es, and the
working of wood and iron; that set the king's arrow upon trees that rotted
in the forest; that shut out markets for boards and fish, and seized sugar
and molasses, and the vessels in which these articles were carried; and
that defined the limitless ocean as but a narrow pathway to such of the
lands that it embosoms as wore the British flag; it was these
restrictions, to release which the revolution was created. The articles
upon the various 'Theories of Storms,' and 'The Recent Contest in
Rhode-Island,' we have not found leisure from pressing avocations to
peruse. The paper on 'Architecture in the United States' is from the pen
of one who '_knows_ whereof he writes;' and he has not been sparing of
deserved satire upon the sad and ridiculous mistakes of those among us who
are miscalled architects. High praise is awarded to our Trinity Church,
now in progress of erection. 'In size, in the delicacy and propriety of
its decoration, and in the beauty of its general effect, it surpasses any
church erected in England since the revival of the pointed style.' In a
notice of the 'Writings of Miss BREMER,' MARY HOWITT 'suffers some,' on
account of a certain hysteric preface of hers to a translation of one of
the Swedish lady's productions, in which she complains of the American
translations from this popular writer. Among the 'Critical Notices' which
compose the last article in the Review, is a critique upon Mr. CORNELIUS
MATHEWS'S 'Writings,' including his poem on 'Man in his Various Aspects,'
which embodies the opinions we have ourselves expressed in relation to
them. Since the unfounded charge of being 'actuated by private pique,'
which was brought against us by the author, cannot be assumed against the
North American Review, we trust that our 'complainant' will not object
that we fortify our own estimate of his literary merits by grave
authority. The following is an extract:

Mr. MATHEWS has shown a marvellous skill in failing, each failure
being more complete than the last. His comedy of 'The Politicians'
is 'the most lamentable comedy;' and the reader exclaims, with
Hippolyta, 'This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard.' The
'Career of Puffer Hopkins' is an elaborately bad imitation of
DICKENS; and must be ranked in fiction where 'The Politicians'
stands in the drama. It aims at being comical, and satirical upon
the times. The author studies hard to portray the motley
charac