illustrate the high ground which periodical literature is daily
attaining in this country. Of this ascendancy, the volume before us is
indeed a fine specimen, and one of which we have reason to entertain a
national pride. We know it to be a common practice with publishers on
the continent to produce long works volume by volume, so that Dr.
Lardner's plan is by no means novel; but we should also bear in mind
that, compared with our family and cabinet libraries, the majority of
similar foreign works are mere flimsy productions; and the _Encyclopedie
Methodique_, published in monthly volumes, in Paris, both in quantity
and execution, will not reach our literary standards of 1829. As Dr.
Lardner's plan is well known, it need not here be repeated; neither need
we remark upon the high qualifications of Sir Walter Scott, as an
historian of Scotland. An extract shall speak for itself; and perhaps we
cannot do better than select one of the battle-pieces, which has all the
vividness of the finest historical painting: say

BANNOCKBURN.

"Robert Bruce summoned the array of his kingdom to rendezvous in the
Tor-wood, about four miles from Stirling, and by degrees prepared the
field of battle which he had selected for the contest. It was a space of
ground then called the New Park--perhaps reserved for the chase, since
Stirling was frequently a royal residence. This ground was partly open,
partly encumbered with trees, in groups or separate. It was occupied by
the Scottish line of battle, extending from south to north, and fronting
to the east. In this position, Bruce's left flank and rear might have
been exposed to a sally from the castle of Stirling; but Mowbray
the governor's faith was beyond suspicion, and the king was not in
apprehension that he would violate the tenour of the treaty, by which
he was bound to remain in passive expectation of his fate. The direct