bosom vent; but, in the evenings, when relaxation gave him liberty of thought, he sought the solitary beach or the grave, or perched upon a high cliff that overlooked the bay; directed his tearful eye across the western shores, and sighed for his native home. Brilliant sky of the eastern world, thou voluptuous breeze, thou tender vapour, thou soft peach-blossom tint of floating bloom, what are ye to me?' cried the Prince, I would change ye all for one varying day in my native clime! Oh, soft luxuriance, soft effeminacy of all-tender nature, thou wouldst fain unman me; thou wouldst enervate the strong purpose of my soul.'" Vol. III. P. 133.

.

From this the reader will learn how a statesman and a minister employs his afternoon. Let him imagine Harry Dundas, "seeking the solitary beach, or the grave," and composing an official elegy in a churchyard; or Pitt, in the plenitude of his power perched upon a high cliff that overlooks the bay."

66

Of Miss Appleton, her Epicast, and her peach-blossom tints of floating bloom, we take our respectful leave, grateful for the entertainment which they have afforded us; and expressing 'our earnest hope, that these will not be the last effort of her li terary labour. If many tale-makers, moral and religious, whom we could mention, had adopted the style of Miss Appleton, they would have had much less mischief to answer for from their productions.

ART.

ART. V. Researches into the History of Playing Cards, with Illustrations of the Origin of Printing and Engraving on Wood. By Samuel Walter Singer. 4to. 41. 4s. Triphook: 1816.

KNOWLEDGE properly so termed, spreads itself out into various ramifications, of greater or less dignity and importance; diffusing more salutary light from one branch than from another, sometimes communicating substantial instruction, at others, merely displaying the sources of ingenuous amusement. The in vestigation of the origin of printing, which has much commanded the attention of a considerable and respectable class of writers for the last fifty years, has probably no pretence to occupy any very distinguished pre-eminence in what are denominated iterary pursuits. It cannot very materially contribute to the improve ment of the intellectual faculties, to ascertain whether the first book in moveable types was printed in 1458, or not till some years afterwards; neither can it essentially promote the genuine interests of science, of morals, or of the arts, to know, whether Guttemburg, Fust, or Koster was the first inventor, or whether a printing press was first set up at Mentz, at Harlem, or at Strasburgh.

In like manner with respect to these "Researches into the History of Playing Cards," we presume to hope that the respectable author, who is certainly well skilled in this sort of lore, will not be offended, if in our examination of his work, we do not assume a formal seriousness and gravity; if we do not affect to give his production a place among the higher branches of learning, but merely consider it as a work of entertainment, which nevertheless demonstrates a most familiar and circumstantial acquaintance with the subject which he professes to discuss.

The present, which may without reserve, be pronounced a truly elegant volume, is composed of three sections and a copious appendix, on each of which we shall have something to say, reserving to ourselves the privilege of a good humoured smile, when we think it may be indulged without the infliction of a wound.

The first section is entirely, as the author terms it, "devoted to the origin of cards," a most curious and important subject beyond all doubt, and he who would ascertain either the epoch or the nation entitled to this high honour, must draw his materials from "recondite sources," and can expect but little assistance from "European writers."

In the second section, "the Researches into the History of playing Cards," (remember, reader, no pun is intended) are for a time discarded. The arts of engraving on wood and of printing,

are

are the "devoted" subjects of the author's consideration. The great position which is sought to be established is, that the first card-makers were the inventors of Xylography, which, being translated for the sake of our country readers, means engraving on wood. Therefore to cards we owe the invention of printing, or as the author terms it, that art

"Which breathes a soul into our silent walls."

In this section also is inserted a sketch of typographical history, which in Mr. Singer's opinion is "the most complete which has hitherto been given to the English reader." This peremp tory decision of the writer on the merits of his own performance, seems to supersede the necessity of criticism. But of this in its place-after all however that is brought forward on this important subject in this the competent sketch, the principal fact to be ascertained, is left in uncertainty.

The third section communicates such scanty information as could be collected respecting some of the principal and most interesting of the games at cards.

It may here be permitted as to express something of surprize that Mr. Singer should have given so much consequence, and made such copious extracts from so very common a book as "Cotton's Complete Gamester," which has passed through a multitude of editions, and copies of which may be had at almost every book-stall.

But as one of our old proverbs has it-Patience and let us shuffle the cards. Inveterate prejudices are always given up with reluctance, and certainly we had previously to the appearance of this book, felt ourselves rather inclined to place confidence in the long prevailing opinion, that cards were invented by the French, and that too on occasion of the unfortunate state of mind of one of their earlier monarchs, who, as was supposed, would be amused and cheered by this effort of ingenuity. This author has however proved that the above prejudice was ill-founded, and according to his account cards were known in France as early as the year 1300, or thereabouts. But the place to which is to be given the honour of the invention, after the most elaborate investigation, and examination of various authors in all European languages, in which also reference is made to Herodotus, and even to St. Cyprian, who, as we are kindly informed, lived at Carthage, and was martyred under the persecution of Galierus, A.D. 258, still remains a matter of conjecture only.

How lamentable a thing it is, that so great diligence and such profound erudition of the kind, should be exercised in vain; or that the origin of cards should still remain to be looked for in the hieroglyphics of Egypt, the ancient amusements of the Hindoos,

or

or to some extension, or alteration of the Game of Chess, by its original inventors the Chinese-The author very gravely suggests, that if there shall appear due probability that the origin of cards is to be attributed to the Chinese, it would be expedient to direct enquiries to be made among the intelligent natives of the East, or a due examination of oriental writers to take place. If this be not breaking a fly upon a coach wheel, we know not what is.

We shall, however, submit a specimen of this first section to the opinion of our readers, readily conceding, that bating the great solemnity with which this mysterious question is discussed, Mr. Singer is entitled to much commendation for the most un wearied diligence and attention, as well as for no inconsiderable portion of amusement, even to those who are but imperfectly acquainted with this intricate subject.

"There appear such striking analogies and strong resemblances between the game of chess and cards in their first simple form, that the origin of them from thence may be deduced with a high degree of probability. In the early cards we have the king, knight, and knave, and the numerical cards, or common soldiers. The oriental game of chess has also its king, vizier, and horseman, and its pawns, or common soldiers. But the parties at cards are doubled, there are four, instead of two of each; this, indeed, is the only variation, for it will be shewn in the sequel that the apparent deviation from the number of the pieces at chess is easily accounted for. The game of Tarocco, with its twofold series of figures and images, is also most probably of eastern origin, for the modern Hindu cards bear a strong resemblance, both in point of number and arrangement, to this game; the combination of the simple game derived from chess, with the additional figures, must have been of course a subsequent improvement; the adherence of the Asiatic nations to their original customs, makes it more than likely that this game is of high antiquity among them; we cannot imagine that they derived it from the European nations, for they have been slow to adopt their manners, or their amusements, and the complicated form of this very game is an argument against such a supposition. From hence it may be fairly supposed, that the game of cards, like the game of chess, travelled from India to the Arabians; particularly as it seems that the gipsies were originally Indians, driven from their country; and as they traversed the north of Asia and Africa before they reached Europe, introduced the game of cards into those countries, from whence it passed over to Europe long before them. What were the objects represented on the oriental cards, or the games played with them, at their introduction into Europe, we have now no means of satisfactorily ascertaining; but we may presume it is probable that they were not very remotely different from the old Italian and Spanish cards, and the four suits,

spade,