PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED, From August 9th to August 15th. BOOKS.

Eothen, or Traces of Travel Brought Home from the East. Christian Faith and Practice. Parochial Sermons, by the Reverend J. GARRETT, Prebendary of Chichester, and Professor of Poetry in the University of Oxford. Volume II.

Poems. By ELIZABETH BARRETT BARRETT, Author of " The Se- raphim," &c. In two volumes.

Memoirs of Eminent Englishwomen. By LOUISA STUART COSTELLO, Author of " Specimens of the Early Poetry of France," &c. Volumes III. and IV.

The Claims of Labour ; an Essay on the Duties of the Employers to the Employe& [This is a volume of grave commonplace, such as a college student might write far a prize-theme on the Duties of the Employers to the Employed, espe- cially if furnished with some of the Reports on the Condition of the Poor, and a few of the generalities which Young England has made it the fashion to produce upon the subject. The sum of The Claims of Labour seems to be something like a set of truisms—The employed have claims, the employers have duties which they ought to discharge ; they should all exhibit care and con- sideration for their people ; millowners should ventilate their factories and establish schools ; they should attend to the lodgings of their workpeople; in which good work they should be assisted by the world at large, according to their means and opportunities; and in short, every one above the employed should " do their duty in that state of life unto which it bath pleased God to call them." These general principles are expanded at considerable length, and set off with a variety of maxims ; of which we quote a sample or two.

" One thing is certain, that it (Government) may do great good, if it would but look out for men of ability to fill the offices at present in its gift."

"There is nothing which a wise employer will have more at heart than to gain the confidence of those under him."

" While we are talking of the mill, it may be well to observe, that the system of piece-work, when it is done by a man with children under him, is likely to be made too severe work for them."

The book is dedicated to Mr. TAYLOR, the author of The Statesman ; upon which work this essay appears to have been modelled. The manner, indeed, is the best thing about it, though not exactly fitted to the subject. The author appears to have carefully studied our best old prose writers, till he has caught something of their air. This gives him an appearance of weight that he does not in reality possess ; and it is very probable that persons will receive his really common suggestions, animated as they are by a kindly spirit, as if they were important discoveries.]

Henri De Clermont, or the Royalists of La Vendee - a Tale of the French Revolution. By the Reverend WILLIAM GRESLEY, M.A., Prebendary of Lichfield. (The Juvenile Englishman's Library.)

[A juvenile tale, in which the characteristic events of the first Vendean war, with some of the more striking horrors of the Revolution, are embodied. The materials are in a great measure derived from the history of Madame DE LA ROCHE JACQUELIN; and the character of her namesake is shadowed forth in Henri De Clermont, the hero of the fiction, except that the end is happy. An additional story is added upon the riots of 1842 in our manufac- turing districts : but this is somewhat tainted by the same sort of spirit that used to inculcate content with poverty, in tracts for distribution among the poor. No good purpose can be answered by attempting to escape from the fact of great and grievous misery, quite apart from the conduct of the sufferers, existing in English society.]

Tales of the Camp and Cabinet. By Colonel JOHN MONTMORENCY TUCKER. In two volumes.

[A number of half-pay officers of various countries, resident at Nice, form a club for conversation and story-telling, each member in turn to be called upon for a tale; and the stories they tell form the Tales of the Camp and Cabinet before us. The general scheme of the framework, though not peculiarly new, has the advantage of permitting great variety. To this praise the work is en- titled; and the shortness and number of the tales and incidents form an agree- able mélange of romance and reality: but the book has not weight or character to require any lengthened notice.]

Theory of the Fine Arts ; an Introductory Lecture delivered in the Classical Theatre of King's College, London, 24th May 1844. By WILLIAM DICE, M.A., Professor of the Theory of the Fine Arts to the College.

