rious zenith, but lay like stagnant oceans, weltering in rottenness and error, breathing pestilence, wo and degradation." There is a redundancy of language,- -now and then a bold liberty, a little obscurity:-but we pass by all of this. The Oration is an admirable one. A single extract will speak for it:

"Already the names of Bancroft, Prescott and Irving, are uttered by the genuine lovers of the literature of humanity, with deeper regard than those of Tacitus, Livy, Hume or Gibbon. When American genius shall, in a similar spirit, have encircled the whole field of the past; drawn out from eras, governments and occurrences, their proper lessons of instruction; weighed in an equal balance emperors and peasants, conquerors and captives; and tried all by that great test of merit,-what have they done for human progress? then, and not till then, can history assert any claim to the attributes of philosophy. Oh! ever be the past brought to us in its truth, that it may guide us aright in our wanderings through the future."

p. 36.

7.- The Beechen Tree: A Tale told in Rhyme. By F. W. THOMAS, author of Clinton Bradshaw, etc. New-York: Harper & Brothers. 1844.

THIS is a beautiful poem. There is a simplicity about it which touches the heart, and the artist has sketched his pictures with so light a hand, and thrown around them so much grace and sprightliness, that we cannot but award the meed of highest praise. At present, we can only give this hasty notice, and a specimen, at random, of the taste and beauty of the performance:

"How beautiful the beechen tree!

A beechen tree of giant mould,
Whose roots did many a rock unfold,
Entwining them as you might see,—
For, branching from the parent stem,
A velvet moss just covered them:
They sought the nurture of the brook
That from the shade a deep green took,
And murmured like the lullaby
Of cradle watchers, when they look
Upon the infant's closing eye.

Forth stepping, like the timid deer,
And hearing her own step with fear,
On came a gentle maid;
She crosses o'er the rivulet,-
Her silken slipper is not wet,-
Why should she be afraid?

If fearful thus, why seek the spot?
She seems spell-bound, and yet seems not:
Why stops she by the tree?"

8.-History of Marion, Sketches of Life, etc., in Perry County, Alabama. By S. A. TOWNES.

THIS is a work of local attraction, and will be read no doubt with great interest, by those interested in the section of country about which it is conversant. The general reader will find, however, many lively and spirited sketches of life and manners in the earlier time and in the wild border country, which cannot fail to afford amusement. Much humour is displayed in the production, and an enumeration of what otherwise would be considered as dry facts, is frequently made to assume the garb and semblance of romance.

9.-The Carolina Planter; a Monthly Register for the State and Local Societies. Columbia.

The Southern Agriculturist, Horticulturist, and Register of Rural Affairs; adapted to the Southern section of the United States, Dec. 1844. A. E. Miller, Charleston.

THE interests of Agriculture are coming to be more regarded in our State. We must not be agriculturists merely in name, and the support of works of this kind ought to be specially attended to; and strange as it may appear, the projectors of these before us are complaining of a want of patronage. Let the agriculturists look to it.

10.—Southern Literary Messenger. B. B. MINOR, Editor and Proprietor. Dec. 1844. Richmond, Va.

WE receive, as usual, our numbers of this sprightly and well conducted periodical, and are always willing to give it a warm welcome and God-speed in the sunny fields of Southern literature.

11.—Floral Wreath and Ladies Monthly Magazine, Dec. 1844. EDWIN HERIOT, Editor. Charleston: B. Jenkins.

MR. HERIOT is a young man, and seems to possess the requisites for a work of this kind. He has succeeded, thus far, in giving it an interest with the class of readers for which it is intended. We wish him success. Southern periodicals of this kind are said to be ephemeral. They are born, live and die in an hour. And why is this? Is it fair that the reproach should exist, when there are so many means of preventing it?

12.-Editorial Notes.

I.-E. B. Bellinger, Esq., of Barnwell, has taken exception to part of the article on "Education in Europe"-the first in this number. He complains of the language used in connexion with his name (pp. 56-57).

The language, however, is not personal. It looks to the policy and not to the individual advocating it. We did not hold Mr. B. responsible for the policy-he was the original advocate of it, to be sure, in the case alluded to, and it was unnecessary to go beyond him; but then he was sustained and sanctioned by the authority of the "very respectable committee who adopted and recommended the reports of the Commissioners." That committee were Stephen Elliott, Jr. and J. H. Thornwell. We had no motive in keeping back their names-however high and weighty they may be. We are at issue with Mr. Bellinger, committee and all. We have no qualifying language; and however much we regret this issue with such high authority, and on so important a question, it only proves the tendency to error on the subject we were discussing, and the necessity for a more general understanding of it. We open our work to the discussion.

Mr. B. corrects another error. On p. 56, we make him give $40 to each poor scholar; whereas on comparing other passages of his report, he says $10, would be more correct. This is of little consequence.

