The Church Lessons Illustrated by Thoughts in Verse. By the
Rev. J. H. Wauklyn. Vols. L and II. (Bemrose and Sons.)—These two volumes are the first instalment of a work which is to be com- pleted in eight. The plan followed is to give a passage from some poet which shall touch on the chapter appointed to be read. The choice is not a very large one, at least if it is to be limited to poetry, even of the second class. The editor, who has spared no pains to fulfil his task satisfactorily, expresses a hope that none of the selections " fall below a fair standard of literary merit." Tbis, perhaps, is not pitching his hopes too high. We must own that there are several names which are not known to us, and one or two, Robert Montgomery, for instance, which one knows, but not favourably. The most celebrated writers in the volumes before us are J. G. Whittier, Keble, Isaac Williams, C. Wesley, Dr. Watts, F. R. Havergal, Mrs. Hemans, J. H. Newman, Thomas Moore, Praed, and Crabbe. We hope to have an opportunity of returning to the work when it is further advanced. Meanwhile we commend it to our readers as a novel, interesting, and, on the whole, well executed undertaking. The two volumes before us contain the Daily Morning Lessons from the Old Testament from January 1st up to June 28th. Days with special Lessons are omitted.
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