PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Avrnoron the publishers, let us hope, have been keeping a "merry Christmas," they have got over their labours in that direction sufficiently to begin a busy "new year." Mr. Van Voorst opens the ball with one of Dr. Latham's profound and comprehensive works on the human race. The two volumes of his "Descriptive Ethnology" form in reality a survey of mankind in the old world, transposing a little the old order, and saying, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Mr. Sainsbury has been labouring in the State Paper Office, and, as Messrs. Bradbury and Evans show us, not in vain. Among public despatches the inquirer has found what may be termed private letters, relating to the negotiations of ambassadors and great men with Rubens, touching pictures, prices, and cognate matters. S.° far as we can judge from a brief inspection, the volume will, among other things, throw a light on the introduction of many of the great ar- tist's works into this country, as well as on his connection with the English court. The "Unprotected Females," who, however, were pretty well able to protect themselves in Norway, have had recourse to Messrs. Rontledge to :bring into the world "Sicily and Calabria," including an ascent of Mount Etna. Messrs. Chapman and Hall send forth what may '.13e called Victoria compared in 1853 and 1858 by Mr. Kelly ; and Mr. Bentley, the long-announced Journal of Mrs. Elliott, kept during the French Revolution.

As usual, there is no lack of activity in the article of prose fiction. Besides Dr. Dasent's "Popular Tales from the Norse," Messrs. Black- wood have reprinted from Blackwood the Colonial Minister's, "What Will He Do With It ?" An advertisement, however, instructs us that Sir Bulwer Lytton has not neglected his duties to scribble novels : "he left no calling for this idle trade," unless indeed it be that of M.P., but who does not leave that for something or anything? "The entire manuscript ready for the press, was in their [the publisher's] possession at the close of last January." Two lesser affairs from Messrs. Longman and Mr. Bentley close the list for New Year's Day.

Boons.

Descriptive Ethnology. By B. G. Latham, MA., M.D., F.B.S., late Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, Ste. Volume 1. Eastern and Northern Asia— Europe. Volume II. Europe, Africa, India.

Original Unpublished Papers Illustrative of the Life of Sir Peter Paul Rubens, as an Artist and Diplomatist. Preserved in ii. hi. State-Paper Office. With an Appendix of Documents respecting the Arundelian Collection ; the Earl of Somerset's Collection ; the Great Mantuan Collection ; the Duke of Buck- ingham, Sc., Sc. Collected and Edited by W. Nal Sainsbury, of IL M. State-Paper Office.

Unprotected Females in Sicily, Calabria, and on the top of Mount AYna. With Coloured Illustrations.

Life in Victoria, or Victoria in 1855, and Victoria in 1858; showing the March of Improvement made by the Colony within those periods in Town and Coun- try, Cities and Diggings. By William Kelly, Esq., Author of "Across the Rocky Mountains, Great Salt Lake Valley, and Great Sierra Nevada." In two volumes.

Journal of my Life during the French Revolution. By Grace Dalrymple El- liott.

What Will He Do With It? By Pisistratus Caxton, Author of My Novel," Sc. In four volumes.

Popular Tales from the Norse. By George Webbe Dasent. D.C.L. With all Introductory Essay on the Origin and Diffusion of Popular Tales.

Mildred Norman the Nazarene. By a Working Man.

Frederick the Great and his Merchant. From the German, by Lady Wallace. In two volumes.

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. A Romaunt, by Lord Byron. Illus- trated from original sketches.—We have had numbers of Christmas books ; but here is the "New Year's Gift." More costly works may be met ; but such a combination of taste, richness, typographical effect, and interest in illustration, will be very difficult to match. The binding; is resplendent in green and gold ; nearly eighty gems of wood engraving illustrate the poem, as -well in its personal allusions, as the leading scenes through which the pilgrim passes. And these illustrations are not of a general kind ; but particular portraits, as it were, whether of persons, edifices, ruins, or landscapes, haying in themselves a rare value merely as sketches, which is increased by their connection with the text. Some seem old friends, as Prout's well.known Bridge of Sighs ; others, it strikes us, are new ; and several by men whom mere money temptation would scarcely perhaps have enlisted in any common illustration, as Sir Charles Fellows ; nor has the photograph been unused. The whole is a bibliopolic gem, utterly unproducible even a comparatively few years since and which bad it appeared in a less "intelligent" age would have doomed its publisher to the fate of Dr. Faustus.

