CURRENT LITERATURE.
The Annual Register/or 1883 (Rivington) contains its usual items, "English History" extending to 209 pages, and "Foreign History" occupying a space not much less. A "Chronicle of Events" fills somewhat more than fifty pages. From the "Retrospect of Litera- ture," fiction (which exceeds in bulk everything but theology), and contributions to classical scholarship, are conspicuously absent. It can scarcely be coincidence that out of eight works Oil theology which are noticed, seven belong to the publishers of the Register. Of the seven, two only, " Rosmini's Five Wounds of the Church," and " Morley's Lectures," can be considered to merit the pre-eminence accorded to them. It is nothing less than culpable that such valuable works as those published by Messrs. Clark, of Edinburgh, are passed over wholly without notice. Whether this is due to the odium theologicum of the editor, to motives which may be called commercial, or to sheer ignorance, the fact reflects discredit on all concerned. But what are we to say when one of the few passages selected for quotation from the books -noticed runs thus :—" Happily for the Reformation, Archbishop Cranmer was not a Presbyterian by birth and country, and so was not so distinctly a foe to the Church of Eng- land, as some of her later rulers have been "? This quotation, to give • the editor's own words, "will give a fair specimen of Dr. Blunt's manner of treating his subject," a specimen also, we presume, of what the editor approves. And this is found in a volume which issues from the press of a prominent Church publisher ! We trust that Messrs. Rivington will have the grace to disavow their sympathy with an attack on which they have unhappily twice put their imprimatur. The other contents of the volume are "Retrospects of Art and Science," and an "Obituary." -
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