same spirit the great facts of the Universe, commencing with the assertion that "the True is the Beautiful”—and we think the title a most happy one. abhor "Lacons," for in our humble opinion they serve | life everlasting." The present work points out in the like the superficial reviews which appear daily in the periodicals, to satisfy the general reader with a mere smattering of knowledge, and to turn his attention from the original works themselves, which otherwise ignorance might force him to consult. Royal roads to wisdom are as hard to travel as those to algebra, or rather, to apply the observation of Napoleon in all its force, there are no such roads at all. The work of Miss May has much to recommend it. In the elegant pröem the true spirit in which such performances should be undertaken, is reflected. The "Treasured Thoughts," are "A currency for inner life To keep its revenue Of joy and sorrow, love and strife Who lived and wrote of yore." Here is a striking thought from the works of Archbishop Leighton "The Jews would not willingly tread upon the smallest piece of paper in their way, but took it up; *for posbly,' said they, the name of God may be on it. There may be some work of grace there that thou knowest not of.'" etc. On page 90 we are shown how a great lady kept her journal in the year of grace 1450: "John Gray a most comely youth, but what is that to me? A virtuous maiden should be entirely under the direction of her parents. John ate but little and stole many tender looks at me. Said women never could be handsome who were not good-tempered. I think my temper is not intolerable. John likes white teeth; my teeth are of a pretty good color. Rose at eleven from the table, the company being desirous of a walk in the fields. John Gray would lift me over every stile and twice pressed my hand. I cannot say I have any objection to John Gray." Sir John Gray fell at the battle of St. Albans and Lady Woodville became the queen of Edward IV. THE POETRY OF SCIENCE OR STUDIES OF THE PHYSI- The "Poetry of Science" takes a wide range. From the "poetry" of motion to that of heat, from the poetry of magnetism to that of time. The idea is not new. The poetry of these vast powers as we may generalize them, is evident to all. Poetry lies not alone in the flower or the star, in the emotions of the heart, or the performance of great deeds. There is a sterner and loftier sort in all around us. Gravitation, electricity, light, heat-these are not only the constituents of what is commonly called poetry-but are in themselves a higher poetry. Mr. Poe wished his logical and mathematical theory of atoms and their laws-his EUREKA—to be called a poem, because it was true. "It is true, therefore it cannot die; or if it now be trodden down it will rise hereafter to the The work is in many parts very profound, and the style is so clear and perspicuous even in threading the most intricate theories of matter, that the "Poetry of Science" will beyond any doubt become a work of standard reputation. To justify our high opinion of the volume we refer the reader to page 113, where Mr. Hunt discusses the analogy between the effects of light and sound, (arriving at conclusions, we believe, much more philosophical than those of Gardiner, in his "Music of Nature,”) and to the chapters on "Chemical Radiation," and "Molecular forces," passim. The volume is from the press of Messrs. Gould, Kendall & Lincoln, and we are glad to learn that this is the third edition, two having previously appeared in London. THE YOUTH'S CORONAL. By HANNAH FLAGg Gould, author of "Poems," etc. etc. New York. D. Appleton & Co. 200 Broadway. Philadelphia. G. S. Appleton. 164 Chestnut St. 1851. A neat and appropriate volume, or if like Charles Lamb, we are permitted to coin a word, volume-let, in that most important and difficult walk of letters, little works for little people. No talent is more rare than this power of lowering the intellect to the level of the childish mind and addressing it, so to speak, in its own vernacular. That great, tremendous and most wonderful character, M. Alexandre Dumas, who has been for the last twenty years regaling the world with histories, romances, novels, dramas, travels, poems, treatises; with a specimen, in a word, of every style of bookmaking known to civilized man, attempted in the height of his triumph and vanity, not long since to write a nursery book. He failed-iserably failed-and the legend of "The good Lady Bertha and her Honey-Broth," though written with immense labor and Enceladan travail to reach the childish heart-proves conclusively that the author of a "Monte-Christo" may well be unable to pen a book for children. Mrs. Gould's little "Coronal" will, we predict, become dear to many a child-heart—and we are estopped at once from the only objection we could make. We would have suggested that some of the poems are a little too much like plagiarisms from Mother Goose-much closer than Mr. Emerson's imitations of Carlyle-but the immense popularity of that standard work is a practical refutation of our censure. FOREST FLOWERS OF THE WEST. By ANNA S. RICKEY. A title to arouse the bile of the author of "Nine New Poets," who some time since analyzed so unmercifully the tender buds of poesy put forth by nine young Parnassian candidates in this our western world. This poetry of title strikes as much less disagreeably in a woman, and we see no possible objection to Miss Rickey's christening. We have perhaps been guilty of miscalling the lady, who just as probably is a Mrs.