The North American Review. January, 1863. (Boston, Mass.)—This number of
the leading literary review of America gives no sign what- ever of the convulsions which are agitating the country of its birth. It discusses glacier theories, Count Cavour, the present state of scholar- ship, and other equally innocent subjects, as tranquilly as if such a thing as a Confederate soldier had never been heard of. Its contents appear to us to suggest the impres'sion that, in respect to literary activity, the Americans do not go ahead of the old country to any alarming degree. Almost all the English books reviewed in the present number are at least two or three years old ; and there is actually a long article on Dr. Mackay's " Popular Delusions," a work which is by no means rare, and the latest edition of which appeared in 1856. Bishop Colenso's book, which has already been naturalized by Messrs. Appleton, is disposed of in a short notice as "a much less important book than we had supposed it to be." We may, perhaps, hope to see a review of it in about five years' time.
Previous page
