346 REVIEW. Forget Me Not. thing new or useful since Abernethy's work has been advanced. We know that indigestion occurs almost invariably in irritable and debilitated constitutions, especially where a family disposition to it exists. The depressing passions, injuries of the constitution from mercury, and other diseases, and excess in eating and drinking, call it into action; but, unless in cases where, in the conflict between the constitution and the disease, the powers of the former are paramount, were we asked what would cure the patient? we should say, Nothing! and if, when he would get well? Never! And in 49 cases out of 50, we should be right; so many causes co-operate to spoil the work of the physician. A dyspeptic is a perfect thermometer; a fit of passion, a change of the wind, a debauch, any thing puts him all wrong. A medical practitioner can always tell in what state of health he shall find these patients, according to the weather or other circumstances. As to remedies, oxide of bysmuth, powder of ginger, minute doses of Howard's washed calomel, and magnesia combined, are about the best. Leeching when the stomach is sore, and leeches to the arms when the great guts are affected, are very serviceable; also keeping the skin warm, and avoiding articles of diet which disagree with the patient's habit. Distension and pain in particular parts, and in every part of the stomach and bowels, occur in all stages of the disease, in the most irregular and capricious manner. Dr. Philip, however, is an excellent physiologist, and his rules of practice are judicious. Forget Me Not, a Christmas and New Year's Present for 1829. Edited by F. Shoberl. Ackermann. THE numerous elegant little annuals, intended as Christmas presents for our fair friends and acquaintances, are again shooting forth; and Ackermann, as usual, takes the lead. The rivalry excited by the unparalleled success of the "Forget Me Not" in the first instance, has called forth a spirit of emulation which has tended most materially to elevate the character of the fine arts in this country, as connected with this lighter species of literature. The genius of the artist and skill of the engraver have been called [Oct. into action, and it proves what native talent can accomplish when liberally supported. The embellishments of the " Forget Me Not," fourteen in number, are certainly of the highest order, both as to design and execution. They are the productions of individuals the most eminent in their profession, and every way worthy the high reputation which Mr. Ackermann has so long maintained in connexion with the fine arts. The frontispiece, representing Marcus Curtius rushing into the burning gulph, designed by Martin and engraved by Le Keux, is a perfect gem, which may be contemplated again and again with re-iterated delight. The awful sublimity of nature and the imposing splendor of a mighty city are admirably concentrated; and considering the small space which the whole design occupies, every object is delineated with surprising accuracy. "The Ganges," engraved by Finden from a design by Daniell, and Eddystone Light House by Wallis, from a drawing by Owen, are charming views. The view of Vicenza by Freebairn, from a design by Prout, is a beautiful specimen of architectural engraving; there is a sparkling clearness in every object. The other prints are, "Ellen Strathallen," chastely engraved by J. Agar, from a painting by Miss Sharpe; "the Proposal," by Humphrys, from a drawing by J. Stephanoff; "the Idle School-boy," by W. Finden; the "Cottage Kitchen," by J. Romney, designed by W. F. Witherington; "the Blind Piper," by H. C. Shenton, from a design by L. Clennell; Alice," by Joseph Goodyear, from a picture by C. R. Leslie, R.A.; "Constancy," by F. J. Portbury, from a picture by P. Stephanoff; "Fathime and Euphrosyne," by S. Davenport, designed by H. Corbould; "Frolic in a Palace," by F. Engleheart, from a drawing by A. E. Chalon, R. A.; and "the Faithful Guardian," by H. C. Shenton, from a painting by A. Cooper, R. A. Of the literary department, the prose contributions are by far the most interesting. Among the poetical pieces there are many indifferent productions; though the names of Hemans, Montgomery, Barton, Hogg, Carrington, Polwhele, and others of distinguished reputation, figure in this department. The compositions in truth, 1828,] REVIEW.