"Toujours Gai;" Introduction and Rondo; composed by J. B. CRAMER. Cramer, Addison and Beale. Toujours stupide would have been a much more appropriate title for this work, which has not a solitary idea to recommend it. If Mr. Cramer wishes his admirers to be Toujours Gai, we should recommend him to write something for them a little less melancholy. With what trash are the music shops overwhelmed!! "La Salle du Bal;" two Divertisements by L. NIEDERMEYER. Nos. 1 and 2. Cramer, Addison and Beale. Rubbish-rubbish-rubbish-artless unsophisticated rubbish! The only difficulty in criticising these innocent divertisements, is to say which is the most dull, which the most stupid. "Dost ask me why I love?" Poetry by "BIRD;" Music by W. F. LOCKWOOD. We are not informed what kind of "bird" imagined the poetry of this song, but we feel assured it must be a rara avis, of a species by no means common. Master Bird! Master Bird! we think few maidens would twice ask thee why thou dost love, if thou canst give no better answer than the incomparable nonsense contained in these verses. Fye! on thee, Master Bird! music is by Mr. W. F. Lockwood, of the Royal Academy of Music, and is in four flats, major. REVIEW OF BOOKS. Nicholas Nickleby. By Boz. Chapman and Hall. The This work has now reached its third number, and, within our recollection, ninety-six pages of greater trash never were submitted for the perusal of an intelligent public. It is surprising to us that Mr. Charles Dickens should be encouraged by the press in his attempts to lower and pollute the public taste by scribbling the miserable nonsense with which we have been inundated for the last two years; but we hope that the absurdities which he has thought fit to publish will, ere long, meet with their just reward, and be consigned to oblivion. Our readers must be well acquainted with the plot and incidents (if there are any) of this work, as all the papers, daily, weekly, and monthly, have filled their pages with a description of them, and it will be therefore quite superfluous in us to attempt to analyse the "Sayings and Doings" of Yorkshire Schoolmasters and their half-starved pupils, who are, according to Boz's account, fattened upon brimstone and treacle. We cannot afford to waste any more of our space on this most wonderful composition, and we will conclude with the following lines from Shakspeare, which apply most truly to Boz's literary talents: "I therefore apprehend, and do attach thee, Othello, Act i. Scene 2. Copland's Dictionary of Practical Medicine. It will be impossible in the short space that we devote to criticisms on literature, to do justice to Dr. Copland's valuable work. This dictionary treats of every disease, its causes, and remedies; and the author has spent a great portion of his time and labour upon the formation of a book which will, we doubt not, find a place in all libraries, particularly in those of scientific Our limits will not allow us to make many extracts, but we cannot help noticing the able description of the causes of endemic diseases, which are, to a certain extent, under human control, as for instance : men. "Low and marshy places, and grounds saturated with moisture; thick woods and jungles, particularly in warm climates; argillaceous soils, and the deep alluvial earth in the bottom of valleys, on the banks of rivers, or near the level and shores of the sea or of large lakes, or the embouchures of rivers. It may be inferred from the writings of the ancients, particularly those of Hippocrates, Livy, Tacitus, Plutarch, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, that the insalubrity of these places was well known to them, and that the means of removing and counteracting it were as well understood then as at the present day.' Although it will be impossible for us to enter into the details of this work, yet we shall recur to the subject occasionally, and devote a small portion of our pages to a review of one of the best and most valuable medical works of the present day. An Introduction to the Study of Animal Magnetism. By the Baron Dupotet de Sennevoy. Animal Magnetism and Homœopathy. By Edwin Lee, Esq. We should have thought that ere this the Animal Magnetism humbug would have exploded; but we suppose that the Baron, not being able to convert the more intelligent by his lectures, has adopted the method of book-making in order to convince (we hope never) the public of the grand truths, &c. of this art. We are extremely sorry that the Baron has, by his trickery, deluded a few of our native professors, and the consequence is, that the system has been introduced by them into some of our hospitals, and the experiments are made upon those unfortunate creatures who, from their poverty, have not the means of preventing it. Can any reasonable man suppose that the sound