Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 001.djvu/83

1817.] Review.—Stories far Children. 79 It will be doubtless, he asked, how space in the political world during the last thirty years; and although in the it is that such subjects should be treated of under the title of —and it is therefore necessary that we should inform our readers that is the name of a country placed by the author in an imaginary world; in depicting which country, he gives a most eloquent and animated description of the policy of Great Britain, tracing the history of her distresses from the beginning of the contest with America downwards, through the revolutionary war with France to the present day. How far it was necessary to resort to a new world, in order to find a vehicle for the conveyance of his ideas on the distresses of Great Britain, may be matter of doubt; but be that as it may, the author has displayed, in the investigation of the question, deep knowledge of the subject, and has discussed it in a style of brilliant eloquence, tempered, however, with a degree of moderation, too seldom witnessed in works on the political topics of the present day. The following character of Mr Fox, is a fair specimen of the author's powers of writing.

It has been said, and we believe without having been contradicted, that this work is the production of a very eloquent and distinguished member of the Legislature, who has filled a large second edition of Armata, which is now before us, the author does not avow himself, yet, as it is a work which even the eminent person alluded to might be proud to acknowledge, and as it speaks the same sentiments, which he has always maintained, we are inclined to give credit to the rumour which has named him the author of this spirited and able performance.

as we confess ourselves to be to the pleasing recollections of our early years, we must admit that the little folks of this generation have many advantages which we did not enjoy. The juvenile library of our day was of limited extent; and though amply furnished with Mother Bunch, &c. it could not boast of the admirable productions of a Mrs Barbauld, a Miss Edgeworth, and a number of other eminent writers who have not disdained the humble, but most useful, task of teaching "the young idea how to shoot." The manner in which these meritorious authors have combined instruction with entertainment, we consider as one of the great improvements of modern times. History is now rendered "as attractive as a fairy tale," and our little masters and misses may be as familiar with the characters of real life as their predecessors were with Blue Beard and Little Red Riding Hood.

We have been particularly gratified with the little book which has given rise to these reflections. The author has expressed so shortly, and so well, the reasons which led him to compose charming stories for his own family, and induced him to favour the world with them, that we think our readers will be pleased to see them in his own words.

"Every person has, I suppose, felt the difficulty of paying the contribution of stories which children are so anxious to levy. I happen to have one little girl whose curiosity and shrewdness have frequently embarrassed me; I have found that fictions led to inquiries which it was not easy to satisfy, and that supernatural fictions (such as fairy tales) vitiated the young taste, and disgusted it from its more substantial nourishment, while the fictions of common life,