-Forget Me Not." are too numerous, and the subjects often trifling. Some of the pieces in prose, we have, however, perused with much interest. They are in general too long for insertion in our pages; but we cannot resist giving, in conclusion, the following sketch by Mrs. Bowdich; not perhaps on account of its being the best in the volume, but because it is short, and at the same time possesses some historical character. ELIZA CARTHAGO. At four o'clock one morning I stepped into a canoe, to go to Elmina, the Dutch head-quarters. The land-wind was blowing strongly, and, although only five degrees north of the equator, I was glad of all the shawls and great-coats I could find to protect me from the chilling blast. Notwithstanding these coverings, I was quite benumbed, and landed at seven with the feelings which I should have had during a hard frost in England. My visit was to the king of Elmina, a Dutch mulatto, of the name of Neazer. He had, during the slave-trade, been possessed of considerable property, which, added to his maternal connexions, gave him great power among the people of that place. He had also resisted every thing like oppression on the part of the Dutch, and, although ruined in fortune, he was invested with the royal dignity, in gratitude for his signal endeavours to prevent the exactions of General Daendels. I had to pass through the town to reach his house; and the narrow streets were thronged with people going to and from the market, close to his door. It was like other African markets, except that there was a circle of dogs for sale; a circumstance which I had not witnessed at Cape Coast. They were long-eared, wretchedlooking, little beasts, valued at half an ackie, or half-a-crown, each, and were to be made into soup. I found his majesty surrounded by a few remnants of his former splendour, such as dim looking-glasses and tawdry sofas, and in an immense house, composed of dark passages and staircases, large halls, and a dirty black kitchen at the top. His attendants were royal in number, for most of his subjects were willing to wait on him for the sake of his good feeding. He received me very hospitably, and immediately set before me a splendid breakfast, presenting not only African but European delicacies. His garden supplied him with the former, and his wide acquaintance with the masters of trading vessels, who gladly purchased his influence with the natives, procured him the latter. During our meal Mr. Neazer begged to introduce to me his sons, two of whom were just returned from an English school. "To be sure," he said, "they were terrible 347 rascals, but then they were well educated, and polite enough to talk to an English lady." These "young boys," as he called them, were accordingly summoned, and, after a long interval, spent in decoration I infants I expected to see, they were tall, believe, they appeared; but, instead of the stout men. In lieu of the promised polish, each strove to make the other laugh at every word uttered by their papa; yet to me they were most respectful; for they heard my remarks with deference, assented to every observation, and bowed at the conclusion of every sentence as gracefully as they were permitted to do by the many yards of muslin which enveloped their throats, and by the scantiness of their best coats, which they had long outgrown. My risibility was so strongly excited that I feared I might not always command my gravity, and rejoiced at the proposal for a walk to see the garden and the garden-house. The decay of his fortune had caused the decay of his country residence. Still Mr. Neazer loved to show it, and finding that I could not oblige him more, I sat down on a chair nearly demolished by white ants, but felt exceedingly nervous at the reptiles which I saw lurking in every crevice. Lizards chased each other with rapidity up and down the walls; centipedes and scorpions were not far off; and it only required a serpent to peep out to complete my apprehensions. I had passed two in my way, or rather they had rushed across my path; and I never could contemplate the possibility of their approach without a shudder. I tucked my gown close round me, and making ready with my parasol, I sat like a statue, till my attention was arrested by Mr. Neazer's account of the destruction of a Dutch fortress up the river Ancobra. I now repeat it as a curious exemplification of customs and manners, which will, I hope, through the endeavours of civilized Europe, ere long cease to exist. The fortress named Eliza Carthago was built about the year 1700, in a lonely situation, fifty miles from the mouth of the Ancobra, a river of Ahanta, and far from the reach of European assistance. This loneliness was not remedied by internal strength; for the utmost force placed there consisted of a handful of soldiers, a drummer, and a serjeant. The governor had resided in it for many years, and had apparently conciliated the natives. It was in the neighbourhood of the gold-pits; and during his trade he had amassed a quantity of rock-gold, and was altogether so rich, from possessing the exclusive commerce of this part of the interior, that be at length excited the cupidity of his neighbours. They met in council, and vowed to abet each other till the white man was ruined, never taking into consideration that his wealth had been won by fair dealing with themselves; that they had been 348 REVIEW.