3 JANUARY 1863, Page 58

The World of Phantoms. (Hardwicke.)—This is a rather singular production

in heroic verse, the object of which it is not easy precisely to define. It is about mesmerism ; and it begins with a violent attack on a professor of that science ; but we cannot flatter ourselves that we have succeeded in making out what are the author's real opinions on the subject. We confess that we have only read one half of the poem ; for when, after wading conscientiously through the first of the two .cantos of which it is composed, we came at its close upon the fine couplet-

" 'Tis meet such things should have in one divan The sole attention of each known savan," we conceived that we might be excused from going any further. We do not think that we have done the author of The World of Phantoms any injustice by this omission ; but, if we have, we must leave it to be repaired by the charitable reader.