27 NOVEMBER 1858, Page 19

. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

The flow of publications rather increases than diminishes, though numbers belong to that special class, which indicates the season of the year. There are, however, a good many works of a substantial elm- racter. Mr. Murray continues Rawlinson's History of Herodotue by the publication of the third volume. Messrs. Longman send forth the Life and Correspondence of Uwins the artist, by his widow ; and the American Mr. Minturn's travels from "Now York to Delhi," a book whose chief interest lies in the writer's judgment on India, the mutiny, and the Company's government, from the American point of view. The sine firm has also published a translation of Miillhausen's "Journey from the Mississippi to the Pacific" ; the traveller acting as draughtsman to that one of three American surveying expeditions to report upon the Pacific line of railway, which was to follow the 35th parallel of North latitude. Mr. Bohn has sent us a translation of Neander's "History of Christian Dogmas"; a remarkable work, albeit not perhaps so well adapted for a purely secular as for a theological journal. The most singular publication of the week is an autobiography of the Empress Catherine the Second of Russia, till her thirtieth year, 1759. According to the preface of the Editor, M. Herzen, these "Memoirs" were discovered on an examination of her papers after her death in the presence of her son the unfortunate Paul. The Emperor kept the manu- script secret from every one, except his friend Prince Alexander Kourakine, who not only read but took a copy. Other copies were sub- sequently obtained ; but the fact becoming known to Nicholas, every effort was made not only to destroy the copies, but to suppress the very knowledge of their existence. It was, however, all in vain ; for some ' sixty years after the event M. Iferzen obtained a copy, and by means of M. 'friibner has given it to the world.

Bowls.

The History of Ilerodot us. Edited by George Rawlinson, M.A., late Fellow and Tutor of Oriel College, Oxford, assisted by Colonel Sir Henry ltawlinson, K.C.B., and Sir J. G. Wilkinson, F.U.S. In four volumes. Voinine III. A Memoir of Thomas Ulf' i las , RA., late Keeper of the Royal Galleries and the National Gallery, librarian of the Royal Academy, 8:c. By Mrs. tiwins. With Letters to his brothers during seven years spent in Italy, and Corre- spondence with the late Sir Thomas Lawrence, Sir Charles L. Eastlake, A. E. Chalon, BA., and other distinguished persons. In two volumes. hiarY of a Journey from the 3fississippi to the Coasts of the Pacific Ocean with a United States Government Expedition. By Baldwin Miillhatisen, Topo- graphical Draughtsman and Naturalist to the Expedition. With an Intro- duction by Alexander Von Humboldt, and Illustration in Chromo-lithogra- Phy. Translated by Mrs. Percy Sinnett. In two volumes.

Prom New York to Delhi by Way of .Rio * Janeiro, Australia, and China. By Robert B. Minturn junior.

Lectures on the History of Christian Dogmas. By Dr. Augustus Neandor. Edited by Dr. J.. L. .1acobi. Translated from the German by J. E. Ryland, M.A., Editor of " Foster's Life and Correspondence," &c. In two volumes. *empires de PImperatriee-Catherine II. lEcritt par Rile-mime, et precedes d'une Preface par A. Hersen. The Merrie Daps of England. Sketches of the Olden Time. By Edward 11PDermott. Illustrated with Twenty Engravings, from Drawings hyloseph Nash, George Thomas, Dirket Foster, and Edward. Ccubould.

The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray.

De La Rue's Improved Indelible Diary and Memorandum Book 1859. Edited by Norman Pogson, First Assistant at the Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford. Be La floe's Red Letter _Diary and Improved Memorandum Book 1859.

The Triumphs of Steam ; or, Stories from the I.ives of Watt, Arkwright, and Stephenson. By the Author of "Might not Right." With Illustrations by John Gilbert.

_Favourite Pleasure Books for Young People. Illustrated with one hundred Pictures, by John Absolon, Edward Wehnert, and Harrison Weir. Printed in colours.

Child's Play. By E. V. B.

The Headlong Career and Woful Ending of Precocious Piggy. By the late Tho- mas Hood. Illustrated by his Son.

A _Handbook for Travellers in Surrey, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight. With Map.—This "Murray" is a species of second part to the Handbook of Kent and Susses lately noticed, and is we think superior. Surrey has not the sea or the Medway ; Hampshire has neither Medway, nor Thames ; both counties want the richness, and as it were the artist= forms and finished beauty which distinguish Kent before all England ; not excluding in this particular Devonshire and that little gem the Isle of Wight. Hampshire, however, has the New Forest, Winchester, - Southampton, and Portsmouth, besides some striking if rather naked landscape features. Although " improvements " of various kinds are doing wonders with Surrey, still its somewhat hungry and barren soil as yet preserves its wild freshness from enclosing that will not pay. Be- sides such celebrated dou-us as Epsom, Banstead, Leatherhead, and Mickleham, there are many less well-known open lands where the pedes- trian may ramble till his limbs are weary and recline at will. Then, too, Surrey is less hacknied by far than Kent, or the more attractive towns of Sussex; the richer and more cultivated show places being excepted, as Richmond. Yet for those who have legs and leisure there are numerous trips they scarcely wet of, and within a day's excursion from London. Amongst the various information which the book befere us contains, is a sketch of forty-seven daily trips to be done in "a tour of seven weeks through Surrey and Hampshire, visiting all the chief places of interest"; but perhaps two months may as well be taken. It is true the weather just now is not favourable for pleasuring across country, but the reader may eram for the spring ; or make his tours in his arm-chair. The book will enable him to do it agreeably.

