PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.
BOOKS.
Letters from Head-Quarters; or the Realities of the War in the Crimea. By an Officer on the Staff. In two volumes. With a Portrait of Lord Raglan, and Plans.
A History of the Irish Poor-law, in connexion with the Condition of the People. By Sir George Nicholls, K.C.B., late Poor-law Commissioner, and Secretary to the Poor-law Board. A History of the Scotch Poor-law, in connexion with the Condition of the People. By Sir George Nicholls, K.C.B. The Life and Correspondence of Major-General Sir John Malcolm, G.C.B., late Envoy to Persia, and Governor of Bombay; from unpublished Letters and Journals. By John William Kaye, Author of the " Life of Lord Met- calfe," &c. In two volumes.
Summer Experiences of Rome, Perugia, and Siena, in 1854; and Sketches of the Islands in the Bay of Naples. With Illustrations. By Mrs. Wcstropp. Under Green Leaves. By Charles Mackay, Author of " The Lump of Gold,"
&c.
Modern Manicheism, Labour's Utopia, and other Poems.
The Old Monastery. By the Author of " Clara." From the original, by Lady Wallace. In two volumes.
Edith Frankheart ; or the Baronet's Daughter. By Captain Curling, Author of " Nonpareil House," &c. In three volumes.
Agnes Hilbourne; or " Foy pour Deroir." By Mrs. Hubback, Authoress of " The Wife's Sister," tke. In two volumes.
Dramatic Scenes. With other Poems, now first printed. By Barry Cornwall.
• Illustrated.
Ladies of the Reformation : Memoirs of Distinguished Female Characters, be- longing to the period of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century. By the Reverend James Anderson, Author of " Ladies of the Covenant," &c. Illus- trated.
ne Lord of the Isles. By Sir Walter Scott. With all his Introductions, and the Editor's Notes. Illustrated.
The Course of Time: a Poem. By Robert Pollak, A.M. Illustrated edition.
77te Encyclopaylia Britannica. Eighth edition. Volume XII.—A Dissertation on Mathematical and Physical Science, principally from 1775 to 1850, accompanies this twelfth volume of the great " dictionary of arts, sciences, and general literature." The author is Professor Forbes ; and the dissertation—the sixth of the series—is supplied to subscribers gratis. The contents of the volume are beyond the average. In biography, we have Johnson, by Macaulay ; Jenner and the brothers Hunter, by Dr. Laycock ; Hume, by Mr. Rogers. In science, there is Hydrodynamics, by Brewster ; Ichthyology, by Sir John Richardson ; and Fossil, by Dr. Trail. The application of science to practical arts exhibits Interest. by M'Culloch ; Iron Bridges, by Stephenson ; Iron, by Fairbairn ; Irriga- tion, by Caird ; Joinery, by Tredgold ; and Fire, Life, and Marine In- surances, by three scientific and practical men. Among the more mis- cellaneous subjects, we may mention Hunting, by Nimrod ; Hungary, by Emeric Szabad ; the Iowan Islands, by Mr. Blair ; and Ireland, by the Reverend E. Groves for its history, and Henry Senior for its statis- tics.
England and Russia Natural Allies. By Edward Monerief—The causes which render an alliance between England and Russia part of the nature of things, form a small portion of Mr. Moncrief's volume. Nei- ther do they amount to much : in fact, economically, nature would ra- ther be against the connexion, if it be true, as the author affirms, that Russia sells her wheat at a loss ; that is, she would get more if she fed manufacturers at home than she does by exchanging it for goods. The larger part of England and Russia consists of the merest elements of politics and political economy, remarks on Socialism and Communism, with discoveries of the author's own. Among these last, arc the neces- sity of " servitude " to a great and prosperous state. America has it in her Black slavery, Russia in her serfdom, England in the people of In- dia. Mr. Moncrief has also found out that Washington was wrong in not making himself a king : but he possessed "that sort of starched prudery which prevents statesmen from doing good lest it should appear that they were also benefiting themselves by it."
The Rise and Progress of Australia, Tasmania, and Nets Zealand. By an Englishman, Author of " Commercial before Military Glory," &c.— This book professes to be a species of Colonial Annual, and to have reached the "fifth thousand." It contains some geographical or topo- graphical descriptions of the different colonies mentioned in the title, apparently quoted for the most part from other works, and a good many statistics in the form of returns. A kind of directory is appended to the volume. The original observations on the state of society that accom- pany the more statistical expositions deal less in facts than opinions, and are very unfavourable to Tasmania, New South Wales, and Victoria ; even the climate comes in for depreciation. A better account is given of New Zealand. South and Western Australia are not touched upon in any way.
The English of Shakespeare illustrated in a Philological Commentary on his Julius Cesar. By George L. Craik, Professor of History and of Eng- lish Literature in Queen's College, Belfast, &c.—This illustration of Shakspere's English refers to the use of words, phrases, and con- structions, now obsolete, or not used in the modern sense, rather than to the poet's mastery of the language and influence upon it. The book con- tains a good deal of other matter, and it may be said to form a repository of Mr. Craik's ideas upon Shakspere. There is a summary exhibition of all the editions of single plays or the collected works up to the close of the seventeenth century, with an account of the mode of printing them, and an estimate of their probable value as authorities for the text. An equally succinct view is taken of the professed editors from Rowe to our own day, and of course Collier's manuscript annotations. Be- sides some other discussions in connexion with Shakspere, the text of Julius Caesar is exhibited in a peculiar way ; every speech is numbered for facility of reference.
