PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Boosts.

No very early forthcoming publications of mark are promised, but the week has not been barren of books. A good many, indeed, are of slight character, or of the manufacturing kind, whose number seems to increase with every year. Some, however, are really of interest and importance. Among them may be mentioned Mr. Lewes's 'Life of Goethe," reviewed in the present number ; Dr. Strang's " Glasgow and its Clubs,"—which if the execution equal its suobject will be a curious picture of past manners ; the amend volume (of Professor Wilson's "Noctes Ambrosianas,"—which, by casually turning over its pages, we see is a curious picture of manners, or at least of the tone of thinking and writing not thirty years ago—it is more startling than memory, expected. Two volumes in continuation of James Montgomery's Life and Correspondence have appeared ; and a posthumous Hulsean Prize Essay on a good theme, if handled in a fair and scholarly manner—the Beneficial Influence of the Christian Clergy of the first ten centuries. The book of the week—indeed of the month—is an instalment of Pres- cott's "History of Philip the Second, King of Spain," from Mr. Bentley. The work before us is a handsome library edition ; with portraits of Philip after Titian, Mary after Sir Antonio More, of Don Carlos, looking weak yet cunning, and of the wiry Duke of Alva. The enterprising publisher is preparing two other editions, one of which will be compressed into a single volume, to cut away the ground from those low-priced publishers who pounce upon every American work, good, bad, or indifferent, which stands a chance of being forced into extensive sale by dint of cheap types and cheap paper. It can hardly be doubted by those who read the judgment of the House of Lords, that the statute of Anne, which compromised the inherent but disputed right of authors, by giving them a definite interest and a prescribed mode of attaining it, intended to limit copyright to British subjects, or to persons domiciled in this country. Nor should the long-con- tinued and extensive piracy of British authors by American publishers be overlooked when the subject is discussed, as well as the obstinate refusal of the American Government to come to any arrangement upon the subject. These public considerations, however, do not lessen the hardship to indi- viduals who see their purchases invaded before their eyes; and though it may be doubted whether this sense of another person's hardship would in- duce a lover of bargains to buy a dearer copy when he could get a cheaper one, yet this will scarcely be the case with "Philip the Second," after Mr. Bentley's determination.

.History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain. By Wil- liam E. Prescott, Corresponding Member of the Institute of France, of the Royal Academy of History at Madrid, &c. Volumes I. and II.

Glasgow and its Clubs ; or Glimpses of the Condition, Manners, Charac- ters, and Oddities of the City during the Past and Present Century. By John Strang, LL.D., Author of "Germany in 1831," &c.

Agamemnon the King : a Tragedy. From the Greek of Aschylus. By William Blew, M.A.

Nodes Ambrosiance, by Professor Wilson. In four volumes. Volume IL (Works of Professor Wilson, of the University of Edinburgh. Edited by his Son-in-law, Professor Ferrier.) The Christian Clergy of the First Ten Centuries; their beneficial Influ- ence on European Progress. Being the Hulsean Prize Essay for 1850. By the late Henry Mackenzie, B.A., Scholar of Trinity College, Cam- bridge.

Memoirs of the life and Writings of Tames Montgomery ; including Selections from his Correspondence' Remains in Prose and Verse, and Conversations on various subjects. By John Holland and James Everett. Volumes III. and I',.

The Life and Works of Goethe ; with Sketches of his Age and Contem- poraries, from published and unpublished sources. By G. H. Lewes, Author of "The Biographical History of Philosophy." In two volumes.

Wine-Duties considered Financially and Socially; being a Reply to Sir James Emerson Tennent on " Wine, its Taxation and Uses." By W. Beeville James.

