25 OCTOBER 1879, Page 21

Samuel Mown as an. Essayist. By B. L. Eisontraut. (C,

Kirchner, Nordhausen.)—It is pleasant to find Samuel Johnson, a man whose moral and literary greatness has not always been ap- preciated by his countrymen, estimated with uncommon judgment and skill by a foreign critic. Dr. Eisentraut's essay is one which may well be commended to English readers, who are too often ignor- ant of the subject with which it deals. How many, we wonder, of those who may read this notice have even looked into the Rainb/cr How many are even aware of the existence of such a volume as the Adventurer, to which Johnson has made no inconsiderable contribu- dons ! Tho au thor has studied his subject with the thoroughness charac- teristic of his nation. His English is good, on the whole, though it might have been improved by the revision of some one accustomed to speak the langtmge. "Henceforth, it seemed. almost impossible to write something adequate, or own superior, to the genial power and correctness Of style exhibited in those papers," would certainly have " anything'' for "something," and

been improved by substituting

." those " for 'those," and by transposing the words " superior " and '" adequate."