ART. XVI.-The Second Book of the Travels of Nicander Nucius. THIS Book has been Edited from the Original Greek MSS. in the Bodleian Library, with an English Translation, by the Rev. J. A. Cram er, D.D., and printed for the Camden Society. Nicander, a native of Corcyra, while finding an asylum in Venice, was taken into the retinue of Charles the Fifth's ambassador, Gerard Voltwick, a man famed for his learning, when that functionary was on his way to Constantinople. He also accompanied the same personage in an embassy to the court of Henry the Eighth of England, towards the close of that monarch's reign; and the result was certain books of travel, relating not only to Italy and Germany, but to England, for the information of his countrymen, who were tremely ignorant even of the geography of the Western Empire,-the Second embracing the British isles. ex Nicander evidently gives an honest report of what he had seen and heard; although we may presume that he neither enjoyed the fullest opportunities of coming to the whole truth, nor surpassed other people in regard to sagacity when undertaking to deliver an impartial opinion of strangers. He however speaks not only of the English but of the Scotch from a certain amount of personal observation. Of Ireland, however, he reports upon hearsay. A summary may amuse our readers. 66 The English, he remarks, are fair, "inclining to a light colour; in their persons they are tall and erect; the hair of their beard and head is of a golden hue; their eyes blue, for the most part, and their cheeks are ruddy; they are martial and valorous, and generally tall; flesh eaters, and insatiable of animal food; sottish and unrestrained in their appetites; full of suspicion." The Scotch are a more barbarous people in their manner of living than the English." Then with regard to the sister island, we are told that it is "of a fruitful nature, and yields corn, and furnishes animals of all kinds; and whatever things are in England and Scotland, in none of these is it inferior. But yet they do not pay so much attention to civil polity. As many indeed as live in cities and walled towns, have something of human polity and administration. But such, on the other hand, as live in forests and bogs, are entirely wild and savage; and there remains only the human form, whereby they may be distinguished to be men. They are tall, fair-complexioned, and rather light haired; wearing much hair on their heads, and having a shaggy beard. They go at all seasons without any other clothing than that which covers their loins. And neither heat nor cold annoys or enfeebles them. But they devote themselves to archery, and practise running with excessive endurance, so as frequently to contend in speed with horses and hunting dogs. And they gird on their thigh a barbaric sword, not very long, and in their left hand they carry certain javelins. And they throw with so good an aim, that their skill in hitting the mark is by many thought to be marvellous. They wear neither covering on their heads nor shoes to their feet; are swift of foot, and engage in battle, hand to hand; habituating themselves to feats of desperate courage and hardihood. And as many of them as appear to live in a civilized manner, having sewed VOL. I. (1842.) No. III. 2 H together vestments of linen and hemp of all colours, clothe themselves in garments extending to their feet, and made after a barbaric fashion. And their wives also are accustomed to wear something of the same kind. They feed on every thing, and gorge themselves to excess with flesh. They are continually eating milk and butter. And if the King of England need their service, they are able to muster to the number of ten thousand, or even more. And the men, being valorous in feats of war, have frequently acquired renown." ART. XVII.-Pantology: a Systematic Survey of Human Knowledge; proposing a classification of all its branches, and illustrating their history, relations, uses, and objects; with a synopsis of their leading facts and principles; and a select catalogue of books on all subjects, suitable for a cabinet library; the whole designed as a guide to study for advanced students, in colleges, academies, and schools; and as a popular directory in literature, science, and the arts. By ROSWELL PARK, A.M., Professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania, and Mem. Am. Phil. Society. Philadelphia. THIS is an American publication, forming a sort of précis of universal knowledge, and "designed as a guide to study for advanced students in colleges, academies, and schools; and as a popular directory in literature, science, and the arts. The plan is not essentially new in this country; for various publications with a similar object have appeared at various times, and with varying degrees of merit. The most practical feature in the volume is the list of books, arranged under the head of each subject; the most striking novelty is the divisional arrangement