15 SEPTEMBER 1866, Page 23

CURRENT LITERATURE.

The North British, Review.. Septeinber,, 1866. (Edinburgh: Ednien, sten and Douglas.}—Did any single person ever read s quarterly review-- threttghl : We very much doubt it. Some, no doubt, skim all the- articles, others; read one or two steadily and skip the rest ; perhaps a etill.greater number intend to read the whole,,and novel:Sad the leisure

for which they are,waiting. But if any are not inclined to take the,

first two courses and, shrink front, the ignominy -of the, third, we can recommend them the North British as being, of its kind, unusually read-

able— Theyovill find, in it some artiolasla be read with pleasure ; some be read or skipped with ,sathifaction ; one to be "read with sorrow.; and one-with indignation. The last is that on "George Eliot's Novels,' which would demand full -examination, if the -writer's- power wee equal to his, boldness. The article on liptile is finnly andilelicately writ—.

ten, probably by an author now well known to the North British readers.. The account of "Mr. George MaaBonahl's Ncevnla 2 is-.ebleily taken up with extract ; the article on the "English Pulpit 'I ehorsaideas and read- Inge but is better historically than practically, incomplete as to modern dine& and supercilious as to other writers. It js eaag,to recognise the.. hand. of the chronicler of "Recent Humonrists-7,./Itytegno,Pcacock, Prout," and pleasant to light on such a paper in the dust and drouth of quarterly literature. The only ground of comparison_ between._ the...three...mm.1a- indeed that they died about the same time, and fthat they aro not tut E widely known as their beat works should have made AGRI. The North British-reviewer recognizes, this„and thinks it a curious literary pheno- menon, which ought to teach critics that it is one of their most im- portant duties to make known those whom the world has not learned to, know for itself. And if the world was to judge these men by the.- samples giv,en in this article, it would regret it wasted opportunities.