tice indifferently to Moor and Christian; and leaving his 'paynim' subjects in possession of their property, contented himself with levying a tithe as an acknowledgment of sovereignty. Of the Moorish manners we do not learn much from this curious volume; but the lamentation over the ruin of Valencia (p. 179) is an interesting specimen of Arabian poetry.

It is sufficiently obvious that whether the history of the Cid be real or fictitious, it is exceedingly valuable as a singular picture of manners of which we know little or nothing. The history however of the chief of a band of adventurers, making war on his own account, and becoming the prince of a conquered territory, with all his intermediate acts, is not so interesting as to lead us to investigate its authenticity. That the Cid was a real existing personage, distinguished by his exploits against the Moors, cannot be doubted. But although his history does not present a more romantic air than the real chronicles of the age, and has not above a very conscionable proportion of miracles and prodigies, there is reason to believe that it is in many particulars fictitious. The conquest of Valencia seems particularly suspicious. In short, the whole may be dismissed with the account given of the adventures in Montesinos's cave, by the ape of Ginez de Passamente, que parte de las cosas son falsas y parte verisimiles.

The faults which we have to notice belong to the style. This is an imitation of that of scripture; it is, we think, sometimes too periphrastical, and sometimes it abounds in unnecessary repetitions. It retains also marks of its derivation from metrical romance in the detail and accumulation of particulars, which, though sometimes striking, at other times degenerate into mere expletives. Thus we have a march described with Who ever saw in Castile so many a precious mule and so many a good-going palfrey, and so many great horses, and so many goodly streamers set up, goodly spears and shields adorned with gold and with silver, and mantles, and skins, and such sandals of Adria. This is all very well and very animated; but why should we again, only six lines below, have a repitition of 'many a great mule, and many a palfrey, and many a good horse,' &c. &c. &c. As Mr. Southey was compiling a history, and not making a literal translation of a single work, he would we think have been justifiable in compressing one of these descriptions. There are besides, sundry odd phrases which we could have wished amended. Thus the pursuers making havoc among a flying army, are said to 'punish them badly; we have elsewhere 'happy man was his dole' and other expressions more venerable from simplicity than elegance. We dare not proceed too far in these censures, because Mr. Southey has informed us, that reviewers, in censuring his introduction of new words, have only shewn their own ignorance of the English language. Despite of this retort churlish,' however, we must say, that if a word

be so old that it has become new again, it is unfit, at least generally speaking, for modern use. We have a title to expect payment in the current coin of the day, and may except against that which bears the effigies of king Cnut, as justly as if it had been struck by Mr. Southey himself. It also seems to us that the story would have been improved by abridging some of the Cid's campaigns, if the conscience of the editor had permitted him.

While we are on the subject of faults, we may just remark that Mr. Southey appears to have mistaken the sense of two or three Spanish terms; but his knowledge of the language is so deep and extensive, that we must, in justice to him, attribute the oversight to a momentary lapse of attention.

But in noticing these defects, we offer our sincere gratitude to Mr. Southey for a most entertaining volume, edited with a degree of taste and learning, which few men in England could have displayed. The introduction and notes are full of the most ample and extraordinary details concerning the state of Spain in the middle ages, from works of equal curiosity and scarcity.

ART. XIV. A Manual of Analytical Mineralogy, &c. &c. By Frederick Accum, Honorary Member of the Irish Academy; Operative Chemist, &c. pp. 560, 2 vols. 12mo. London, Kearsley, 1808.

BEING as yet novices in the art on which we have entered, and

therefore, perhaps, unwilling to substitute our own opinions for those of the author, we shall in the present instance, only aim at literally fulfilling the duties of our office: and having perused the book before us, entitled 'A Manual of Analytical Mineralogy,' &c. present such a sketch of its character and contents, as in our humble opinion is calculated to give a discerning public the power of appreciating its merits.

