25 FEBRUARY 1865, Page 21

To-Day. Essays and Miscellanies. By John Hollingshead. (Groom- bridge and

Sons.)—These papers are reprinted from Good Words, All the Year Round Once a Week, The Daily News, and "many other Lon- don magazines and-journals," and "the only pride" the author feels in collecting them is that though writing professionally in periodicals of very different views he has always maintained his Benthamite prin- ciples. Mr. Hollingshead is quite right,—as Christopher North said, " the- man who writes gratis is a fool." It has been suggested to us, however, that the author probably means that all these essays advocate Bentha- mite principles. In that sense, too, he has a right to his pride, and we can add that they have also commonly a purpose which is in the best meaning of the term philanthropic. The variety of the subjects is re- markable, and the writing is clear, accurate, and easy.