Introductory _Lessons on Mind. By the Author of "Lessons on Rea- soning."—Intended as a sequel to the Archbishop of Dublin's previous little books on morals and logic, forming, in fact, a popular introduction to metaphysics, with a larger meaning attached to the term than some modern metaphysicians give to it. And a very popular introduction it is; instructive, clear, and even interesting. Olearness, however, is its great distinction; not the mere clearness of style, though that is pellucid enough ; but a clearness of arrangement, order, thought, and mastery which renders it a very remarkable little book of its kind. Of course a popular exposition of the philosophy of mind does not admit of much originality, but there is a frequent originality of idea, as well as shrewd- ness of perception. Here is an example from a note. "It is a curious circumstance that the generality of mankind are decided Materialists, though without knowing it. If, indeed, you ask any persons whether they hold the Soul to be mate; ial, most of them will answer "No" : and many would probably give the same answer if you asked them whether it is a substance. For, by • material,' or 'substantial,' the common people understand something tangible. But they believe in the appearing of Ghosts; (or Spirits, 'Ghost' being only the old word for spirit), as we read that the Disciples of the Lord Jesus did, when they saw Him walking on the water, and again, after his resurrection : or at least, they believe that such an appearance is conceivable, and that to speak of a spirit's appearing would not imply anything absurd and contradictory. Now, whatever occupies space, and has a certain magnitude, and form, and colour (which is supposed to be the case with these apparitions), must be something material, however thin, and insensible to the touch. It would be a manifest absur- dity to talk of a wish, or a sentiment, or an opinion (or, in short, anything that is not material), being tall or short, blue, red, or white, round or square, or of seeing it with your eyes. And to talk of seeing a Spirit would be no less absurd, supposing a Spirit to be immaterial."

Hints for the Table, with a few Words on Wines.—This heck is one of hints on eatables, eating, wines, and table attractions in general,

rather than instructions in cookery. It is true that " Hints " will be met with as to when you should lookfor certain articles, where you should get them, how you should test them, how you should cook them ; but it is by no means a complete treatise on cookery. It is rather the spirit of the whok subject unmingled with its grosser parts. One might imagine Mr. Hayward himself had set to work to extract and apply the elements of chemistry, dietetics, digestion, distillery, fermentation, dinner-table demeanour, and talk, in his pleasantly aneedotical manner. And by the by he, with other writers of a similar turn of taste, is made to contribute by well-selected extracts. Hints for the Table is an olla podrida of the table and matters to be put upon it, as well as persons to sit round it.

Le .Magaeits De Librairie. Publie par Charpentier, Editeur, avec le concours des Principaux Ecrivains.—Where will cheapness stop ? and we do not mean by cheapness low priced indifferent books indifferently got up, but copyright works well printed. We thought Longmans, Murray, and other English publishers had gone as far in this way as possible; but " Chargentier, 28, Quai de rEcole," outdoes the Lon- doners. The " Msgasin de Librairie " is to give 160 octavo pages well printed on good paper, for a franc—that is in Paris. The first number has variety enough ; a petite comedic by Alfred de Musset, a continuation of Saint-Marc Girardin's Cours de Litt6rature Dmmatique • the unedited Memoirs of the Baron de Breteuil, introducer of Ambassadors at the Court of Louis the Fourteenth ; and the commencement of a curious subject, " Histoire de la Littemture pendant in Revolution," par M. Geruzez.

Two now translations of Scripture are before us, but both as it were continuations of undertakings already noticed. The Revised Version of the Book of Job under the superintendence of the American Bible Union* is completed. This Union consists, we believe, of eminent scholars both in Europe and America, and the plan is to translate word for word as far as possible to give the sense of the author in his own manner, and to preserve the general characteristics and costume of the original. These principles seem to us faithfully carried out, with par- ticular improvements not only as to verbal meaning but also as to reli- gious propriety and poetical force ; though the general effect is rather modern. When we consider the attention the translation of the Scrip- tures is exciting, The Book of Job may be recommended as a useful aid. The volume contains three texts in juxtaposition, namely, the original Hebrew, the authorized English version, and the new transla- tion. The text is illustrated by copious notes.

The success which has attended the labours of the "Five Clergymen," in translating, or as they modestly term it comparing, St. John's Gospel, and St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, both of which have reached a second edition, has encouraged them to proceed with their undertaking. They now present to the world as a further instalment "St. Paul's Epistles-to the Corinthians." This is not a place for verbal criticism or minute doctrinal discussions ; but we may say that the present seem to us the best translation we have met with, giving an impression of greater accuracy as regards parts, without so much changing the venerable air of the whole as is often done. As a, specimen of slight verbal alteration, not unimportant however, we may Instance, "For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness" changed in the new translation to "them that are perishing." For an example on a larger scale the passage on marriage in the seventh chapter of the First Epistle may be pointed to.

The Book of Job. The common English version, the Hebrew Text, and the

Revised Version. With an Introduction and Critical and Philological Notes

by F. J, Conant, Professor of Hebrew in Rochester Theological Seminary. The _Epistles of St. Paul to the Corinthians, after the authorised version.

• Newly compared with the Original Greek and Revised. By Five Clergymen.

The year opens with plenty of poesy : half a dozen publications in verse are before usincluding two volumes of translations; namely six books of the Iliad 1; i

y• Mr. Ichabod Wright, and the Inferno of Dante by Mr. Bruce Whyte. With the pressure of Parliament, and the various demands of a London season ahead, it is uncertain whether we may be able to give to these productions an attention which the first four in the following list, at all events, are entitled to Claim, though less for their poetical merits, than for critical peculiarities, or artistic mistakes. It will therefore be best to convey some idea of them at once.

