Another pretty piece of intrigue--a girl stealing an opened love-letter
from a fair one dozing on a sofa, and a third advancing on tiptoe from
the door of the room, is highly creditable to Mr. Smirke, the painter,
and A.W. Warren, the engraver. Among the more elaborate plates is an
exquisite creation of Howard's pencil, the Infant Bacchus engraved
by J.C. Edwards; and last, though not least in effect, is Trionto,
a mountain wild and chaos of storm, from a drawing by Martin; but
the engraving hardly approaches the design.

There is much novelty in the present _Gem:_ the prints, prose, and
poetry sparkle most characteristically, and are just such as the title
of the work would lead one to expect to find in it; which is a rare
merit among new books.

* * * * *



Friendship's Offering.


We believe the editor of the present volume to be Mr. Thomas Pringle,
of whose taste and fitness for the task, we spoke in our "Spirit of the
Annuals" for 1829. It contains five or six striking prose articles, and,
we think, fewer poetical pieces than the former volume. Among the tales
entitled to special mention, as evincing considerable talent and more
than the ordinary interest of mere sketches--are Il Vesuviano, a
Neapolitan Story--the Voyage Out, by Mrs. Bowdich--the Lover's Leap,