NOTICES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS. 209 cular part, and Mr. lukersley appears rather to have trusted to written records (where any such existed) than to have incurred the risk of error in hazarding an unsupported opinion of his own ; indeed, when it is called to mind how often (in France at least) the architect of a later period attempted to carry out the design in which a huilding was commenced, by which the unwary are apt to be misled, there can be no doubt that the author has taken the wisest course to insure the general correctness of his observations. It is fortunate, however, that in consulting these ancient documents and authorities for the purpose of seeking out chronological data, he has been also afforded an opportunity of enlivening his work with many curious notes containing instructive and historical facts ; these extracts have been carefully drawn from sources entitled to consideration for their authen- ticity, and they undoubtedly form an agreeable feature in the work. In the absence, therefore, of all illustrations, which we consider almost indispensably necessary to render any work on architecture complete for the purpose of reference, we can, nevertheless, safely recommend this book to the perusal of our readers : if the author advances no new theories, he at least deserves no small degree of credit for the patience with which he has sought out such information as bears upon his subject, and also for the acumen and ability with which he has criticised and compared this evidence with the actual state of the edifices at the present time. COLLECTIONS TOWARDS A HISTORY OF POTTERY AND PORCELAIN, in the 15th, I6th, 17th, and 18th Centuries : with a Description of the Manufacture, a Glossary, and a List of Monograms. By Joseph Marryat. Illustrated with Coloured Plates and AVoodcuts. London. John Murray. 1850. There is, perhaps, scarcely any subject of enquiry, connected with the History of Industrial Arts, more deserving of examination, as illustrative of the progress of human development, than the chapter of Fictile Manu- facture. It may not indeed, at first view, be admitted by the majority of our readers as of such essential interest ; the full extent of the bearing of this enquiry upon the History of Mai«, in all ages and every country, will scarcely be recognised, even in timeo, when the importance of the most minute details, in the prosecution of scientific or Archaeological investi- gation, has been at length truly appreciated. Long time the butt at which thoughtless cavillers have specially aimed their shaft of ridicule, the collector of fictile productions has ranked with busy triflcrs, — children of larger growth. It has been left for our days to show how instructive the most despised subjects of human knowledge may be rendered, if pursued as a means to an end, and with that scientific classification of facts, which must ever lead to valuable results. In inviting the attention of our readers to so attractive a volume as that recently produced by Mr. Marryat, it might indeed appear sui>erfluous thus to insist upon the value of researches of this nature ; were it not that great ignorance still prevails as to the true merits of the " Keramic Art," as an aid to the investigation of the past. Amongst the numberless departments of human industry, from the most rude to the most civilised state of society, none presents to us productions more varied, in their simplicity as well as