II. The subject of Education, has engrossed a large portion of this number. All admit its importance-we do not apologise. Apropos to the first article, is a movement in the 2d Municipality of New Orleans; a movement in the right direction and in the proper spirit. A circular has been lately sent us, which although we cannot publish, we condense in a note. The Municipality have, by an ordinance, established "A Lyceum Library for the public schools." This is to be effected, for the most part, by the efforts of the scholars, in small monthly subscriptions, which constitute them life members. Annual subscriptions from other sources may be received, and also donations. When $5,000 are raised, the directors shall invest in books. When $15,000, the Municipality are to build a hall in a central position. After $10,000 are invested in books, philosophical aparatus, etc., will be purchased; and lecturers provided, during part of the year, on the natural sciences. This is sufficiently munificent.

III. We have given the initials of some of our writers, in this number, by permission; the others, we had not a chance to consult. We do not bind ourselves, always to give these, but would like our contributors to give us the power, to do it or not at our pleasure. We are always willing to give the authors of our articles, when called upon to do so. This is always understood, unless the contrary be desired. The reader, in general, must be satisfied with an initial letter in the work, which will give him a clue.

IV. We have on hand several interesting articles, excluded from this number from want of space; and in commencing our fourth year, cannot but congratulate ourselves on the success, with which, the work has been attended.

SOUTHERN QUARTERLY REVIEW.

No. XIV.

APRIL, 1845.

ART. I.-1. The History of Etruria. Tarchun and his Times. From the Foundation of Tarquinia to the Foundation of Rome. By MRS. HAMILTON GRAY. London. J. Hatchard & Son. 187 Piccadilly. 1843. 1 vol. 12mo.

2. The History of Rome. By B. G. NIEBUHR. Translated by JULIUS CHARLES HARE, M. A., and CONNOP THIRLWALL, M. A., Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge. Volume First, with a Map. From the Third London Edition Revised. Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard. 1844. 1 vol. 8 vo.

3. Histoire Romaine. Premiere Partie République. Par M. DE MICHELET, Membre d l'Institut, Professeur d'Histoire au Collége Royal de France, &c. Bruxelles. Meline, Caus et Compagnie. 1840.

On the Western coast of that long Peninsula which stretches from Europe towards Africa, and seems to form, with the interjacent Isles, the connecting link between the two continents, lies an extensive plain, reaching from Pisa to Terracina, and including the most illustrious, if not the fairest regions of Italy. Its Northern portion belonged to the especial domain of the ancient Etruscans; and towards the South lay the celebrated Campagna di Roma, constituting a plateau elevated between one and two hundred feet above the level of the sea, and situated nearly in the middle of the great Chersonnese. The vast chain of the Apennines encloses this basin within its arms, and forms the somVOL. VII.--NO. 14.

18

bre back-ground of the picture: while the stagnant Arno, with its marshy borders, limits it on the North, and the dark crater of Vesuvius, on the South, is interposed between it and the adjoining territory of Naples. Within this narrow theatre arose two of the most important and interesting nations of antiquity-the Etruscans and the Romans-the consideration of whose origin and earlier history, will form the principal subject of the present article.

The two streams of the Tevere and the Teverone-the Tiber and the Anio-rising amid the spurs of the Appennine, traverse the region of which we have spoken; and, after mingling their waters a little below that Sacred Hill, so celebrated in Roman History, flow with a languid, though united, current; till lost near Ostia in the waves of the Tuscan Sea. At a distance of three miles from their confluence, the Tiber winds its sinuous course through a succession of low and irregular hills, apparently thrown up from the plain by the action of volcanic fire; and on these, some small colonies established themselves in the night of ages, and lived nearly unheard of, and almost undiscoverable to the scrutiny of modern research, until the period when they had swelled by consolidation and successive accretions, into a considerable power, and unfurled to the winds, the blood-stained standard of Rome.

The site, on which the City arose, was singularly, and, perhaps, felicitously selected-though it is probable, that we ought to attribute its adoption rather to accident and circumstance, than to judgment or design. Napoleon, in his exile, dreamed that the time-honoured Queen of the Seven Hills might yet become the centre and the capital of a modern kingdom of United Italy-and certainly, notwithstanding its numerous and obvious disadvantages, it was favourably situated for the purposes of gradual, but continued and expanding conquest, though it must soon have been crushed by the hostile states around, had it been occupied in its youth by a people of less persevering energy and indomitable courage than the ancient Romans.

Livy speaks in rapturous terms of the salubrious atmosphere of the Roman Hills-the convenience of the River Tiber-the fortunate proximity to the Sea, of the City, sutficiently near for the purposes of profitable commerce, without being so close as to permit the apprehension of sudden danger from maritime invasion-and he winds up his elo