[This is not so much an " introductory lecture," as an apology for the non- delivery of an expected course of lectures, and an intimation of the arrange- ment that the Professor intends to adopt in those that are promised. Mr. Dreg, taking as the basis of his plan M. Ilsout. ROCHETTE'S division of the arts of design into three great systems—the Egyptian, Pagan-Greek, and Christian—intends to commence with the history of Christian art, which he subdivides into five epochs; and the first of these epochs will form the subject of his forthcoming lectures. 'We question the expediency of taking so limited and fragmentary a view of the fine arts as the scheme indicates, especially in an institution where com- prehensive and elementary information on this branch of knowledge would be most desirable.]

The Order of die Administration of the Holy Communion, according to the use of the Church in Scotland. [A handsome imitation of the olden typography, now become fashionable. The employment of the ancient Gregorian note and the staff of four lines, in the sentences and responses, is in keeping with the typography, and gives a ve- nerable air to the whole : its practical utility, however, is questionable, espe- cially to a congregation, as few even of practised musicians readily decipher this obsolete notation. Where canto fermo of this kind is adopted in con- gregations, some school of chanting is, we believe, generally attached ; and it is a most necessary precaution.] School-books of the Scottish School-book Association.

[What particular powers, either delegated or self-imposed, the Scottish School- book Association may possess, we do not know neither are we acquainted with the constitution of the body, or the names of'the persons who compose it. A prospectus, which accompanies a batch of publications under the above title, tells us, that " the Scottish School-book Association has for its object to pro- mote the great cause of education; and this, so far as their efforts are con- cerned, can only be done by improving school-books, and by investigating and propounding the best modes of tuition." Besides sheets for simultaneous teaching, some twenty publications of various dates and various sizes have accompanied the prospectus; the subjects being reducible to the following heads-

1. Reading and Grammar ; 2. Arithmetic; 3. Geography 4. Natural Philosophy. 1. Beading and Grammar. The publications we have classed under this

head consist of one grammar, that seems to be a revised and condensed edition of some former work ; six progressive reading-books, beginning with words of one syllable in No. 1, and ending. in No. 6 with the usual classified recueil, resembling the old "Reader "; a tiny introduction to the above reading-books, containing the alphabet and a few easy lessons on words of one syllable only; thirty "sheets," embracing the same objects as the early reading- books,—that is, teaching the forms of the letters, their various sounds or modes of pronun- ciation, as a in cane, can, car, cast, wall, was, and at the same time exercising the pupil on easy reading-lessons; a sequel to No. 3, illustrating pronunciation by classified lists of words, to be read daily in conjunction with the more ad- vanced reading-lessons ; and a separate reprint of vocabularies of hard words and English derivatives from Greek and Latin roots, extracted from the later Readers.

The principle on which all these books are compiled is that of order and pro- gression. After the exhibition of the alphabet, the lessons begin on what the Association calls "name-sounds,"—meaning the alphabetical sound of the vowels, as he, me, no, go; and then gradually proceeding through all their varieties of pronunciation. They also claim merit for attending more to utility in selecting words of every-day use, and in paying more regard to sense in arranging their words into lessons. Perhaps they are entitled to this praise over many other books; but their object is not easy of accomplishment with so much limitation as is enforced by words of one syllable and a particular sound of the vowels. These early lessons may be used in two modes ; the usual way of spelling, as c-a-n "can," or, which the Association recommends, the power of the letters only, as k-an for "can." The cheapness of all this series of books is remarkable.

2. Arithmetic. This class of publications consists of two books, the second

of which is designed as a sequel to the first; nor could the second perhaps be readily used without some previous knowledge, acquired either from a book or from oral information. The introduction or first book goes as far as Fractions and Decimals, with a sort of sequel to exercise the pupil in mental calculation, or the habit of working questions in the head without the use of paper or pencil. The complete system, or second book, contains the Square and Cube Root, Exchange, &c., as well as Geometry and Mensuration. The definitions are plainer than is often the case; the exercises ample, and neatly presented: but the books require some judgment in their use during the early stages, as regards the drudgery of getting by heart the various tables prefixed to the exercises. Indeed, we have some doubt whether committing many of them to memory might not be dispensed with. A " key" on a card is printed for masters.

