LITERARY NEWS.

Mr. K. R. H. Mackenzie, who is preparing. a history of the English Hornbook formerly used in the Dame Schools in England and Scotland, solicits assistance in collecting facts upon this curious and little known subject. He especially desires information as to the date at which these Hornbooks fell into disuse and were replaced by the Primer. Such contributions would be thankfully acknowledged by him, and he pro-

mises that any Hornbooks or Battledoors forwarded for examination, either to his own address, 35, Bernard Street, Russell Square, W.C., or to the care of his publishers, Messrs. Triihner and Co., 60, Paternoster Row, or to Mr. Tegg, of 85, Queen Street, Cheapside, will be carefully preserved and duly returned.

It is stated that Lord St. Leonards, whose " Handy Book " has found so many admirers and so many imitators, is preparing another to explain the existing Laws of Marriage and of Settlements.

Messrs. A. and C Black have in the press " Seed Time and Harvest ; a Third Plea for Ragged Schools," by Dr. Guthrie.

Messrs. Chapman and Hall have nearly ready " Lyrics and Legends of Rome, with a Prologue and Epilogue,' by the author of " Clytem- nestra; " and " Poems before Congress, by Mrs. E. B. Browning.

]essrs. Longman and Co. have in the press " Virginia's Hand," a new poem, in three books, by Miss Marguerite A. Power ; and the second series of " Lectures on the History of England," delivered at Chorley- wood by Mr. William Longman.

A new work by Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, a new series of tales by Mrs. Gaskell, and " The Cruise of the Frolic," by Mr. W. H. G. King- ston, are announced as forthcoming by Messrs. Sampson Low, and Co.

Messrs. Saunders and Otley have in the press " Texts for Talkers," by Mr. Frank Fowler, author of " Lights and Shadows of Australian Life ; " and several new novels, among them " Cordova Abbey, a Tale," and " Miriam May, a Romance of Real Life."

Messrs. Triibner and Co. announce " Antiquarian, Ethnological, and other Researches in New Granada, Equador, -Peru, and Chili," by Mr. William Bollaert, F.R.G.S.

Mr. Edw. Walford's new work, "The County Families of the United Kingdom - or Royal Manual of the Titled and Untitled Aristocracy of Great Britain," is announced by Mr. 11. Hardwicke for the end of the month.

The curious Diurnal of Thomas Rugge, in the British Museum, to which public attention was long ago called by Lord Braybrooke, in his preface to Pepys' Diary, is about to be published for the first time under the editorship of Mr. Hopper, and with the assistance of Mr. James Yeo- well, sub-editor of Notes and Queries.

Among new works announced as forthcoming are a " History of Chess, from the earliest period to the present time," by Mr. Duncan Forbes; "Memoirs of Joseph Fouche, Duke of Otranto," by Mr. Henry Davies ; and a new "Grammar of the Chinese Language,' in English, by M. Leon de Rasny.

Mr. W. P. Nimmo, of Edinburgh, is about to publish "The Life and Poems of William Dunbar, the Burns of the Sixteenth Century," edited by Mr. James Paterson, author of " Wallace and his Times " It was Sir Walter Scott's opinion that William Dunbar was "unrivalled by any poet that Scotland has yet produced."

A new contribution to Highland literature is announced by Meisrs. Edmonstone and Douglas, of Edinburgh, under the title, "Sean Sgeu- lachdan Gaidhealach : Popular Tales of the West Highlands, orally col- lected, with a translation," by Mr. J. F. Campbell.

Messrs. Little, Brown, and Co., of New York, announce as forth- coming the second volume of Dr. Palfrey's " History of New England ; " Mr. Peter Harvey, of Boston, is preparing for the press "Personal Re- collections of Daniel Webster • " and Mr. Moore, Librarian of the New York Historical Society, will shortly publish " Investigations on the sub- ject of the treasonable conduct of "General Charles Lee, of the Army of the Revolution."

Messrs. Hooper and Co., of New York, announce the first volume of a new " History of France," by Mr. Parke Godwin, formerly editor of Putnam's Magazine; and Messrs. Rudd and Carleton, of New York, are getting ready the first complete English edition of the " Novels and Tales of Honore de Balzac," translated by Messrs. 0. W. Wight, and Frank B. Goodrich.