theories of our schools of medicine are to be set aside by this man, who has ingratiated himself into the favour of a few persons-" perish the thought "the idea is monstrous-and we sincerely hope that ere many weeks have elapsed, the Baron's arts will be shown up to the public in their true light. We have only room at present to notice that Mr. Lee has in a very clever book exposed all the tricks, and we hope put a stop to the progress of Animal Magnetism in this country. SCIENTIFIC REPORT. On Saturday, June 2nd, the Museum and Library belonging to the Honorable East India Company, were thrown open to the public for the first time. The exhibition at the Museum is well worth a visit to Leadenhall Street. In the corridor are models of Chinese junks, and Indian machinery. In the library, are the three magnificent models of Chinese villas, and four Chinese paintings, captured during the late war. The small room between the two departments of library, contains various implements of warfare, and a palanquin which belonged to Tippoo Saib. United Service Museum.-Amongst the latest donations are a collection of articles brought from the South Seas during Captain Cook's first and third voyages, presented by G. Seward, Esq., and a perfect model of a Siberian dog-sledge, presented by Lieut. Holman, the intrepid blind traveller. Last Philharmonic Concert. We stop the press to allude to the last Philharmonic Concert, which took place on Monday the 18th ultimo., and we think, considered as a whole, was the best of the season. It commenced with Beethoven's fine symphony in B b, in the first movement adagio and last movement, of which, the orchestra acquitted themselves to perfection; but the scherzo was sadly metamorphosed-all the false accent, which is its peculiar feature, being totally disregarded. With Mr. Moscheles as conductor we are rather surprised at this. The trio also, was too quick; it is marked in the score meno Allegro, instead of which it was played in exactly the same time as the scherzo. We were delighted with Mr. W. S. Bennett's concerto in F minor-which he played to a nicety. The first movement, though beautifully written, is we think inferior in dignity to that of his concerto in C minor-(a_work which has few equals, and which with Beethoven's concerto in E flat, and Mendelssohn's in G minor, may lay claim to the very highest rank of compositions of this class)-but the barcarole in F major, with its episode in D minor, affording so exquisite a relief to the delicious languor of the first subject, is a gem. The last movement is all fire-brilliant and energetic: the whole power of the performers and of the orchestra is called into play-both exerted themselves to the utmost, and received the unequivocal approbation of the audience the most dreaded audience to a musical aspirant. Mendelssohn's sinfonia in A is the perfection of writing of a certain class, containing every thing but grandeur; it is exciting to a degree, full of beauties, overflowing with fancy, and every thought original; but it is all Mendelssohn, fairy-like, and restless. "Golden boats on a sunny sea,' Light dissolved in star showers," expressions of Shelley, adequately describe the mental effect produced by this delightful work.-(We are becoming almost as poetical as Mr. Gauntlett of the musical world; we hope however not so unintelligible.) Two overtures of Weber and Mozart were all that could be desired. The Ruler of the Spirits and the unequalled, inimitable Zauberflote, Mr. Blagrove played, and played beautifully; but we should have liked him better had he chosen better music-Mayseder is rather a sickly writer, but we have no right to complain after such exhibitions as those of Messrs. Haussman, Doehler, Heinemeyer, and Muller-sublime quartet!! M. Ivanhoff was encored in Cara immagine of Mozart, and deservedly. London: Wm. Davy, Gilbert-street, Oxford-street. MONTHLY COLLECTION. No. III. Contents. Page 1. Stories for Steam-boats, by George Macfarren, Esq. No. 1. The Necromantic Lovers 101 4. Adventures of a Poor Gentleman in search of a living, by Andrew Lackwit, Esq. 109 7. To Jessy Wake 5. The Faded Rose, by Mrs. Wieles Leigh-Cliffe. 8. Tales of the Parish Wake. The Wake (continued from No. 1,) by Paddy the Piper 133 9. Translations of celebrated Foreign Works. No. 1. "Monsieur Frontin," from the French of Ch. 115 The Proprietors of this work beg to apologise to their Patrons, for being obliged, although the size of the Magazine is increased, to omit several interesting and original articles, particularly the "Review of Books," but the press, this month, of important matter, must plead their excuse. Notice to Correspondents. "H. S." is accepted, and will appear in our next. "J. V.'s" communication shall receive our earliest attention. "D. M." is declined, with thanks. |