27 DECEMBER 1851, Page 17

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Booms.

Leaves from the Note-Book of a Naturalist. By W. J. Broderip, Esq., F.R.S., &c., Author of " Zoological Recreations," &c.

The Life and Tima of Dante Alighieri. By Count Cesare Balbo. Translated from the Italian, by F. J. Bunbury. In two volumes. Fifty-four Sermons, written for Sunday Reading in Families. By John Penrose, M.A., Vicar of Langton by Wragby, and Perpetual Curate of North Hykeham, in Lincolnshire.

The School for Husbands ; or Moliere's Life and Times. By Lady Bulvrer Lytton. In three volumes.

..lfenwires et Correspondence de Mallet the Pan. Pour servir a l'Hiii- toire de la Revolution Franeaise. Recuellis et mis en ordre par A. Sayous, Auden Professeur a l'Academie de Geneve. 2 tomes.

Life of Thomas Stothard, R.A. With Personal .Reminiscences. By Mrs. Bray, Author of "The Borders of the Tamar and the Tavy," "Memoirs of Charles A. Stothard, F.S.A.," &c. &c. With numerous Illustrations from his Works.

Women of Christianity Exemplary for Acts of Pietg, and Charity. By Julia Kavanagh, Author of " Woman in France, " Nathalie," "Madeleine," &e.

Although the week has not produced any direct "Christmas book," ex- cept perhaps the jocose "Cracker Bon-bon," there are several publications which, from the agreeable nature of their subjects and treatment and their style of getting-up, will form pretty gift-books.

The Use of Sunshine; a Christmas Narrative. By S. M., Authoress of " The Story of a Family," &c.

The Wide, Wide World; or the Early History of Ellen Montgomery. Edited by a Clergyman of the Church of England. In two volumes.

Norka ; or Tales of Niirnberg from the Olden Time. After a MS. of the Sixteenth Century. Translated from the German of August Agen.

A Popular History of the British Ferns and the Allied Plants; eom- prishig the Club-Mosses, Pepperworts, and Horsetails. By Thomas Moore, F.L.S., &c. A Cracker Bon-Bon for Christmas Parties : consisting of Christmas Pieces,lor Private Representation, and other Seasonable Matter, in Prose and Verse. By Robert B. Brough. "The Use of Sunshine," though called a Christmas narrative, has nothing more peculiar to the season than "keeping Christmas" being introduced two or three times in the progress of the tale. The fic- tion is of a larger and more general kind than the run of tempo- rary books. The elements of the story are not, indeed, altogether new ; consisting of family alienations between father and son, and nephew and niece, who in consequence of a displeasing marriage are un- known to their uncle, as he to them. Life and freshness are given to the story by the purpose of the writer, and the scenes and persons among which the story is laid. The object is to soften the heart of Mr. Kennedy the elder towards his son Bryan, and convert hint from infidelity : the scene is laid in a remote and neglected district of Ireland, whither the unknown nephew Horace Durward, an English clergyman, and his sister, go to re- establish the brother's health, and remain to improve and civilize the people. The Use of Sunshine contains as much matter, character, and interest, as many three-volume novels, at a less coat both of money and time. "The Wide, Wide World" is an American juvenile tale; written with the object of impressing a firm reliance on Providence under all circumstances, as the only means of attaining inward happiness. The heroine is a child in the earlier parts, and very youthful in the latter. The incidents are mostly of the domestic kind ; but the tone of much of the volume and The character of many of the persons are of a more mature cast than is customary in English books of the same nature. This, however, gives greater attraction on our side of the Atlantic, especially to the rustic pictures in the newly- settled district, whither little Ellen is sent to her aunt on the departure of her father and mother for Europe. The pitch of the narrative when the heroine comes to her mother's family in Edinburgh is rather high, and the details of such small events as shopping are too elaborated ; but the book is interesting beyond the generality of juvenile tales, as well from the novelty of its subjects as from the merit of the writer.

The translation of "Norica" forms an agreeable addition to our stock of books in which information on art and manners is conveyed in the form of fiction. An art-novel the Tales of Nurnberg can scarcely be called, since there is not involution or variety of fortune ; the framework being a sort of journal of a rich trader and admirer of art, who goes to Nurnberg on seve- ral occasions, views the sights, associates with the celebrities from Albert Darer downwards, describes the society, and depicts the appearance of the city in the sixteenth century. There is much knowledge of the times and the men, conveyed in a pleasant manner. The volume is got up in the olden style.

Mr. Moore's " Popular History of the British Ferns" forms one of the various elegant and instructive books by which Messrs. Reeve and Benham have endeavoured to popularize the study of natural history. In the volume before us, Mr. Moore gives a clear account of the British ferns, with direc- tions for their cultivation accompanied by numerous coloured plates, really illustrative, and preceded by a general introduction on the nature and &ante! teristics of this graceful class of plants. " A Cracker Bon-bon for Christmas Parties" contains three operatic pare- dies on the subjects of Alfred the Great, William Tell, and Orpheus, which may be performed in drawingrooms, at all events by such as have a turn for ludicrously grave burlesque. The dramas are followed by a variety of jeux d'esprit in prose and verse, which show facility and a humorous eye for the weak points of the day.

