Chapter xix. discusses the importance of habit. Some studies are said to disqualify for others. Much of compensation, however, is to be found in nature: the versatility, which disqualifies for production, qualifies for invention. The twentieth and concluding chapter at length professes to evolve the universal criterion of genius, which is here said to be -mental energy. Notwithstanding the merit and frequent elegance of this treatise, we rise disappointed from it. We are sorry to dismiss a book on genius with indifference: but we have neither found in it that which we expected, a display of the luxuries of eloquence combining to celebrate the giver of the banquet; nor that which we wished, a severe metaphysical analysis of the mind and its powers, and a critically discriminative application of the extant nomenclature to the definition of its qualities. The author's style of writing is not negligent, but laboured; it has the abrupt conciseness of the French school, rather than the diffuse fluency of the English; while it indulges too much in that Scotish want of precision which threatens to convert metaphysics into jargon, and to prepare the ascendancy of a Kantian philosophy. ART. IV. The Cronicles of Scotland, by Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie. Published from several old Manuscripts. 8vo. 2 Vols. 11. 1s. Boards. Longman and Co. 1814 HESE Chronicles of Scotland, which are not now published for the first time, treat of the history of that country from the death of James the First to the Reformation. The account of the period which intervenes between 1436 and 1565 is in former editions ascribed to Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, who did indeed collect the materials, but who appears to have transcribed without much alteration the labours of some preceding annalists. After 1565, another writer undertakes the period extending to 1604; so that the work is rather a series of royal biographies by several persons, than a continuous and uniform composition. It has, however, the great merit of preserving that contemporaneous spirit of sentiment which comments on every incident, not as modern humanity, refinement, or philosophy would be disposed to view it, but as the bystander imbued with all the prejudices of the times would naturally behold it. The account given in the original preface, of the manner and method which were adopted in drawing up the book, is not very clear. Here begins,' says the author, the History and Chronicles of Scotland, which were left unwritten by the last translators, Hector Boethius and John Ballantyn, who ended their chronicle at the slaughter of King James the First.' Then follows an epitome of the contents of the book; and these notable acts,' adds the author, 'were sought, gathered, written, and collected by me Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, instructed, learned, and lately informed by their authors, to wit Patrick Lord Lindsay, Sir William Scott, Sir Andrew Wood, and Mr. John Major who wrote his chronicle hereupon.' This passage shews that the author was employed by a committee to put together a formal history, of which they furnished the material documents. The ecclesiastical part of the narrative, namely the account of the reformations effected between 1565 and 1604, seems to have been exclusively intrusted to Mr. John Major, who is stated to have been a doctor of theology. Farther assistance is said to have been derived from Sir David Lindsay, Andrew Wood, Andrew Fernie, and especially Sir William Bruce, who hath written very justly all the deeds since Floudoun Field.' A geographical description of Britain follows the preface. With ingenious patriotism, the author contrives to state that, as Scotland is broader than England, so it is longer, and has withal a similar wedge-like shape; and he enumerates with complacency the various dependant islands, or illands, as he calls them. Next follow the Chronicles themselves. To the reign of James the Second are allotted 164 pages: to James the Third, 60: to James the Fourth, 58; and with the close of this reign terminates the first volume. Vol. II., of which the paging continues, as if both volumes were originally intended to form a single book, opens with the reign of James the Fifth, to which 127 pages are allowed. The reign of Mary occupies 162; and that of James the Sixth, 46 pages. The Chronicles break off when he accedes to the British crown. -- Addenda, which collect the various readings of different manuscripts, specimens, and a copious and convenient index, complete the second volume. In order to give the English reader a brief idea of the style, the spelling, and the mode of narration, we reprint a short fragment of the Chronicles. Thaireftir they come to Edr. without ony wnderstanding quhat wes devysit for thair distructioun. Sum men jugeit na guid to cum of this weyage, and that throw the frequent message, baithe cumand and gangand betuixt the governour and chanceler, and thairfoir gaif counsell that nane of thame at that tyme suld entir wnto the castell of Edr. or at the leist, gif he entirrit, best it war to send his brother Dauid bakwart hame agane, and not to brak thair faderis counsell, quha quha inhibit thame that thay yeid nevir bothe togiddir quhair thair wes ony apperance of dainger, fraude or gyle, lest it suld be the wraik of thaimselffis and houssis. The erle gaif no credit to sik coniectoris, sayand, he had experience of the governour and chanceleris faithe and lawtie in sik caceis; and as to the chanceler, he haid so interteint and treitt him, that he could dreid na ewill nor falset at his hand. Sik rumour and quiet rumour spred throw the haill company, caussit Sir Dauid Dowglas perswade the erle his brother to reteir hamewart againe, dreidand sum mischief to follow vpone this haistie frindship; for the quhilk the erle repreivit his brother werray scharplie, sayand it wes nocht decent for him to gif eir to sik wane flattirriris, quha wes the werray occatioun of all dissensioun and discorde amangis nobill men, so lang as they haid place, and thairfoir gaif command with richt scharpe threitning and braging wourdis, that no man in his companie menit sik thing fra be to speik the samyn.' No antiquarian notes illustrate the text; nor does any conjectural criticism distribute with probability the component parts among their respective authors. Neither is any other new light thrown in this edition on these original historic records, than to collect various readings from antient manuscript copies for which effort of patience, much gratitude is due to the editor, Mr. John Graham Dalyell. We have already noticed some similar publications, which cannot fail to bestow on the future historiographer an increased command of library. ART. V. Travels in the Pyrenees; containing a Description of the principal Summits, Passes, and Vallies. Translated from the French of M. Ramond, by F. Gold. 8vo. pp. 324. 