Le (Intern., w. the Story-teller. By II. Tarver, Eton College.—The French-master of Eton College is known for a useful French pronouncing Dictionary which has passed thmugh several editions. This new French Reading-book is likely to be equally useful, as far as language is concerned. M. Tarver feels that short extracts are of small use in giving any dis- tinctive idea of style, and with the exception of correspondence, his se- lections consist of complete stories or dramatic pieces, with explanatory notes calling attention to idioms or difficulties. The stories, &e. are seven in number by Theodore Pavic, Alfred de Musset, Li-on Gozlan, Eugene Scribe, and Edmond About. We should have thought loftier names in modern French literature might have been found ; but no doubt M. Tarver had reasons for his choice.

The Statute Book for England. Edited by James Bigg.—The text of the public statutes relating to England past in the last session, with an index to all the English statutes passed. It is an annual work, and professes to be so arranged "that each volume will contain, for the period it em- braces, a collection of Existing English Statutes,' not only perfect at the time of publication, but capable of being so continued in perpetuity."

The Mill in the falley. By the Author of "Moravian Life in the Black Forest."—A tale exhibitive of German rural life and character, truthfully conceived, with a touch, we think, of Moravian ideas, and agreeably told. It might have been improved by a little more force.

Some of the new editions of the week are fit subjects for criticism ; if they were not in their several ways beyond it, at least to a newspaper in the busy season. Mr. Dvcc's new single-volumed edition of Marlowe, is a work that might challenge elaborate consideration not only for its poetical and dramatic qualities and the position of the plays in reference to the history of the English drama, but for the strange life, character, and comrades of the author. Mr. Jesse's "Dogs" was no- ticed on its original appearance,* but anecdotes and instincts of animals are ever fresh, and we might go over the book again with a fuller ex- perience, did time and space permit. A similar remark applies to that well-known and unrivalled work Dr. Carpenter's "Vegetable Phy- siology " ; but we must be content with saying that Dr. Lankester has removed some sections, and rewritten others, to bring up the work to the present state of botanical science. Mr. Muirhead's " Life of Watt" is another book that would demand ample notice, if we had not treated the larger edition a few years ago.t That work, however, was in a degree as much scientific as popular, -con- taining specifications of his patents, many illustrative drawings, and his full correspondence. The biography, with the biographical pith of the correspondence and scientific matter of the three volumes, is now com- pressed by its author into a single volume, very complete and handsome. The attention excited by Madame Schimmelpenninek's Autobiography has no doubt conduced to the publication of this fifth edition of the " Select Memoirs of Port Royal," after an interval of nearly a quarter of a century from the appearance of the fourth. It is animated by s genial spirit of Christianity, and therefore more likely to be appreciated by considerable numbers DOW than at the time when it was first pub- lished; for in that age religion was either dead or exclusive, and among

all parties rather formal. .

The Works of Christophe, Marlowe: with some account of the Author and Notes, by the Rev. Alexander Dyer. A new edition, revised and corrected.. Anecdotes of Dogs. By Edward Jesse, Esq. Vegetable Physiology and Systematic Botany. By William B. Carpenter, M.D., F.R.S., F.G.S., Author of "Principles of General and Comparative Physiology." Edited by Edwin Lankester, M.D. F.R.S. F.L.S. The Life of James Watt ; with Selections from his Correspondence. By Zanies Patrick Muirhead, M.A., Author of " The Origin and Progress of the hie- shanks] Inventions of Watt," &c.

Spec/04er for 1846, page 450. + Spectator for 1855, page ill. Bakal Mernoirsof Port .Royal. To which are appended Tour to ;MO. - - • 'Part Boyal, Gift ef an Abbess, Biwraiihicai Notices, Sze. &c. Taken trtim

• ■Ongiaal Doeurneuta. By M. A. SolumMelpenninck. Fifth edition. Dithreo vohunes. •

The great publication of the year in the Alumna& line, is the appear- ance of the British and its " Companion" ; and this event has come off this week. More than thirty years have established the character of the "British Almanaek" for the variety, utility, and extent of its business subjects. The "Companion, or Year Book of General Information," is likewise limited to a regular form in its exhibition of the annual course of legislation, statistics, architectural improvements, and the chronicle of public events. In the general section, there is .greater room for variety, and occasionally lightness of subject, than the inspiration of the Useful Knowledge Society always imparted to its works, and such is the case at present Mr. Hind writes the history of Comets ; there is an article on the national collections of pictures ; and a couple of papers on sanitary topics, one on general legislation, the other on the Thames and its purifi- cation. There is also a digest of the Indian mutiny and the Chinese war, with an historical and descriptive sketch of the Museum of Practical Geology and its educational objects.

The sheet almanacks are from De La Rue's ; and are distinguished by the neatness of the business "Red Letter," and the elegance of the other two ; these last, however, are mere calendars.

77w British Al manack of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, for the Year of Our Lord 1859, being the third after Bissextile or Leap Year.

Companion to the Alesananek or Year Book of General Information, for 1859.

Bed Letter [sheet] Almanack, 1859.

Calendar [card] 1859.

Calendar [card] 1859,

MAPS.

The title of the following maps sufficiently explains their purpose, which is briefly to exhibit the paths of comets visible to the naked eye since 1800, with a few others. The maps are grafted on the star maps of the Society of Useful Knowledge. The execution is neat, and the effect clear.

Standford's Mops of the Paths of the Comets risible to the naked eye since 1800; together with the Paths of Halleys, Brelus, Brorsens, Enckes, and Faye's Comets of short period. Drawn by James Breen of the Cambridge Ob- servatory, upon the Maps of the Stars, in six sheets, on the Gnomonic Pro- jection, originally Designed and Arranged by Sir John Lubbock. Bart., and Published under the Superintendence of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.