and nomenclature. The greater portion of the arts and sciences Mr. Park renames, either in their genera or species, by words derived from the Greek. Thus, every thing connected with grammar or language is treated of under the head of "Glossology," from yλwooa, the tongue; the art of war, both naval and military, is called "Machetechnics," from μaxn, a battle; the exercise of the land forces is termed "Geotactics," from yn, the earth, serving as a distinction from naval tactics. This new nomenclature is designed to form the basis of a more methodical arrangement of human knowledge into four great provinces:-1st. Psychonomy, including the laws of mind or intellectual sciences; 2nd. Echnology, or the study of nations, go-e graphically and historically; 3rd. Physiconomy, or the laws of the material world; and 4th. Technology, or the study of the arts which relate to material objects. A work which professes to treat of such an infinite number and variety of subjects in a single volume, from the laws of the universe to "cabinet and carriage-work," must of necessity be superficial; and as it is impossible for anybody to have mastered them all, it is probable that the concoctor is ignorant of the majority. A compilation, from the most obvious and ready sources, is all that such works can ever attain to. Encyclopædias or circles of independent treatises are now, however, so numerous and so accessible, that a fair enough compilation, expressing the leading principles and received views upon any particular subject, may readily be done. The merit of clearness is possessed by the volume before us that of completeness is out of the question; but the parts relating to the belles lettres seem the most jejune. That which could have been rendered the most complete, and the most useful, strikes us as being the worst; the list of books is a mere hodgepodge, without selection, judgment, or purpose as if a person had put down all the titlepages he could get at, without further care. But with all its failings, here is something good on optics : "Light is an emanation, or something proceeding from bodies; which, reaching the eye, makes a peculiar impression, as sound does upon the ear; an impression to which the other organs of the human body are insensible. Light is found to move generally in straight lines; and with a velocity of 192,500 miles per second; or from the sun to the earth in about eight minutes. A ray of light is comprehended in a single line proceeding from any luminous point; and an assemblage of rays forms a beam, or pencil of light. When light impinges on any body, it is either reflected from it, or transmitted through it, or absorbed within it; and these effects are frequently produced conjointly. These facts give rise to the old divisions of Catoptrics, treating of reflected light, and Dioptrics, treating of transmitted light; which, however, do not exhaust the subject. 66 Concerning the nature, or essence of light, two different theories have long been maintained. The emissive theory supposes light to consist of material, though imperceptibly small particles, or atoms, thrown off from the luminous body, and diverging in all directions. This theory was maintained, in ancient times, by Pythagoras, and was adopted by Newton. The undulatory theory supposes light to be caused by a peculiar fluid, or ethereal medium, diffused throughout all nature; in which vibrations are produced by luminous bodies, like those in the air by sounding bodies; only far more rapid, and sensible only to the eye. This theory was proposed by Huyghens; and was advocated by Euler and Young. Either of these theories may serve to explain most of the facts, and assist in remembering them: but the preference is now more generally given to the latter. The study of optics has served not only to aid the sight, by the invention of various instruments, but also to explain many phenomena of nature, which were previously unknown, or involved in mystery, or applied to purposes of deception and crime. "The history of optics commences, perhaps, with the mention of brazen looking glasses, in the books of Exodus and Job, as in use among the ancient Hebrews; and of burning lenses, of glass or crystal, as known in Greece, about 450 B.C. Archimedes is said to have set fire to the Roman fleet attacking Syracuse, by means of an assemblage of glass mirrors. The earliest systematic writer on optics was Euclid, the geometer; who adopted the notion of Empedocles and Plato, that light proceeds originally from the eye, and is then reflected back from luminous objects. The prismatic spectrum was known to Seneca; but his explanation was imperfect. Ptolemy first gave a table of refractions, in his work on optics, and applied it to the correction of astronomical observations. Alhazen, the Arabian, who wrote about A.D. 1100, disproved the Platonic notion of ocular beams, and adopted the emissive theory. "Roger Bacon, the English monk, first discovered