Atropa Belladonna, A. lethatis on the frequently quoted authority of Mr. R. A. Salisbury, wbo something like our author, is very fond of creating confusion, by "frivolous and vexatious" changes of names.

Dulcamara is separated from Solanum, on the authority of Dodonaus.

The Linnean genus, Gentiana is divided into six.

Azalea procumbens is altered to Chamacistus serpyllifolius, on the authority of Gerard.

Vaccinium is divided into three genera.

In the Composita there is no scarcity of changes, as Barkhousia for Crepis fætida, Achyrophorus for Hypochæris maculata, Eretheis for Inula, crithmoides. Centaurea forins six genera. Anthemis is sadly mutilated, while Chamamelum and Chamomilla are ranged side by side as generic names.

At length we arrive at the master-piece of assurance and presumption, in the following gross attempt to degrade science and scientific men, by casting ridicule on a privilege which naturalists have exercised of giving to newly established genera, the names of those distinguished individuals, who have contributed to advance the knowledge of nature. That this practice may have been abused in several instances, by former "name-setters and rangers," we will not deny, but we defy any one to produce a parallel case to the present. The plant intended to be described, is the Serratula alpina.

Thistle-gentle.

"XXV. 200 BENNETTIA. "Pericline ovate, cylindrical; scales imbricate, ovate, lanceolate blunt; flowers all hermaphrodite; clinanthus chaffy; chaffs lanceolate as long as the pericline; pappus feather-like; rays equal, persisting.-Root woody, perennial; stem mostly simple; root-leaves petioled; upper leaves sessile, ovate, not spinous, woolly; calathides corymbose upright; corollæ purple.

"Messieurs Edward and John Bennett, surgeons and apothecaries of London, who devote the whole of their leisure to the study of botany and natural history, and have kindly given their assistance to this work.

"Bennettia alpina.. Alpine Thistle-gentle. "Leaves ovate, lanceolate, slender at the base, toothed, nappy beneath, pericline coloured, villous."

It is a pity that Mr. Gray did not add the street and number where these "Thistle-gentles" reside, that we might be able to make some enquiry into their pretensions to the honour of giving an appellation to a genus; for as the name is so common, and surgeons and apothecaries are so plentiful, we fear we must still remain in ignorance upon this most in

teresting point. It would have been as well if he had not added that they had " given their assistance to this work." In the Umbelliferæ, we have ten or eleven new genera. Saxifraga is divided into no less than five genera.

The Arenaria marina, is not only separated from its genus, but is placed in the 49th order, Paronychideæ, while its cogeners associate with the Caryophyllea, in the 72d order; so much for natural arrangement!

In the Papaveraceæ, the Papaver dubium of authors, divided into two species, is placed in a genus, (Cerastites) apart from the P. Rheas, and with the P. Argemone, and P. Cam bricum.

Dipsacus pilosus, is made a new genus, by the pretty name of Galedragon.

In the genus Ranunculus, which Mr. Gray divides into three, the R. aquatilis affords, from its polymorphous character, some fine pickings for one who does not know the difference between species and variety, and accordingly no less than six species are manufactured from this productive material.

Having arrived at the end of this system, which concludes with the ranunculaceae, while looking anxiously for the agreeable little word "finis," we discovered that this "root and branch" reform was not yet complete, there still remaining about half a sheet of " additions and corrections." Among these the author adds another new arrangement of the umbelliferæ, and treats some of his own new genera with but little respect. Notwithstanding he abuses the Linneans in the introduction, for having "changed the names they have themselves given to plants," he directs several of the generic names to be omitted, and others to be inserted in their stead; since he finds out at last that he has in some instances used the same names for different genera. In one of these" corrections" he ordains that the Arenaria marina, which he has given as " Adenaria," shall in future be called "glandwort" instead of" sandwort."

We cannot conclude without giving the reader some idea of the most original, as well as the most humorous feature of this work, we mean the English names of plants. Former authors were content to adhere to the names by which plants are practically known to persons ignorant of science, and which have been sanctioned by custom and familiar usage; but Mr. Gray has produced, from his fertile imagination, a collection of names, perhaps unparalleled for taste and propriety, since the days of Praise God Barebones, and the

heroes of the Long Parliament. The following may suffice for specimens: one sided hairy mouth, very thin belly-weed, sieve like pill-box, applied turn-over, dirtying eight-seeds, deceiving screw moss, virgin rough-funnel, yolk of egg, budmold, frizzled screw moss, short hanging odd tooth over leaf Papa*, lying down Martinelli, mis-shapen Elisa, odd sided Dalton, Griffiths's plain mouth, even topped back-bone, tender borner naked, Hutchins, earth-loving naked-foot, inconstant side-foot, bald Ellis, smutted slit-moss, Templeton's leathern-pipe, dirty pretty weed, inundation wolf's claw, stiff pointed mackay, bellyache milk-stool, attractive dungstool, maidenhead callus moss, white bottle-brush-weed, delicious milk-stool, Lady Arden's club-stool, fair coloured curtain-stool, oyster slipper-stool, barnacle open wart moss, stiffish twin-tooth, hay-making prune-stool, giant bull-fist, many-cut Griffiths, stinking carodori, grove loving navelstool, Adonis high-stool, milky small-pox moss, warty skinlitter, worm-like trembler, sweet scented labyrinth-stool, immodest acorn-stool.

