Sketches of Celibate Worthies. By James Copner, M.A. (London Literary
Society.)—Mr. Copner has here put together twelve biographical sketches, for which he has found a connecting link which is convenient if it is not necessary, in the fact that the subjects of them were "celibate." Horace and Virgil are the two characters whom he selects from antiquity. These lives are fairly good, though they are not better than what have been written before. With regard to the first, we may take leave to doubt whether Horace says anything to lead us to suppose that he " did not rate very highly " the education which he received at Athens. His language has been commonly taken in quite the other way. As to the words " curve dignoscere rectum," they certainly have nothing to do with geometry, but refer to ethical philosophy. The use of vellem is in itself decisive. The other lives are Queen Elizabeth, Erasmus, Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Butler (with some good criticism of the "Sermons" and the "Analogy"), Kant, Dr. Thomas Brown, Cowper, Hannah More, Father Matthew, and Robert Dick. All are reasonably well done, and the book, on the whole, is a success.
Previous page