-Forget Me Not. the willing instruments of his success; and that they had also been enriched by their mutual barter. "No; it was not right that a white man should come and take away their gold, and they never would rest satisfied till they had it all back again." It was necessary for them, however, to act cautiously, for they had no desire that the fort should be for ever abandoned, as it kept the trade open, and supplied them with European articles at a much easier rate than by going to Elmina for them. Their first plan was to invent some pretext for quarrelling with the governor; and, accordingly, the next bargain that took place between them was accompanied by so much extortion on their parts, that the Dutchman could not comply with their demands. His continued resistance at length produced the wished-for dispute, or palaver; and open hostility manifested itself on the side of the natives. His cattle disappeared, his plantations were destroyed, his trade was stopped, and he was not allowed to purchase food in the market. His slaves contrived for a while to procure provisions, as if for themselves; but, their trick being discovered, they were forbidden to come into the town again for that purpose under pain of death, and their master was reduced to live entirely on the salted stores of the fortress. The governor now began to think more seriously of the quarrel than he had hitherto done, and dispatched a trusty messenger to head-quarters for assistance. He then summoned the chiefs of the town to the fortress to talk over the palaver. This only produced still greater irritation; and the next morning he found himself surrounded by the natives, who were well armed with muskets, bows, and arrows. He shut up the fort, loaded the few guns which he possessed, and, parleying with them from the ramparts, threatened to fire on them if they did not retire. They only answered him with shouts of defiance. Still the poor governor hesitated, because, this step once taken, the difficulty of ever coming to an amicable arrangement was increased. He lingered in the hope of assistance from Elmina; but, exasperated at the death of one of his soldiers, who was shot as he walked along the walls, he at length fired. Great destruction was occasioned; but his enemies were like hydras, the more he killed, the more their numbers seemed to increase; and day after day was spent in regular warfare. His soldiers were cut off by the skilful aim of these excellent marksmen; and, what was worse than all, his ammunition was fast decreasing. His cannon became useless; for in a short time he had not a man left who could manage them, or a ball to load them with. As long as he possessed iron and leaden bars, and brass rods, all of which are articles of trade, he was enabled to fire on the people with muskets; but at length even these [Oct. failed him, and he was reduced to a few barrels of gunpowder. Every day he hoped for relief; every day he resorted to the bastion which overlooked the path to Elmina; but every day he was disappointed. Still every hour held out a hope; and he melted his rock-gold into bullets, and fired with these till he had no more. He was now entirely destitute of the means of defence; his stores were daily lessening, and want had already occasioned the desertion of his followers, who secretly stole from the fort, and took refuge with the enemy. When the unhappy man mounted the walls with his telescope to look towards Elmina, his adversaries insulted him, and asked him when he expected news from the coast, and how many bullets he had left; and they showed him the pieces of gold which they had either picked up, or taken out of the bodies of those who had been killed by them. Finding that he still watched and hoped, they brought in sight his messenger, who had been intercepted and put in irons by the wretches, before he had proceeded many miles on his way to Elmina. This was the stroke of despair to the illfated European: every resource was gone; his only companions were a man, who had lived with him many years, and an orphan boy, who had each refused to quit him. With these he consulted, and seeing his destruction inevitable, he determined at least to be revenged on the villains who had bayed him to death. Assisted by the two servants, he placed all his gunpowder, which still amounted to a considerable quantity, in a small