But it is now time to drop the curtain upon this farce of Botany Burlesqued, and we sincerely hope that this may be "positively the last time of its representation."

ART. VIII. Twenty-Four Sermons on Practical Subjects. Translated from the Works of the most Eminent French and Dutch Protestant Ministers in Holland. By J. Werninck, D.D. F.R.S. Amst. and Middelb., Chaplain to H. E. the Ambassador of the Netherlands, and Minister of the Dutch Church in London. 8vo. pp.460. 10s. 6d. Rivingtons & Cochran. 1823.

THERE is, perhaps, no part of Europe which has produced a greater number of laborious and learned divines, in proportion to the number of its churches, than Holland. Their theology has not been stamped with many of those higher qualities, which are imparted by eloquence and philosophy; but in the department of criticism and history, and wherever aid was to be drawn from industry and erudition, the library of every student will bear honourable testimony to the services of the Dutch Reformed Church. In speaking, however, of Dutch theologians, it is in the past sense that we

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* Whether this genus is named by Mr. Gray after his own Papa," or in honour of his Holiness the Pope, we are unable to decide.

must be understood. For it is now a long while since we have heard of any theological publication of importance issuing from the press in Holland. We had naturally sup posed, that this circumstance had been occasioned by the declension of the study of theology in that country, but we were happy to meet with an explanation of the fact, in the work before us, which, (however to be lamented in one respect) is much more honourable to the nation itself, as well as less discouraging to the friends of Christianity. It seems, that the divines of Holland have now taken to compose in their vernacular tongue, instead of using as formerly the vehicle of a dead language. If Vitringa and Venema had written in Dutch instead of in Latin, we fear their works would have been less familiar upon the shelves of English students, than they now happily are. And if the modern theologians of Holland are to wait until their works are translated from the language of that country, before their merits shall be known to foreigners, we doubt, they must content their imaginations with the hope of posthumous fame, and that too, at no very proximate period. We the more regret this, because M. Werninck informs us, that if the writings which have been composed in Holland during the last twenty-five years, in every branch both of science.. and literature, were translated into other languages, they would abundantly prove the present flourishing state of learning among his countrymen. And under the encou

ragement which the House of Orange bestows upon the uni versities, and upon men of letters, in general, there seems to be every reason to hope, that literature will even make fresh advances. Our author produces a list of names, who have obtained, he tells us, in their native land," a degree of celebrity not inferior to that of the greatest poets and writers of this country." We have neither the means nor the wish to controvert the truth of this opinion; (which is perhaps, however, expressed somewhat more rhetorically than is warranted by the strict meaning of the author); but we confess, that so far as the remark is to be verified in the instance of theology, by the Sermons before us, we cannot help very much doubting whether our Author's readers will acquiesce in his judgment.

These are twenty-four in number, and selected from the works of writers, who, if we may judge from the stations they filled, may justly be considered as men who were or are comparatively eminent in their generation. We shall extract the account which Mr. Werninck has given, of the several writers from whose compositions the ensuing Discourses

are selected, and from which the reader may fairly conclude, that in the work before us, he possesses specimens of Dutch pulpit eloquence, which must be considered, from the rank of their authors, very much above the average of such compositions in Holland.

"Of the Sermons composing this volume, the first three are selected from those of the late Rev. Dr. Rau, Professor of Oriental Literature in the University of Leyden, and Minister of the French Church in that city. The next four are from those of the late Rev. J. S. Vernede, for many years Minister of the French Church in Amsterdam. The three following are from those of the Rev. Dr. Sir Herman Muntinghe, Knt., Professor of Divinity in the University of Groningen. This venerable man, though far advanced in years, is still actively engaged in the discharge of his official duties, and in publishing the results of his labours and meditations. He is at present employed upon a work, entitled The History of the Mental and Moral Development of Mankind,' which is now nearly complete, nine volumes being printed. A few words respecting it may not, perhaps, be unacceptable. The author's design is to trace the progress made by mankind in morality and civilization; to point out the causes why nations, once famed for their literary and scientific knowledge, have relapsed into a state of gross ignorance and barbarism; to delineate the manners and customs of the ancient inhabitants of the world; to show what knowledge of the arts they possessed; but, more particularly, to describe their state as to morals and religion. He endeavours to prove that morality and civilization have uniformly kept pace with each other, and that the external circumstances of nations have always had a paramount influence on their moral and intellectual character. These positions he illustrates, as well by the history of the people who were favoured with divine revelation, as by the history of those nations who were destitute of this privilege; and he enumerates the most remarkable particulars in which the Jews either surpassed other nations or were excelled by them. The work is divided into four periods; the first extending from the creation to the deluge; the second, to the calling of Abraham; the third, to the time of Moses; and the fourth, to the Christian era. The Bible, so far as its history is connected with his subject, has been his principal guide, though all the best writers of antiquity have been carefully consulted and compared. The Professor has also published several other works, among which his New Version of the Psalms, with Philological Illustrations,' and his Historia Religionis et Ecclesiæ Christianæ,' are much esteemed.

"The next four discourses are translated from those of the Rev. Dr. J. H. Van der Palmer, successor to Dr. Rau in the chair of Oriental Literature, and now Professor of Divinity, in the University of Leyden. His deep and extensive knowledge of the