Messrs. Sam and WEBSTER have added to their "English Classic
Library" an abridgment of Robertson's History of Charts' the Fifth. The introduction, containing the historian's eloquent and luminous view of the Progress of Society in Europe, is pre- served nearly entire ; the chapters relating to LUTHER and the Reformation in Germany have been given fully ; the remainder has been abridged nearly one half, in order to comprise the whole in a single pocket volume. We are not very friendly to this cur- tailment of authors; but as, according to the proverb, half a loaf is better than none, it is probable that this edition will be advan- tageous to those "who have neither the means to procure nor the time to read the more expensive and voluminous work," for which class it has been got up. So far as we have examined, the abridgment appears to have been done with care and in a work- manlike manner ; it is certainly very readable.
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