9s. Boards. Longman and Co. 1813. T ['HE translation of the present work was owing, as Mr. Gold mentions in his prefatory notice, to the interest excited by the success of our arms in the lofty regions which he decribes. Mr. G. was one of the detenus in France during the early part of the war, having been detained and declared a prisoner on his return to England from Egypt, where he had belonged to Sir R. Abercrombie's army. But the time of his captivity was shortened by the successful application of Dr. Jenner, and he has been for several years restored to his native country. He has now introduced to the British public an author of considerable merit, both for the extent of his local observations and his capacity for reflection, but somewhat too sentimental and romantic to suit the taste of readers who are less apt to be captivated with fanciful effusions than most of his own. countrymen. M. Ramond commences with a few general observations on the Pyrenees, the highest part of which appears to be the range separating the country of Bigorne from Arragon and Catalonia: 6 The The Pyrenees are seen from a vast distance, and whatever aspect they present, appear like the Alps to be a stupendous mass of sharp, ragged, and pointed summits, partaking either of the whiteness of the clouds or of the azure of the sky, as they reflect the light or are covered with shadow. Nothing can be more striking than the eastern part of the chain. Situated on the borders of the sea, it unfolds itself as it were in the view of all Languedoc ; and when viewed from the mountain of Cette is seen like a vast promontory jutting up from the very water, while the plains of Roussillon, which were originally raised above the sea by the gradual accumulation of the deposit of the rivers, at such a distance, re-assume the appearance of their native element. The centre of the chain remains for a longer time hidden as it is approached by the way of Auch. Various groups of mountains, mostly of the secondary order, but doubtless depending on its primordial mass, continue successively to intercept the view of it, until from an eminence at some distance from Mirande, between Miellan and Rabastens, this noble barrier is suddenly discovered at the extremity of an immense plain. From Tarbes, however, may be had the most. magnificent view of these mountains. Tarbes, the capital of the people of Bigorre, was known during the time of Cæsar by the name of Bigorra, in later ages by that of Turba, and, lastly, by the denomination of Tarba.She possesses advantages worthy of her fame, a delightful situation in a fertile plain, a vicinity where nature displays her majesty in every surrounding ob ject, and her beneficence in the abundance of her productions; with these a serene sky and prospects which are wanting to the capitals of empires, are titles which add a new lustre to her history. From Tarbes the course of the Adour leads to Bagneres and the valley of Campan. In no other part is the approach to the Pyrenees so easy, but this beautiful valley scarcely rises to the middle region of the mountains. The vallies which penetrate the chain as far as the Spanish frontier, can only be attained by the borders of the Gave; and Pau or Lourdes are the towns which must be sought. Pau, like Tarbes, is situated near the Pyrenees. Its soil is only an accumulation of fragments brought down by the torrents. Pau has much less claim to antiquity than Tarbes, but holds, nevertheless, a distinguished place in history. Here it was that Henry IV. was born, amidst a people the most amiable of the earth. His chateau is still remaining just as he left it, is respected even in its interior, is occupied by his old furniture, and ornamented by the portraits of his family.' The city of Pau has attracted more than usual notice in France during the present year, in consequence of the prevail. ing disposition to assimilate the return of the Bourbons to the overthrow of the League by Henry IV.: subscriptions have been formed in all quarters of the kingdom for the purpose of erecting a statue to that idolized monarch; and Pau has lately bad the honour of seeing some branches of the royal family within its walls. Indeed, nothing can be more delightful than the REV. Nov. 1814. environs environs of that town enlivened as they are by vineyards, by undulating grounds, and by the meanderings of the river Gave. Passing from Pau to the sequestered spots in the Pyrenees, the author describes the manners of the inhabitants as in complete correspondence with the nature of the surrounding scenery: I have stopped,' says M. Ramond, wherever I found a family of shepherds, indifferent to every other pursuit but their own; and whose ambition was bounded to their meadows and flocks; with them I was sure of having friends; and arriving early in the morning before the shepherd, who follows the cattle into the higher mountains, had brought in his leathern bag, could partake of their bread and milk, and not believe myself above their gratuitous hospitality, whenever I perceived them a little at their ease; at the same time not forgetting when I payed for any thing in the houses of the poor, that to live with the simple, and be acquainted with them, we must avoid usurping, by the miserable superiority which the power of spending a little money bestows, a consideration which is hurtful to all free communication, if not obtained by those advantages which tend to equalize the conditions of all. I have conversed, then, with the fathers of these families, and have played with their children. I have followed the young huntsman and the young shepherd to the mountain. More curious with respect to their manners than the singularities of nature, I have made myself their companion or their guest, without any interest which they could perceive. In this way they have seen me bare-footed upon their declivities, where the use of shoes, without my cramp-irons, would have given me only a ridiculous disadvantage; and they have neither laughed at me for dreading their precipices, nor treated me with that feigned deference, which they pay to the pretensions of the citizen.' In the valley of Bareges, as in all the most elevated and wildest vallies of the Pyrenees, I have found, with but little difference, the pastoral economy of the high Alps. This general similitude embraces such details as might induce the observer almost to imagine that the shepherd of the one of these countries has been the pupil of the shepherd of the other; but here we must remember, that man is every where the same in similar situations. • Wherever indeed the mountains attain a more than ordinary height, and have vallies under the snow for the greater part of the year, which extend to but a small distance from those which are habitable at all times, the shepherds have winter habitations in the latter, but fix their summer residence in the higher vallies, wherever the nature of the soil, the gentleness of the declivities, and the vicinity or direction of the waters enable them to form meadows of any extent. In these vallies they pass the better season, conducting thither the waters with precaution, and distributing them with the utmost dexterity by means of small canals, with which they intersect their meadows. These springs are admirably well economized, and fall from one possession to another successively. A bit of slate is sufficient to stop their course: with this, the peasant either turns the current into other |