The work consists of two duodecimo volumes containing altogether about 560 pages; but as very nearly 300 of these are copied from the English translation of Klaproth's Analytical Essays, and from similar publications of Mr. Davy, and various chemists and mineralogists, this part of the work may fairly claim an exemption from criticism since it would be neither just that others should share in our praises of the author; nor that he should have to answer for their errors and imperfections. It is enough for them to know, to use Mr. Accum's emphatical language, that he has detailed their respective analyses with as much accuracy and fidelity as his slender abilities could suggest,' p. viii. and it would be unpardonable in us not to bear the most ample testimony to the truth of this assertion. So great, indeed, is his fidelity, in the discharge of this

part of his duty, that he is not even tempted to swerve from it by the lure of a grammatical error; as may be seen by the following passage, from p. 376: But what concerns the soda, it is no matter of wonder that it has escaped his attention.'-Klaproth's Essays, vol. ii. p. 201. We much question whether Mr. Porson or Mr. Gaisford would have shewn such disinterested abstinence. Equally accurate is he in his translations from the French, &c. What, for instance, can be more closely rendered than'oligistous iron,' p. 89, for fer oligiste;' or than Amphigenic lithoidal lavas,' p. 88, for Laves lithoides Amphigéniques?' in the last of which instances, if not in both, it may almost be said, that the terms correspond so closely, as to render it difficult to decide which is the translation and which the original.

We believe, that in his whole work one only instance occurs in which he has deviated from his accustomed accuracy and fidelity.' It is that in which he makes Mr. Klaproth propose an hypothetical conclusion in the following words, which to suppose I am induced to believe from the vapours, &c. ;' p. 364. in Klaproth's Essays standing thus which to suppose I am induced from the vapours,' &c. Klap. Essays, vol. ii. p. 192: But even the severest critic will allow, and indeed it is visible to be seen (to imitate Mr. Accum's mode of expression in the present case) that the original has not lost any thing by the variation here adopted. The license however which Mr. Accum has in this instance assumed, is somewhat remarkable, because he himself seems to rejoice not so much in pleonasms as in ellipses; witness the following observation on the mineral called sulphate of strontian: its colour is most commonly reddish, or sky blue, and sometimes colourless.' p. 465.

But, to quit this digression, the accuracy of our author's mind is equally conspicuous where he distributes his information, from his own stores; of which one or two examples will be sufficient for the present purpose. Thus, after having forcibly impressed upon us the necessity that the balances or scales employed in analysis should be as delicate and correct as possible, he proceeds to the consideration of weights, and introduces the subject with the following sensible observation; As the utility of analytical research depends greatly upon the determination of the quantities of the ingredients and products, not only accurate scales but accurate weights are also necessary.' p. 13. Again, speaking of the method of ascertaining the specific gravity of particular bodies he says, 'The substance in question must be reduced into fine powder, unless it be already in that shape, p. 27. The precision of this caution is admirably calculated to prevent the embarrassment of a certain description of philosophers, who in default of direct rules for proceeding are in the habit of adopting that sentiment of Plutarch, το επέχειν εν τοις αδήλοις τε συγκατατίθεσθαι φιλοσοφώτερον; opulegov; and may be considered as a counterpart of the excellent in

troduction to the well known receipt for dressing a carp, 'First, catch your carp.'

On another occasion, in treating of the classication of minerals, he concludes with the following presumption; which we are sure the greatest sceptic need not be afraid of admitting: 'When the analysis of a mineral has been effected, we presume that a similarity of composition will exist in other specimens which agree with it closely in their internal and external characters,' p. 62. But if his caution in drawing his own conclusions is great, his boldness in opposing the unfounded speculations of others is equally great: thus, in the second page of his work, he at once cuts short the philosophical reveries of Dr. Plot; and settles for ever a question of which the learned and unlearned have long doubted, by asserting, quasi ex cathedrâ, that Minerals absolutely possess no life.' The passage which follows, is not perhaps strictly connected with the present question; but it is pathetic, and we shall therefore take the liberty of transcribing it. Minerals may increase in size,' he says, 'but their growth is exceedingly different from the growth of organic beings; since it does not take place by virtue of nutrition and subsequent expansion of organic matter; is not affected by external functions; and produces no advantage to the individual.' p. 2. Accordingly, adverting to this subject in another part of his work, he observes, with just indignation, the popular opinion that coals grow like vegetables, so that the mines that are exhausted may be opened again, and worked after a series of years, is too erroneous to need any formal refutation.' p. 529.