ghe author knows this volume is ill-timed. He is aware that people's thoughts are so bent upon fighting that they have not time to attend to pro- positions for new drinks ; and, which is still more to the purpose, that the public would not listen to a project to tamper with nearly a million and three-quarters of annual revenue. Mr. James has published to confute the opinions advanced by Sir James Emerson Tennent in his late book on Wine. This he may do on particular parts of the subject, but the main con- clusions are untouched,—that it is very questionable whether the reduction of the duty from 5s. 9d. to la. per gallon would produce the same amount of revenue, or whether foreign countries could supply the requisite number of gallons, adapted to the English market. The volume contains many curious facts and statistics, but the argument is not very skilfully conducted.] The Relations of Science. By John M. Ashley, Gonville and Caius Col- lege, Cambridge, late Lecturer on Chemistry at the Hunterian School of Medicine, &e. [The object of this essay is to show the relation which one science bears to another, and how necessary it is to have some knowledge of several sciences if not of all. To arrive at these conclusions, Mr. Ashley runs over various sciences, drawing arguments and illustrations from each. The facts used by the author are not new, but some of them are derived from more recondite sources than is usual in essays of this nature. Neither is there any claim to originality on the part of the author. The idea of the universal con- nexion—the circle of science as it were—does not strike us as being carried any further than it had been done already.] Pictures from Cuba. By William Hurlbut. (The Traveller's Library.) [These sketches of Cuba, by an American invalid who passed a winter there, are light and agreeable ; but the bulk of the book deals too much in exter- nal& The latter chapters, which enter upon. slavery, the character of the Cuban people, and the probable results of annexation, have the most solid interest. Mr. Hurlbut is an opponent of slavery, and he argues strongly again the possession of Cuba by America, not merely as a wrong but a Tele- f. When a Spanish Minister declared that Cuba must be " Spanish or African," he did not, says Mr. Hurlbut, " utter a menace, he merely stated a dilemma." Even if actually possessed, he thinks the possession would only bring evils in its train ; the production of Cuban sugar would be destroyed for the sole benefit of Texas and Louisiana, while the military es- tablishment of the United States must be largely increased.] Alfred Leslie : a Story of Glasgow Life. The Illustrations by T. 0. Brown, Esq. [The original idea of this book was a aeries of sketches of social life in Glas- gow, more especially among the University students; but the author was induced to give unity and interest to the plan by attaching a loveLstory. The hero, Alfred is led through a variety of adventures of a small kind, and chiefly illustrative of " fast" or foolish life, till he is married. The matter is slight, and the slightness is made more obvious by wordy ex- pension. There is freshness and spirit about Alfred Leslie, but:it is a long way from a good tale.] The Only Sacrifice. By James Biden. [Mr. Biden conceives that true Christian ideas have never yet been en- tertained by Christendom, though particular Christians may have bad glimpses of the Divine light. The period is now approaching when the truth will be visible to every one. "It is the time of Jacob's trouble, as it is also the time of Jacob's deliverance." The Only Sacrifice mainly con- sists of quotations from the Prophets, interspersed with Mr. Biden's com- ments, and a vocabulary of significent proper names from Cruden's Con- cordance.] The Great Sieges of History. By William Robson, Author of "The Life of Richelieu," &e. Sebastopol : the Story of its Fall. By George R. Emerson. [Both these books are common compilations, got up to meet the temporary interest felt for sieges in general and Sebastopol in particular. The Great Sieges of History embraces about a hundred towns, some of which have been besieged several times ; and the compiler begins with the siege of Beare, upwards of two thousand years before Christ! Sebastopol contains more than it promises ; for it is not only a story of the siege, but of the war, in- cluding a sketch of the Crimean history.] The Metropolis Local Management Act, 1855: with an Introduction, copious practical Notes, and a full double Index. Also a Table of Qualifications for Voters, Vestrymen, Auditors, &c. By Toulmin Smith, of Lincoln's Inn, Esq., Barrister-at-law ; Author of "The Parish, its Obligations and Powers ; its Officers and their Dutiee." Practical Proceedings for the Removal of Nuisances and Execution of Drainage Works, in every parish, town, andplace in England and Wales, under the Nuisances Removal Act„ 1855, and by other course of law. With numerous forms, and complete Instructions for the Conduct of Parish Committees. To which is added, the Diseases Prevention Act, 1855. By Toulmin Smith, of Lincoln's Inn, Esq., Barrister-at-law ; Author of "The Pariah, its Obligations and Powers; its Officers and their Duties."

[The nature and object of both these legal publications are sufficiently in- dicated by their titles to answer the purpose of those who want the informa- tion respecting the new acts, and have not already procured a book or books upon the subjects.]

Histoire de la Revolution Francaise, par M. Louis Blanc. Tome Septieme. Edition Francaise.

Three out of the five new editions of the week are valuable and popular. Mr. Murray publishes the last volume of Hallam's Constitutional History in the cheap edition of that historian's works, and the second volume of Byron's Poems, which consists of the occasional and less remarkable pieces of the au- thor. "The Dream," the "Prophecy of Dante," the "Vision of Judg- ment," and "The Age of Bronze," are among the longest poems.

Occupying a less lofty position in literature than the two preceding vo- lumes, the first volume of "The Miscellanies" of Thackeray will furnish more varied and amusing reading, and probably attract a larger number of readers, than the disquisitional narrative of the accomplished historian or the varied .outpourings of the bitter and misanthropical poet. Not, however, that there is any lack of variety both prose and verse in the Miscellanies, or for that matter of bitterness, though relieved by geniality of disposition. "The Book of Snobs," "Cost's Diary," "The Fatal Boots," and "Major Gahagan's Adventures," constitute the prose : the verse consists of ballads, ludicrous for the most part, but indicating deeper feelings, and often point- ing a large moral even in their fun.

The Constitutional History of England, from the Accession of Henry VII to the Death of George II. By Henry Hallam, LL.D., F.R.A.S., Foreign Associate of the Institute of France. In three volumes. Volume III. Eighth edition.

The Poetical Works of Lord Byron. A new edition. In six volumes. Volume II. (Murray's British Classics.) Miscellanies: Prose and Verse. By W. M. Thackeray, Author of "Vanity Fair," &c. Volume I.

Fillette. By Currer Bell, Author of " Jane Eyre," &c. A new edition [in one volume].

The Yellow Frigate; or the Three Sisters. By James Grant, Author of "Romance of War," &c. Twelfth thousand.

MAPS.

Stanford's Map of the Roads, between Odessa, Nikolaief, Perekop,

Simferopol, and Sebastopol. Compiled from Russian Maps in the possession of the Royal Geographical Society, the Admiralty Charts, and other Documents.

[One among the many war-maps. Its distinctive characteristics are, that it shows at a glance the geographical relations between the various points on the field of war, except Kertch, embraced within the operations of the Allies; and that it presents plans of Nicolaieff and Odessa, on a larger scale tha. usual.]

ALMANACK.

Punch's Pocket-book for 1856; containing ruled pages for Cash-ac- counts and Memoranda for every day in the year ; an Almanack ; and a variety of useful business information. The Illustrations by John Leech and John Tenuiel.

[Plates in which fun and fancy are combined with a cunning hand at the pencil; and " skits " in which the follies of the year are shot as they pass.]