room underneath the hall of audience. He then passed the night in arranging his papers, making up the government accounts, willing away the property he had realised and sent home, and writing to a few friends. These dispatches he carefully secured on the person of the man, who had orders to try to make his escape with them the next morning, and to convey them to head-quarters. At daybreak the governor appeared on the walls of his fortress, and made signs to the people without that he wished to speak to them. He gained a hearing, and told them that he was now willing to give them whatever they asked, and to settle the palaver exactly as they wished; that, if the chiefs would come into the fort in about two hours to drink rum together, they would find him ready to deliver up his property to any amount they pleased. This proposal was agreed to, the governor received his guests in the hall, and the people poured into the fortress. During the bustle which this occasioned, the faithful servant contrived to escape, and, creeping through the bushes, made the best of his way to Elmina. He had not proceeded far, however, when he heard a tremendous explosion; he turned round, and smoke, stones, and mangled hu 1828.] REVIEW.-Friendship's Offering. man bodies were seen mingled together in the atmosphere. However prepared, the man involuntarily stopped to contemplate this awful catastrophe, and was only roused by the boy whom he had left with his master. It appeared that the governor affected to treat with the chiefs till he thought they were all assembled; he then reproached them with their perfidy and ingratitude, and exclaimed "Now then, rascals, I will give you all I possess-all-all!" and stamped his foot with violence. This was the signal to the boy below, who instantly set fire to a covered train, sufficiently long to allow him to rush from the approaching mischief; and scarcely had he cleared the gates of the fortress, when all the chiefs perished with their victim, and many were killed who had assembled in the court. The man and boy reached Elmina with the dreadful tale; and the ruin of the fortress, now an overgrown heap of stones, attests the truth of the story. Friendship's Offering.-Smith, Elder, and Co. THIS beautiful annual, second in the order of publication, as well as age, next demands our attention. The embellishments are thirteen in number, and have been executed by artists of great eminence in their profession; and the contributions are principally from the pens of the distinguished characters who have assisted in rendering the " Forget Me Not" what it is, and whose tales and pieces possess attractions for almost every class of readers. In the embellishments it is quite equal to the "Forget Me Not ;" and there are some very beautiful things. The frontispiece, "Psyche discovering Cupid asleep," engraved by Finden from a painting by J. Wood, is extremely delicate and rich; and so is "La Frescura," engraved by W. A. Le Petit, from a gay and pleasing picture of R. T. Bone's. Stephanoff's "Rival Suitors" is a good subject not very well engraved, nor yet so happily treated as we should have expected. The coquette is not elegant or easy in her position. There is a dark and sublimely awful view of Glen Lynden, painted and engraved by Martin, in his own peculiar style, but though it has all the effect of vastness and grandeur, it is not so clever as we might have hoped from him. "The Warning," by Cooper, engraved by Warren, is another portrait of the white horse which appears in all that great artist's subjects. It is a noble and interesting engraving. The Highland hunter, with 349 the hounds, and stag at bay, in Arnold's view of Campbell Castle, is an interesting group, and to it the picture is indebted for whatever charms it possesses. It is engraved by E. Goodall. Leslie's "Minstrel Boy" is pretty "The Will" does not at all please us; enough; Haydon's "Parting" exhibits great depth of feeling, but is too black even for a dark and dismal night; but the gem of the whole is Landseer's "Hours of Innocence," engraved by J. Alright. The faithful dog, one of those animals which none but Landseer can paint so true to nature, is just bringing from the brook the little boat which the pretty infant had intrusted to the waters. The child's head is exquisite; the distance is prettily thrown in; and the whole extremely clever. Chalon's "Fiancée de Marques" is another charming picture; but too coarsely engraved. As to the literary department, the prose tales are not of the first order; they are good and readable, but not brilliant and lasting. Miss Mitford has too sketches, very happy we must allow, but not like some of her other efforts. There is a French