the principle of microscopes and telescopes. and probably invented spectacles; which were first used about 1275, during his life-time. The invention of the camera obscura, by Porta of Naples, about 1460, led Kepler to discover the true mechanism of the eye. The invention of the telescope is attributed by Descartes to Metius of Holland, about 1600; and by others, to Jansen, or Johnson, of Zealand, about the same date: but the English claim the invention for Leonard Digges, as early as 1591. Galileo, having heard of this instrument, invented, in 1609, the telescope which bears his name. The astronomical telescope was suggested, or revived, by Kepler, and made by Scheiner, about the year 1650; the reflecting telescope was first constructed by James Gregory, in 1663; the Newtonian was invented in 1666; and the Cassegrainian in 1672. The invention of the simple microscope has been attributed to Drebbell, of Holland, about 1618; but we think more justly to Jansen, about 1610. The compound refracting microscope was invented by Fontana, of Naples, in 1618. The magic lantern was invented by Kircher, who died in 1680. "In 1611 Antonio de Dominis, archbishop of Spalatro, first illustrated experimentally the cause of the rainbow; the complete theory of which was afterwards given by Descartes. The law of refraction was discovered by Snell, of Leyden, in 1621; and Bartholin, of Denmark, first noticed the phenomenon of double refraction about 1669: to which Huyghens added, that the light thus refracted was polarized at the same time. Grimaldi first noticed the diffraction of light, in 1665; and Newton, in 1675, studied the formation of coloured rings, and fringes, by means of thin plates. In 1672, Newton announced to the Royal Society his new theory of light, and its application to the prismatic spectrum. The invention of achromatic telescopes belongs to Mr. Hall, of England, as early as 1733; though first patented and made public by Mr. Dollond, in 1757. In 1800-8, Dr. Young applied the undulatory theory to the general explanation of colours and in 1810, Malus, of France, discovered the polarization of light by reflection. Dr. Wollaston invented the camera lucida, in 1807. The more recent discoveries made by Biot, Brewster, and others, we have no room to describe." ART. XVIII.-Tom Cringle's Log. By MICHAEL SCOTT. THE third volume of Blackwood's Standard Novels; with a brief prefatory notice, that mentions sundry curious particulars connected with the first appearance of the work in the Publishers' Magazine. Still, the preface rather sends the mind upon a course of interesting speculation, than affords full information with regard to Michael Scott. It is remarkable that the late Mr. Blackwood never knew who was the author of Tom Cringle's Log, one of the most deservedly popular and lucky contributions to Magazine litterature that has yet come to our knowledge. REVIEW. THE MONTHLY APRIL, 1842. ART. I. Oliver and Boyd's New Edinburgh Almanack and National THE general character of the people of Scotland is well known. The physical features of the country are a fit emblem of the robust and unyielding spirit of the population. No community in Europe has presented a more determined front to every kind of foreign influence, especially such as has threatened to soften the characteristic sternness of national manners, or mitigate the rigour of Calvinism. In every department of study and of action this strong peculiarity has showed itself. We find ample proofs on the battle-field, and in the halls of science. The General Assembly alone furnishes evidence of the truth; for it will sooner incur the hazard of driving from her ranks a large body of her ablest champions, and also of her devout sons and daughters, than yield one iota of that which, in her opinion, makes the kirk the glory of all lands,-the most illustrious of ecclesiastical institutions. All the ports of the country are next to closed against novelties, in respect of morals and manners; and while the poor Irish in tens of thousands are advancing in temperance reformation, the Scotch much more stiffly adhere to their former habits, hating innovation, whether in the shape of new-fangled notions, or extraneous lights. We have heard them described as men of sturdiness to mingle strong drink, equally as they are to construct systems of mental philosophy. When right or when wrong, there is something about the Scotch people that commands respect; for they present a distinct and permanent national character, which is as often, perhaps, illustrated on the one side as on the other. Many, too, are the associations which find a welcome in the heart of the stranger, belonging to the land of the mountain and flood. And beyond this, great and glorious are the achievements which sustain the name of Caledonia. Need we allude (keeping more especially within the sphere indicated by the running title of our paper) to the hero-reformer, the RutherVOL. I. (1842.) NO. IV. 21 |