an
this mode of making a livelihood, provided their effusions are kept
within the bounds of moderation and charity, as well as confined to
such views as a rapid transit enables any one unacquainted with the
language and the people to make during a few hours' sojourn in the
place. This rule, however, has been broken in upon; and as it
unluckily happens that the females are generally a favourite
subject for the tirades of that class of writers, their random
assertions on subjects they had no means of investigating, and most
assuredly did not speak of from their own knowledge and experience,
have made both the Gaditanas and Malaguanas, and their relations
and countrymen, extremely irate."

And with good reason, too, say we. It is not the first time we have
heard this sort of thing complained of. The practice is one that cannot
be too severely reprehended and we shall look out for such offenders in
future.

There are a number of anecdotes and pleasant bits scattered through
Captain Widdrington's work, which is a happy blending of the amusing and
instructive, neither predominating to the injury of the other; and we
take leave both of the book and its accomplished author, with much
respect and gratitude. Before doing so, however, and having said much in
commendation, Captain Widdrington will perhaps permit us to offer him a
slight and well-intended hint in the contrary sense. When next the
truant-fit comes over him, and he favours us with the result of his
researches and observations in Spain or any other country--and we hope
it will not be long before he does thus favour us--may he be able to
devote rather more time to the mere authorship part of the work, to the
correction and chastening of his style. His sentences are often terribly
piled up and intricate, and some are really illogical in their
construction, to the extent of being difficult of comprehension. That
kind of negligence in an author, considerably diminishes the reader's
enjoyment even of the most interesting book. Captain Widdrington should
bear in mind, that however sterling his matter may be, some attention to
manner is also expected, and that the appearance, at least, of the most
valuable gems is deteriorated by an inelegant setting. Nevertheless, in
this book-making age, it may be considered highly creditable to an
author when faults of form and not of substance are the greatest with
which he can be r