Of the language of our author we speak with great diffidence, as of one more addicted to writing than we ourselves have been, or even hope to be. Perhaps however we may venture to suggest that there is a slight degree of affectation in his mode of spelling, particularly in the case of Greek derivatives; as kaupolite, onix, lythomarge, betroydal, &c. for koupholite, onyx, &c.: and considering that he writes in prose, he seems rather too partial to the latter clause of that convenient license with respect to letters, which, according to the grammarian Busbeïus, duplat vel tollit medias pro carminis usu; as in the words thalite, dialage, alochroite, &c. for thallite, diallage, allochroïte, &c.

He is also very fond of a word, which we presume is delicately discriminative, but which we often found ourselves unable to construe: thus, in speaking of inflammable substances, he says 'they are all insoluble, at least in their totallity, in alkohol.' p. 526.

We have not the pleasure of knowing the author's family, but were very happy in seeing a poor relative brought forward in a conspicuous point of view in the following sentence; 'the only combustible substance of what it will be necessary to speak, are coals; p. 530, particularly as there are instances in which he seems to want

the same charity. Doubtless however he has good grounds for what he does in those instances, and therefore we willingly forego the invidious task of producing the passages which contain them; contenting ourselves with saying that those as wish to see them may consult pp. 21 and 523 of the work, and p. viii. of the preface.

Mr. Accum possesses in a remarkable degree the pleasing and useful talent of introducing, incidentally as it were, collateral points of information. Thus, in treating of fuel and the application of heat, he delights those who knew not the facts before, by acquainting them that spirit of wine, oil, and melted tallow are burnt in lamps of various constructions; and that wood, turf, coal, charcoal, and coke are burnt in grates and furnaces.' p. 48. So again, having alluded to the experiment made by Dr. Maskelyne, on the sides of Schihallien, for the purpose of ascertaining the mean density of the earth; and having paid a flattering compliment to the skill of that philosopher, he modestly suggests an improvement upon his mode of conducting the experiment; in the course of which he teaches us, by the way, that mountains themselves, which run east and west, may be considered 'as composed of a number of parallel and vertical slices, formed by planes, in the direction of the meridian.' p. 54. It is so long since we attended Mr. Walker's lectures on experimental philosophy, that we feel obliged to Mr. Accum for mentioning a circumstance which we confess had almost escaped our recollection; namely, that 'a ship might be made of iron, or copper, or in short of any other substance whose specific gravity far exceeds that of water, and yet it would float as well as a ship which is made of wood in the usual way.' p. 23. But the most interesting examples of his talent for communicating collateral information remain to be noticed: the first of these occurs in that part of the work where having closed an account of the operations of Analysis by a long list of instruments of experiment, and chemical preparations called 're-agents or tests,' he enhances the value of this index to the reader, though more, probably, to himself, by the subjoined notice that all the substances there enumerated 'may be had at the author's laboratory, as a companion to this essay.' p. 42. Other examples may be found in pp. 97, 157, 194, 319, 406, 530, and 555; in which having descanted on the topics before him as far as appeared convenient, he, to the very agreeable surprise of his readers, and with kind solicitude for their future improvement, informs them 'that for a more circumstantial account of the general nature of those subjects they may consult a system of mineralogy and mineralogical chemistry, now in the press, which will be published by him shortly. Some invidious critics will perhaps suspect that this idea is borrowed from the well known dramatist, whose benefit is fixed, &c. &c.' to which we shall only answer, in the words of our author on a different occasion, such an opinion does not need any formal refutation.'