It seems too often forgotten by poetical translators that to have a poem we must have a poet; yet persons who might shrink from under- taking an original epic, or other elevated work, have no scruple in at- tempting a translation ; though so far as execution, apart from sentiment and matter are concerned, it is the more difficult task. Mr. Ichabod Wright in the preface to "The Iliad of Homer," admits the surpassing poetical attraction of Pope ; but he says what every one has said since Pope's Homer was first published ; that it is not truly Homeric. The unconscious art, the glowing warmth, the flowing vigour of the blind old bard, Mr. Wright may not pretend to, but he aims at the nature and simplicity. How far he has attained it a few lines will show ; and we take them from the opening as being, probably, the easiest compared from memory with Pope's.

"The wrath of Peleus' eon, G Geddes& sing— Achilles' baneful wrath—which to the Greeks Brought woes unnumbered, and, to Hades' depths, Hurrying the souls of many valiant chiefs, Their bodies left a prey to dogs and birds.',

If these lines be compared with the correspondent passage in Pope, the reader will see that he gains nothing in point of imagery or ideas while he will miss the spirit of the poetry and the harmony of the versification. Arad as Johnson said upon Cowley's Pindaric attempts, "all readers will determine, that if this be the old [Homeric j stain, it is not worthy of revival." The interest of the story, however, is well preserved by Mr. Wright, though there is sometimes an abruptness arising from the endeavour to render the original literally, without regard to the differ- ences of language, manners, and three thousand years.

Mr. Bruce's "Free Translation of the Inferno' of Dante" possesses the same features as Mr. Wright's Iliad. The reader who wants the story gets it, with an idea, more or less close, of the sentiments and images ; but the poetry with much of the very peculiar character of the

Spectator, for l86, page 569.

poet evaporates. What is left of the latter rather indicates his harsher than his lofty qualities.

The Reverend H. C. Adams's, Twelve Foundations, is a series of poems on leading incidents in the lives of the twelve Apostles, with indicative touches on features in their character, or morals deduced from their ca- reer. These are followed by "other poems" mostly on religious themes. As respects animation, the externals of poetry, and a spirit, which if not exactly poetical is so nearly like it that few will perceive the diffeeence, we think this volume the best of the whole list. We do not know that the author has quite hit the truth touching novelty in the following lines ; but he is very near it, if he mean mere repetition in matter and manner, instead of a reflection of the age in its wants, its thoughts, and language. He has not untruly described himself in the first two lines. Though high his theme, though pure his strain, Breathing the lovely, and the true ;- The bard his laurel scarce shall gain, Whose lay is sweet but is not new.

The "first hundred" of Songs by a Song Writer, is rather a threaten- ing affair. Mr. W. C. Bennett is a lover of lyrics; he has an extensive library of song books by writers of all nations ; and he has written no less than four hundred pieces; of which the present volume is an experi- mental selection. Speaking shortly, we should say that Mr. Bennett, though not devoid of poetical feeling and skill in versification, has no particular call to song writing. Many of his pieces are less lyrics than occasional poems. Sometimes we trace an imitation of foreign songsters, his efforts attaining the chanson as much as the English song. Some of the songs proper are pretty ; part of the contents we seem to have mot before. Surely the little domestic poem "Baby's Shoes" has appeared already.

The Harvest .Day, by Mr. Thomas Francis, is a descriptive poem of the old school. It is in blank verse, of a pleasing character, but tame. A variety of miscellaneous pieces follow the principal poem, and re- semble it in deficiency of power. The ode to Montalembert by A. G. B., consists of true and sensible thoughts, put into agreeable verse ; but the ode wants lyrical fire, vigour, and force.

The Iliad of Homer, translated into blank verse. By Ichabod Charles Wright,

31...4. Translator of Dante. Books I. to VI.

A froe'translation in verse of the " Inferno" of Dante, with a Preliminary

Discourse and Notes. By Bruce Whyte, Advocate, Author of " A Elston of the Romance Tongues and their Literature."

The Twelve Foundations, and other Poems. By the Rev. II. C. Adams, late

Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford ; Author of "Simi the Sleeper."

Songs by a Song- Writer. First hundred. By W. C. Bennett. The Harvest Day, and other Poems. By Thomas Francis. _ Montalembert ; an Ode. By A. G. B.

NEW ALMANACK.

The Photographic Altnanaek for 1859. The nature of this new alma- neck is sufficiently indicated by its title ; its contents promise well for success. The calendar marks the meetings of photographic societies, and the miscellaneous part bears fully, though by no means exclusively, on the art. The sections devoted in general to various subjects are in "The Photographic" limited to photography. We have its " Annals " for the past year ; from which it appears that nothing has been dial' covered at once radically new and practically available. This is fol- lowed by an historical sketch of sun-drawing, from the discovery of the camera obscura to this time. The subject is grasped and displayed in its principles, rather than told in its details. Under the head of Improved Processes," there is almost a treatise on the practice of the art, for those who have mastered those elementary processes which precept can hardly teach, and there are other topics of photographic interest.