Poems. By Mary Maynard. [There are poetical passages and poetical qualities in this volume—nay, there are poems too ; but the effect upon the reader is not so great as it would seem the gifts of the fair writer ought to produce. If the question is

asked " why ? " it can only be answered by saying there is a deficiency of originality and depth. The poem on the Dressmaker is only novel in its form; the moral, the sentiments, the ideas, are not new, indeed they might be called hacknied. "The Voice of the River"—a stream offering refuge to a fallen woman—has in like manner the novelty of form, a river talking; but the subject itself is as common as the ill-requited labours of a sempstrese labouring to adorn her richer sisters. Other pieces may be less obviously trite, but they are not original. The subjects have not arisen spontaneously from an examination of life, history, or record, but have been suggested by

somebody having written something like them. The worst pieces in tlio; volume, however, are far above the common run of verses ; the best exhibit a power and a promise that if realized will give Mary Maynard a high place among English poetesses. Judging from the "Lady Eleonora," it is possible that she might find themes adapted to her genius in the lives of the saints and the legends or traditions of the middle ages : only, they must not be studied at second-hand, and the cant in the originals must be eschewed.] Poland, and other Poems. By John Clark Ferguson, Author of " The

Pleasures of Music," &c. [A poem in heroic verse on the oppression of Poland, written in the old- fashioned style, followed by some occasional verses on common topics.]

Our Sister Lillie. Illustrated with Plates from Designs by Mrs. Lees.. The Poetry by her Sister. [A little religio-domestic poem on the death ef a little girl, pleasantly writ- ten, and illustrated by pretty outs.]

A Young Traveller's Journal of a Tour in North and South America, during the year 1850. With numerous Illustrations, by the Author- ess; engraved by T. Bolton. [The singularity of these travels through the United States and Mexico is in the age of the fair juvenile writer. She had just entered her teens when she started from Liverpool, in May last; and, in addition to a pleasant nar- rative of her extended tour, she has illustrated her text by some pretty and characteristic drawings. The book does not deal in statistics, or political or social reflections, and many will think so much the better ' • nor are the obser- vations of a remarkable kind ; but the descriptions of such as attracted the young tourist's attention are lively. Many larger books by grown-up people are less interesting than our " Young Traveller's Journal."]

Franck and Fun, or What was Seen and Done in London in 1851. [A set of caricature sketches of the principal places of resort in London during the influx of the Great Exhibition, with some indifferent relining re- marks in prose.] Household Hints to Young Housewives ; with the Arrangements and Re- ceipts for Forty Dinners. By Martha Careful. [A little book of cookery recipes and advice to young housekeepers. It is written in the form of lettere for every day in the week, from an old lady to her inexperienced married friend.] Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte. His Life, Captivity, and Escape from the Fortress of Ham.

[An account of the imprisonment of this adventurer at Ham, and his escape ; preceded by a very bnef sketch of his life up to the ridiculous affair at Bou- logne.]

Webster's Royal Red Book; or Court and Fashionable Register, 8ce. for January 1852.

The most notable new edition is "The Lansdowne Shakespeare "—a single volume, named from the patronage of the Marquis: its chief characteristic is the indication of the stage-directions and names of dramatis personae by printing them in red ink.

The .Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare. With a Glossary. A literary Melange; iSiPruse,avid Verse, By Sydney Whiting, of the Middle, Temple, Banister. An entirely new edition, revised by the Author, and considerably amplified. Hansulay's Essays on the Lift and firrititegs of Addison; and Horace Walpole. (Traveller's Library.) Ernest Mehl-avers; or the Eleueinia. Part the Second. By Sir Ed- ward Ifulwer Lytton, Bart. With a-Fronfispieee.

lrotes on Neves:

Angel Voices; or Words of Counsel for Overcoming the World. BR- mud andpartly altered from the American edition, and with an In, troduction, 1 the Reverend James Morris, D.D: The North Stuediny School Alagasine. Volume VI.

rLIX9IBATED WORKS.

The Boyd Guide to Vas-newer Xsdelling. By him Peachey, Artiste to her Majesty. Dirs. Peachey has her. " warrent, of appointment," for the title, wherein At rejoices exceedingly, of "artist in wax-flowers to her Majesty," and which natural aptitude seems to have ratified. Some groups of flowers by this lady, on a grandiose scale, were to have been in the Great Exhibition : but Fate interposed in the person of Mr. Owen Jones, who was stiffnecked in the matter of allocation of mum. Mrs. Peaehey's reputation in her art, how- ever, could stand the contretemps, and will be the best recommendation of this pretty-looking little handbook. It is.a.pity that she should have called in. the assistance of some gentleman, apparently a- writer professed, who mould not let the book do without "etyle"--and has infased some of his own accordingly.]

PAMTH'LlIT8.

A Charge to the Clergy of the _Diocese of Oxford, at his Second Visita- tion, Navember18911 By Samuel Lord Ifishop of Oxford, Chancellor to the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Lord High Almoner to her Majesty the Queen.

Some Account of the Actual Trork-ing of St. 'leviers College, Lampeter. By Rowland Williams, B.D.,. Senior Tutor and Vice-Principal of St. David's College, &c.

England as it Is, and as it Hight and Ought to be. By Justus Wild.