continuator of Dr. Maclaine's Translation, furnishes very little additional information. The present volume is confined to those churches which adhere to the confession of Augsburg. The anonymous author has specified in his preface the various authentic sources, both manuscript and printed, from which he has drawn the facts he has narrated: and his work might have been entitled a history of the persecutions of the Protestant Churches in Hungary: for, from the time of Luther, nearly to the date of this history, the Protestants appear to have had but few intermissions (in all not exceeding seventy years) from the most oppressive persecutions, on the part of the Romish Clergy. It is, however, only an act of justice to the reigning sovereign, Francis II., to state that, from his conduct towards his Protestant subjects in other parts of his dominions, the Hungarian Protestants acquit him of being privy to their more recent persecutions, which they charge on the Romish priesthood, and especially on the Jesuits. No ecclesiastical history which may hereafter be published, can make any pretensions to accuracy or completeness of information, the author of which does not avail himself of this interesting narrative.

ART. XI.-Origine delle Feste Veneziane, di Giustina Renier Michiel. (The Origin of the Venetian Festivals, by Justina Renier Michiel.) 6 vols. 12mo. Milano, 1829.

OUR readers are probably aware, that in Italy there is, or at least was, no medium in female education, and that whilst the great body of women, even of the higher classes, could hardly scrawl their names, and were destitute of such common information as may be acquired at a Sunday-school, some of their compatriot sisters were Professors of Law, Mathematics, Philosophy, and what not, at the most celebrated universities of the Ausonian Peninsula. Nay, at so early an age were they capable of thus officiating as Learned Doctors, that more than one of these female lecturers, as we learn from good and credible authority, has been obliged to draw a curtain between herself and her class, lest the beauty of the teacher should divert the student's attention from her lessons. This, mutatis mutandis, still appears to be the state of the case. We are not indeed aware that now, in this ridicule-loving 19th century, any of the gentler half of the species actually occupy scientific chairs at Bologna or Padua ; but we certainly do think it somewhat analogous, and not a little remarkable, that the only two Italian ladies whom, in the course of our critical labours we have met with as writers, should leave the task of delighting their countrymen or women, by delineating the emotions of the heart or weaving the web of romantic fiction, to men, to the Manzonis, the Rosinis, &c., in order to attempt those departments of literature esteemed more especially masculine. Of these fair Italians one is a satirist, by name Teresa Albarelli Vordoni,* and

* The poems of La Vordoni, as she is designated by Italian critics, were published in 1824, prior to the establishment of this Review, and though clever, seemed scarce sufficiently so, to justify our making them the subject of an article.

the other, a noble Venetian of a race that has given Doges to Venice, is the author of the six little volumes before us; which we opened under an idea, deduced partly, it must be confessed, from the sex of the writer, of their containing a collection of tales adapted to, or founded upon various Venetian festivals. They proved, in strict accordance with the facts just stated concerning Italian women, less amusing, perhaps, but far more instructive than we had anticipated.

The Origine delle Feste Veneziane is a work of very considerable research, both historical and antiquarian, and replete with valuable matter;-valuable at least to all who wish to make themselves really acquainted with the lively and peculiar nation (if the term nation may be applied to the inhabitants of a single city) who, under a foreign yoke, must, we apprehend, rapidly lose much of their idiosyncratic difference from other Italians. The book consists of a description of a great number of popular and national festivals, mostly annual, and an account of the circumstances whence they derived their origin, many of which are important events in Venetian history. The festivals are frequently depicted with the zest of recollected enjoyment, and a spirit of fervent patriotism pervades the whole, which might impart a charm to a production of merit inferior to this. Signora Giustina Renier Michiel labours to refute some of the accusations of cruelty, perfidy, injustice, &c., brought against the Venetian oligarchy; and her arguments display not only impassioned zeal but extensive erudition, at least in all that relates to her native city. They please if they do not always convince us; and the chief, if not the only, fault we have to find with the fair and noble authoress is, that an apparent desire for compression has too often induced her to relate interesting portions of history so briefly as to render them dry. This, however, is only an occasional fault, and we think we may give a fair average specimen of the work by extracting part of the account of la Festa dei Matrimonj, o delle Marie, the festival of Matrimony, or of the Maries, which, if not historically important, is highly illustrative of the early state of society in Venice.