Clover Cottage ; or I can't get in : a Novelette. By the Author of " The Falcon Family," &c.—A subject perhaps better adapted for a stage interlude than a tale. "I can't get in" refers to Clover Cottage, a &arming little place left to Mr. Windfall, a retiring middle-aged gentleman, but occupied by Mrs. Wily, a widow, who is in no hurry to leave the cottage. To recover possession is the action of the "Novelette " ; and the denouement may be imagined. The piece is written in a lively manner, but the matter is very slight, almost flimsy ; and the dialogue sometimes approaches what the players call " gaggery."
Mark 11 obis ; or the Button _Necklace : a Home Mission Story. By the Author of " Fernfoot," &c.—An unlikely story, of two children de- serted in the streets of London, separated by accident, brought up by philanthropy, and both meeting in after years in respectable positions, the one as a Scottish preacher, the other as a governess. The "Home Mission" is a means of bringing up one of the children ; the " button necklace" serves as an evidence of identity.
Round the Fire. Six Stories, by the Author of "The Day of a Baby Bob-," &c.—Critically speaking, the mature mind may be occasionally visible in these little tales, supposed to be told by children ; but that critical flaw will doubtless escape the young eyes for whom they are de- signed. Round the Fire is a nice little book, well adapted for a juvenile present.
Minutes of Proceedings in Parliament respecting Public and Private Bills, 0. Edited by James Biggs.—A list of the public and private bills passed, rejected, withdrawn, or dropped, during the last session ; with notes indicative of their nature, scope, or object. There is also a reference to Committees and other Parliamentary business, with com- mentary of a general kind relating to particular acts or the disgraceful state of our legislation. The bills are arranged in three lists—from the opening to Easter, from Easter to Whitsuntide, from Whitsuntide to the close of the session. From the passing nature of some of the remarks, the "Minutes" would seem to have been published periodically.
Dialogues on Divine Providence. By a Fellow of a College.—To speak shortly, these dialogues discuss the question of what is called by many " special providence' ; the main point being, Are the ideas of God work- ing by general laws, and by direct interference, inconsistent ? The ori- ginal plan pointed to a sermon ; and perhaps the form of direct argument would have been the best. The dialogues are very well written, but the dramatic character and the conversational digressions impede and encum- ber.
The Golden A, B, .C.—A revival of art applied to the alphabet, and to religion. The oblong volume consists of a series of texts, each text beginning with the successive letters of the alphabet. These letters are elaborate initials, illustrating the subject of the texts by figures contained in frames surrounded by appmpriste ornaments. The Shilling Latin Grammar. By Edward Walford, MA.—The ob- ject of the author has been " to compile a more simple grammar of the Latin language than he believes has as yet appeared in England." The basis is the Charterhouso Grammar, not the Eton; and there is a good deal for a shilling, from the alphabet to prosody.
Harry Hawkins's H. Book.—A series of juvenile lessons or exercises on the aspiration and non-aspiration of the letter H. The thing is rather overdone. Without great care on the part of the teachers, to ire will be the old danger of Scylla and Charybdis ; after all, it is by the teacher's watchfulness, not by books, that a proper pronunciation is acquired.
The principal reprint of the week is Mr. liacilwain's racy Life of John Abernathy, with the exposition of his surgical principles, and some notices of his discoveries and principal works. Besides revision and ex- tension, this third edition is enlarged with additional matter from family and friendly sources, including the manly and earnest letter which Abernethy wrote to explain what he meant by his verbal proposals to the lady he married. He was naturally shy, and courting was a novelty. Mr. Bohn steadily continues his reprints of valuable books. The sixth volume of De Foe's Works is the first we have seen of the series. The commencement of the new edition of Foster's Essays was noted some short time since.
Memoirs of John Abernethy; with a View of his Lectures, his Writings, and Character: with additional Extracts from original Documents now first pub- lished. By George Macilwain, F.R.C.S., Author of " Medicine and Surgery one Inductive Science," &c. Third edition.
The Stomach audits Difficulties. By Sir James Eyre, M.D., Author of " Prac- tical Remarks on some Exhausting Diseases." Second edition.
A Compendium of Domestic Medicine, and Companion to the Medicine-chest. By John Savory, Member of the Society of Apothecaries, London. Fifth edi- tion.
The Novels and Miscellaneous Works of Daniel Ile Foe. Life and Adventures of Duncan Campbell. New Voyage Round the World. Political Tracts re- lating to the Ilanoverian Succession. (Bohn's British Classics. De Foe's Works, yolume VI.) . Critical Essays contributed to the Eclectic Review. By John Foster, Author of "Essays on Decision of Character," &c. Edited by J. E. Ryland, M.A. Volume II. (Bohn's Standard Library.) Hope Campbell ; or Know Thyself. By Catherine D. Bell, Author of " Cousin Kate's Story, or Set about it at Once," &c. Third edition.
Real Happiness; or The Philanthropist. By Prothesia S. Elton, Author of " The Piedmontese Envoy," &c.
MAP.
Geological Map of England and Wales, (with all the Railways,) according to the most recent Researches. By Sir Roderick I. Murchison, D.C.L., &c., Direc- tor-General of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and Ireland. Third edition, 1856. (First edition published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, 1842.)