3. Geography. The books on this subject are three in number, with an at-

las; without which, indeed, the two first books seem to us to be quite useless; the tendency to the defect of subjecting the pupil to too much of dry drudgery, which we noted in the arithmetic, being here fully developed. The Young Child's Geography is a mere list of places ; and unless great skill be used by the teacher in supplying deficiencies and using the book in conjunction with maps, it will turn out a waste of time and a trial of patience, or, in the lan- guage of the Association, speaking of some rival first reading-book—" This is not trilling with a child's time, patience, and ability ; it is positive murder of all the three." The second book is open to the same objection; but it contains some notes descriptive of the leading traits of the places mentioned. These attempts at making children familiar with all the names in the world are sure to fail, from their vastness. There are but two modes of usefully teaching geo- graphy,—the simple or natural plan, advocated in a little book we noted a short time since, of impressing the leading features of land and water by pointing them out on a small scale in nature ; or a familiar explanation of the principles of the subject, as is done by Professor SULLIVAN in his Geography Generalized. It is very doubtful, however, whether geography can be usefully taught to the mass of young children. Peculiar aptitude both in teacher and pupil may, no doubt, accomplish something ; but such 'cases are exceptions.

4. Natural Philosophy consists of two tracts, separately published but conse- cutively paged, one introductory to the subject in general, the other embracing Motion. Of course they are compilations, and upon topics that have been often handled in the cheap literature of the day ; but they are very ably done, and are, as regards execution, among the most meritorious of the series. The illus- trative facts are well selected, and interesting in themselves ; while the style in which they are presented is close and clear.]

SERIALS.

An Elementary Grammar of the German Language, founded on Dt. Becker's System. By HEINRICH APEL. Nos. L and II.

[This is, properly speaking, an enlarged edition of the author's " Practical Introduction to the Study of the German Language." It avoids the excessive

Condensation which perhaps rendered that work a little obscure; and is, as far as we are able to judge from two numbers of a book which is to extend to fifteen or twenty, in every other respect worthy of Mr. APEL'S previous repu- tation.] Feats on the Fiord. By Miss MARTINEA.E. (Knight's Weekly Volume.) Lives of the English Saints, No. V.—Saint Wulstan and Saint William.

ILLUSTRATED WORKS AND PRINTS.

. A Series of Illustrations to Sintram and his Companions ; an Allegori- cal Romance, by the late Baron DE LA MOTTE FOUQUE. Drawn on wood by HENRY C. SELOVS, and engraved by CHARLES GRAY. These designs are not so graphic as the descriptions they illustrate : on look- ing at them after reading the text, the impression they make is feeble and un- satisfactory. Mr. SELOUS is a neat and facile draughtsman, and has a sense of the picturesque in grouping; to which, however, he is apt to sacrifice the dra- matic character of the incident. In the management of chiaroscuro he is defi- cient; nor is he successful in individualizing the persons of the story. The arabeslue borders in the German taste are fanciful and elegant; though their effect is sometimes injured by the figures of the design enclosed obtruding be- yond the framework. The execution of the cuts is elaborate and painstaking,— for we do not consider the engraver answerable for the want of variety of tex- ture, the heaviness of fluttering draperies, and a general absence of brilliancy and effect: but the cutting of the faces and extremities of the limbs evinces imperfect knowledge of drawing on the part of the engraver.]

The Pictorial Guide to Gravesend.

[Like its predecessor Guide to Greenwich, this publication forms a neat, pretty, and pleasant Pictorial Guide to Gravesend ; the pictures being some- thing more than mere wood-cuts thrust in for the " look of the thing." The Guide professes to be the result of actual observation made within the last two months; and there is some information in it that will be new even to the habitués of the place. The specific directions of the mere Guide-book are, however, occasionally sacrificed to the style ; and we suspect that the two forthcoming little books on Cobham and Rochester are necessary to fully com- plete Gravesend. One work is insufficient for such a theme ; it requires a trilogy.]