It seems that, in primitive times, the Venetians sought to increase the sanctity of wedlock by restricting the performance of the nuptial ceremony to one day in every year, when gentle and simple, rich and poor, were all married at the same time, in the same church, that of San Pietro di Castello, then called di Olivolo; and the matrimonial festival, for which the most impatient lovers were compelled to wait, took place upon the day of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, in profane parlance the 2d of February. In that ungallant age, when the refined courtesies introduced by chivalry were yet unknown, the brides were expected to repair first to the church, each carrying in her hand a small coffer, called an arcella, containing her modest wedding-portion. In the church they were joined by their bridegrooms, families, and friends in procession. The bishop married the several couples simultaneously by one ceremony, and then each bridegroom taking his bride and her arcella, all withdrew to spend the remainder of the day in feasting and dancing. Afterwards, to give more dignity, and a more national character to the festival of matrimony, twelve maidens of distinguished

beauty and irreproachable conduct were annually selected from the poorest families, portioned by the nation, decked out in borrowed ornaments, and conducted to the altar in state by the Doge, who thus witnessed the celebration of every Venetian marriage.

In the year 944 the solemn rites of the 2d of February were interrupted in a way that threatened to turn the nuptial rejoicings into the deepest mourning. Some pirates of Trieste concealed themselves and their vessels behind the island of Olivolo in the night of the 1st

"In the morning, watching their opportunity when the Venetians had thronged into the church for the ceremony, they shoot like a flash of lightning across the canal, spring ashore sword in hand, burst into the church by all the doors at once, seize the brides and their arcelle at the foot of the altar, rush back to their barks, fling themselves and their prey into them, and fly with every sail set. What resistance could be offered by the peaceful islanders, armed only with wreaths of laurel, with garlands of flowers?

"The Doge, Pietro Candian III., fired with indignation at this infamous outrage, is the first who darts out of the church, and followed by the youthful bridegrooms, as indeed by all the spectators, hurries through the streets of the city, rousing all the citizens to vengeance. Numbers of barks are suddenly equipped and filled with resolute young men, headed by the Doge himself. Heaven and love declare in favour of so just a cause. The wind swells their sails; they overtake the robbers near Caorle, and perceive them on the strand, absorbed in quarrelling amongst themselves about the division of the women and the booty. Without a moment's delay the Venetians furiously attack the ravishers, and after a sharp struggle, conquer them. Not one can escape, The Doge, still unsated with revenge, ordered the corses to be thrown into the sea, that they might remain unburied, and their friends and kindred be prevented from paying them any honours. To perpetuate the memory of this event he gave the little harbour the name, which it still bears, of Porto di Donzelle, or the Maidens' port. The Venetians then again set sail; and the consoled girls were carried home in triumph. No one has lost his bride. All are restored scatheless to the maternal arms. The holy ceremony begins anew; hymns of gratitude mingle with the nuptial chaunt; and the young brides taste more keenly the happiness and pride of belonging to men, who had known how to defend their maiden honour, and to prove themselves worthy of the tenderest affection."

The nation resolved to commemorate this event; and the casselleri, a particular description of carpenters, who dwelt in a body in the parish of Santa Maria Formosa, having chiefly contributed to the success of the expedition, were authorized to demand a recompense. They chose one merely honorary, intreating that the Doge should visit their parish church every Purification of the Blessed Virgin. The Doge, wishing, perhaps, that they should ask something more substantially valuable, made difficulties

"And if it should rain?'- We will provide hats to cover you.'' And if we should be thirsty? We will give you drink.'”

These simple answers were irresistible; the disinterested request was granted without further objection; and as long as the republic endured, that is to say, till the year 1797, (an epoch to which Signora Michiel often painfully refers,) the Doge and the Signoria repaired upon every 2d of February to the Church of Santa Maria Formosa, where the

priest, in the name of his parishioners, presented them with hats of gilt straw, Malmsey wine, and oranges.