A work of considerable interest to geologists is in preparation by Messrs. Little, Brown, and Co. of New York. It is a series of photo-lithogra- phic Plates of the fossil footprints found in the Connecticut river sand- stone, and first observed by the late Dr. Deane, of Greenfield, Mass. The work will be issued under the superintendence of Dr. Gould, Dr. H, Bowditch, and other scientific men, for the benefit of Dr. Deane's family,

Messrs. Michel Levy, freres, Paris, have published the first volume of " L'Histoire de la Liberte Politique en France," by M. Jules de Las- teyrie ; and " Questions Italiennes," a series of Political Essays, by M. Leopold de Gaillard.

Hachette and Co., Paris, have published " Etienne Marcel, et le Gouvernement de la Bourgeoisie an XIVe siecle," by M. Fr. R. Per-

rens; and "La Propriete Litteraire au XVIIIe Siecle " by Labou- laye, of the Institute. The last-named work has been published at the expense of the Paris Committee of the Association for the Defence of Literary and Artistic Property. The same firm has issued the first num- ber of a weekly paper of a novel kind entitled " Le Tour du Monde," and destined to give reports of journeys and voyages of contemporary tra- vellers, of all nations, and in all parts of the globe.

Messrs. Guillaumin and Co., Paris, have published " L'Histoire Anec- dotique de la Fronde," by IL Augustin Challamel; " L'Economie Politique at In Justice," by M. Leon Wakes; and " Du Droit In- dustriel dans sex Rapports avec lea Principes du Droit Civil," by M. Renouard, Councillor at the Court of Cessation.

Dr. Rouyer's work, under the title " Etndes Medicales sur l'ancienne Rome," just published by Delahaye, Paris, contains descriptions of the mineral waters, the philters, cosmetics, and perfumes used by the Ro- mans, and a biographical list of Women known to have practised medicine at Rome.

The second and last volume of Baron de Bazaneourt's semi-official nar- rative of the Italian War, issued this week, contains, among other matter, a detailed description of the interview of the two Emperors at Villa- franca.

The last two numbers of the Revue "Ircheologiyue, a monthly periodical published by Didier and Co., Paris, contain a very interesting historical dissertation on "Lea Expeditions de Jules Cesar en Grande-Bretagne," from the pen of the distinguished savant, M. Silvestre de Smiley. The first volume of the Correspondence of the late Alexander von Humboldt with Varnhagen von Ense, has been published by Decker, Berlin and is creating a great sensation on account of the liberal, and sometimes even ultra-democratic, opinions expressed by the author of " Cosmos."

A German translation of the first volume of Mr. Buckle's "History of Civilization in England," by the well-known Professor Arnold Ruge, has appeared at Leipsic.

The third volume of Herr Brugsch's great work, "Geographical In- scriptions on Ancient Egyptian Monuments, collected by order of his Majesty Friedrich Wilhelm, during a scientific exploration of the coun- try, ' has been issued by Decker, Berlin. A work of some interest, from its bearing upon the present Italian complications, has been published at Milan, under the comprehensive title of " Dei Beni Ecelesiastici, del Dominic, Temporale, e della Nazionale Unite sotto il Re Vittorio Emanuele IL " ; it is dedicated to Count Cavour.

The first volume of an important contribution towards the modern history of Piedmont is about to be issued from the office of the Perm- veranza of Milan ; it is to contain a collection of the laws and official acts of the Government in 1859.

The third and last part of the Advocate Francesco de' Vincenti's " Regno d'Italia " has just been published at Milan; it treats of Napoleon the Great and Italy.

Mr. Elihu Rich has lately completed a work of considerable magni- tude. It is an Analytical Index in two bulky octavo volumes, or about 1400 closely printed pages to the Arcane Celestia of Swedenborg. Mr. Rich's task has consisted in the analysis and arrangement of a mass of abstract ideas, not simply as a book of reference, but in the order of in- struction. His work is still more remarkable as the produce of odd hours, snatched from other occupations at unseasonable times.