sentimental tale introduced, under the title of "La Fiancée de Marques;" but we must object to the introduction of the French language. They are English presents for English ladies, and nothing foreign ought to be introduced. In the poetical department it is rich indeed. The editor is himself a poet of great power, and his Glen Lynden is a very splendid and highly-finished produc tion. In it is introduced a song; the farewell of those whom misfortunes have compelled to emigrate from their homes, of very powerful interest. Southey the laureate has one on the death of Queen Charlotte, which is sadly deficient in poetical merit as well as passing interest. Among the names and signatures, we find the Ettrick Shepherd, Allan Cunningham, Delta, Kennedy, Motherwell, &c. We shall close with the following little pieces as specimens. The first has a melancholy association. LOVE AND SORROW. By the late Henry Neele, Esq. To bid my heart good morrow. I would not chase him from my heart, To know one from the other. Thus, Love will fold his arms, and moan, And sigh, and weep, like Sorrow; And Sorrow has caught Love's soft tone, And mixed his arrows with his own, And learned his smile to borrow. Only one mark of difference they Preserve, which leaves them never; Young Love has wings and flies away, While Sorrow, once received, will stay The Soul's sad guest for ever! THE BALLAD SINGER. By Alexander Balfour, Esq. Her looks were sad: her cheek seemed blanch'd with care; She had a fine, but feeble, wasted form; Or like a sunbeam in the wintry sky The Amulet; an Annual Remembrancer, edi ted by S. C. Hall. Wightman and Cramp. THE Amulet for the year 1829 is the fourth of the series, and is considerably improved. The number of embellishments is fourteen; the choice of subjects is judicious, and the execution superior. The frontispiece is from Murillo's Spanish Flower Girl, now at the Dulwich Gallery, and is one of the most expressive heads ever painted, The arch smile which lights up her pretty brunette features, as she displays a luxuriant assemblage of flowers in the end of her scarf, is inimitably painted. Then we have the "Guardian Angels," one of Etty's assemblages of lovely heads and beauteous forms, engraved by E. Finden, who is perhaps the most capable of preserving female excellence. "The Rose of Castle Howard" is a portrait of one of the juvenile members of that illus trious family, painted by Jackson and engraved by Portbury. The head and [Oct. figure have the germs of future worth and loveliness, and it is no difficult matter to trace in those rich eyes and graceful attitudes the leader of the ton in a future day. "The Mountain Daisy" is from Sir Thomas Lawrence's portrait of Lady Georgiana Fane with the crippled foot, of which a larger engraving has been some time before the public. Collins' "Fisherman leaving home," is like all his pieces, beautiful and feeling. It is well engraved by Charles Rolls. The " Wandering Minstrels of Italy" are too intellectual even for that warm and lovely country. The sympathetic interchange of looks is worthy of a troubadour and his fond mistress, instead of a brotherly and sisterly feeling. The "Temple of Victory" is one of Gandy's architectural compositions. It is very beautiful, but we do not like that little temple at the foot of the steps to the other :-it would be better at the side, or any where but where it is. "Innocence," by R. Smirke, is a lovely picture; but it it is not innocence-it is devotion. "The Kitten discovered," engraved by Greatbach after H. Thomson, R.A. is an interesting domestic piece, in which the blending of fear and delight is very successfully effected in a pretty cherub head. 66 Having now paid our devoirs to the graphic part of this interesting present with feelings of delight, we the pleasing hope of being as well enturned to the literary department with tertained and gratified. In looking over the list of contributors, the first which struck us was "the Poet Lau reate." We turned to the page to see what this child of forced song had contributed towards the structure, and found that it was another of those laudatory elegies which he is obliged to pen to secure his pipe of wine. They are lines on the death of the Princess Charlotte, a theme which dried up every tear of the Muses long ago:Why is this?-we do not want to be reminded daily and hourly of that la mentable event:-the hope once indulged in is gone, but England has still a hope as strong as ever. The remainder of the names are those of the contributors to the rest of these pretty passports to a lady's favour; we shall therefore not enumerate them. There is a very powerful extract from an unpublished book of the Fall of Nineveh, |