This was the only permanent part of the festival. As with the lapse of years manners changed, the custom of marrying all together once a year was dropped; and then probably the name of Festa dei Matrimonj was altered into Festa delle Marie. Twelve of the prettiest and bestbehaved girls in Venice were now annually chosen as representatives of the stolen brides. They were called, no one knows why, the Maries, were dressed and decorated by their respective parishes, paraded the streets in procession, attended by an immense concourse of people, were received and blessed by the Doge, and entertained by some of the nobility. In process of time these ceremonies lost their purity and innocence, when by order of the government wooden images were substituted for the living maidens as Maries. The populace were exasperated at this innovation; disturbances ensued, and laws were passed to prevent and quell them; until the distress and danger of the republic in 1379, during the war with Genoa, temporarily interrupted all joyous festivals. The Genoese were repulsed and defeated. Fear and suffering were forgotten in Venice, and most interrupted customs were resumed; but this somewhat expensive and now disorderly festival of the Maries was never revived. Its only remaining trace appears in the popular expression of obloquy, Marie di legno or wooden Mary, still applied to any woman who, by her coldness, leanness, or stupidity, incurs popular dislike.

ART. XII.-Mémoires de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Petersbourg. 6me Série. Sciences Politiques, Histoire, Philologie. Tome premier. Ire et 2me Livraisons. St. Petersbourg, de l'Imprimerie de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences. 1830. 4to.

THE foundation of an academy of sciences in Russia was the achievement with which Peter the Great intended to have crowned his labours for the civilization of his country. His death frustrated the execution of the plan in his lifetime, but it was carried into effect by his successor, Catherine, very shortly afterwards. It commenced its career with an assemblage of members most judiciously chosen, amongst whom the illustrious Euler, and the celebrated historian and geographer, Müller, will long be famous in its annals. The academy has subsequently run a steady, if not a brilliant, course, and has certainly not been altogether deficient in its contributions towards the advancement of the moral and physical sciences in Europe.

The numbers before us contain several papers of considerable interest. There are some Researches, by Herrmann, into the Suicides and Homicides committed in Russia in the years 1819 and 1820, which go through the different governments, and arrive at the conclusion that suicide is most rare in the governments on the lower Volga and in the North of Russia, tolerably frequent in the centre of the empire from the eleva

tion of the Volga to the Steppes of the South, but very frequent on the Baltic, in Siberia, and particularly on the plateau of the Steppes. From the north and west of Russia to the governments on the lower Volga, homicide appears to be less common than suicide; in the country of the lower Volga robberies and homicides increase, multiply very much in Siberia, and on the plateau of the Steppes are surprisingly numerous. Exact inquiries of this kind in other nations, would go far to determine by comparison the place Russia is entitled to occupy in regard to the morality and civilization of Europe. An Essay of the celebrated political economist, Storch, on the effects of the depreciation of Paper Money is worthy attention, particularly his concluding advice to governmentsthat it is not by exciting variations in the value of a paper-currency, that it is to be ameliorated, but by rendering its value as invariable as possible,— an end which can, in general, be attained without much sacrifice. M. Storch's paper on the question,-whether the progressive Increase of the Capital of a Nation is ever dangerous? is an answer to the affirmative maintained by Sismondi, in his Nouveaux Principes d'Economie politique, and appears a satisfactory reply. Herrmann's Statistical Account of the Tartar Population in Tauris is interesting, as are also Schmidt's Dissertation on the Origin of the Language of Thibet, and that of Graeffe on the question, whether the Mammoth of modern naturalists be the same as the fabulous Odontotyrannum of the ancients. Schmidt's paper on Budhaism is written with a special reference to several English publications on that subject, such as Upham's History, and several papers comprised in the Asiatic Transactions. We are constantly meeting with fresh proofs of the unabated zeal for Oriental literature in Russia, and of the strong desire of the government to further its study. But the most valuable portion of the Transactions we are noticing is, probably, Herrmann's Statistical Calculations on Mortality in Russia, particularly in reference to the Mortality of Children, which is treated at great length, and whose details we strongly recommend to the consideration of our writers on population. The mortality of children in Russia is much less than in Sweden, though greater than that of France, a fact which indicates a corresponding degree of national well-being in each country respectively. It is of the extension of a knowledge of the arts of civilized life that Russia now begins to feel the effect, in invigorating both the growth and the energies of her population.