-but the fashion of modern ladywriters leaves the reader in profound uncertainty on this point. Many of these poems, though tinged with imitation, are sweet and affecting—indeed the portrait (of the authoress) in the front of the volume could only belong to a woman of great feeling. These five lines from "The Awakened Heart," are very | he had never exceeded in his yearly issues sixty millions. graceful and pretty. "Magian, at the golden gate Of my heart why dost thou wait? THE DUCHESS; OR WOMAN'S LOVE AND WOMAN'S HATE. A Novel. Philadelphia: A Hart, late Carey & Hart. 156 Chestnut Street. 1851. This novel in the Dumas and Ainsworth school of romance, purports to be reprinted in America from the London edition in three volumes. We really do not see what possible recommendation lies in the fact. Stupid books are daily issued in three volumes in the city of London and this is certainly one of the number. We are perhaps wrong in applying to it the word stupid, for in the class of romance to which it belongs it perhaps takes a respectable place-but all the old conventionalities of such productions are found in its pages, from the innocent and interesting young heroine with blue eyes and golden hair, to the warlike hero who acts without conceivable motive and has a face which "would be effeminate in its beauty but for a slight moustache which"-etc., etc., etc. The scene is laid in the time of Francis I.-the inevitable Triboulet figures as jester, and the scene at the church where M. Pomperant offers the young girl the holy water to say nothing of his Gascon oath, "Cap Diou!" smacks most wonderfully of our old friends Porthos and D'Artagnan in a certain volume of M. Dumas. Possibly the author has not met with "The Three Guardsmen," but the pages of the "Duchess" argue strongly to the contrary. EXTRAORDINARY POPULAR DELUSIONS. By Charles The charge against his honesty is with equal certainty refuted by the fact, that when all men, foreseeing the inevitable crash, were converting their notes into gold and jewels, and sending them to England and Holland, Law bought estates only in France, and on his banishment was so poor, that the remaining years of his life were scraped out in a manner most miserable. He was neither a Lully nor a Cagliostro. He firmly believed in his system. For a pleasant, well-written, and not too long account of the Tulipomania, we refer the reader to page 98. A foreign novelist has lately embodied this mania in a very entertaining fiction-the "Black Tulip." The "O. P. Mania" is related with great spirit, and will serve to show the world of 1850, that the disgraceful Astor Place riots had their parallel in the past and in England, force over the calm dignity of Kemble. In the first volume may be found an account of the Thugs of India, or as these murderous fanatics are accustomed to style the members of their sect, the Phansiis in the highest degree curious-and is authenticated by gars. The account of their religious belief and its origin Capt. Sleeman, who was, during his long residence in India, often thrown in contact with these horrible enthusiasts. For strange to say, the murders of the Thugs, are the result of a lofty and sublime sense of religious duty their young being trained from their tenderest years to strangle and kill at random, if they expect to enter into the kingdom of their own heaven. Bhawanee is the god. dess who presides over their horrible rites, and she is the founder of the Phansigars. The legend runs, that in remote ages of the world, there lived an enormous demon, who made nothing of walking through the Indian Ocean, which only reached to his middle, and who devoured At last the merciful great numbers of the human race. goddess, Bhawanee, with a sharp sword slew him. But from every drop of his blood sprung up smaller demons, who devoured men as before. She exterminated these too by thousands, but unfortunately their blood was as pro extinct. Then they brought the magic handkerchief to the goddess, who bade them on the contrary keep it, and, not to get out of practice, use it on men-she promising to bury the bodies. She exacted but one condition-the Phansigar must never look behind him—and this caution was long religiously observed. One of the sect, however, more prying than reverential, was moved with curiosity to know how Bhawanee buried the dead. He looked back and saw her with the legs of a man depending from her mouth;-she was a cannibal. For this disobedience This work has, we think, been overrated. It has at-lific as that of their "common ancestor." Then the godtained a very high popularity, we believe, in England; dess Bhawanee gave her thosen followers in this world a and its republication in this country is an evidence of the noose, which she showed them how to tie, and sent them fact. It is a volume, however, of considerable merit. The forth-to strangle. The stranglers exerted themselves so close research which should characterize every produc-energetically, that in a short time the race of demons was tion aiming to arouse the past time and its actors from their long sleep, it is true, is nowhere found, but the general views of the writer strike us as most liberal and just. On several of the subjects which come under the author's notice, there lingers to this day and hour a most remarkable amount of ignorance and a still greater measure of prejudice. We refer more particularly to the ➡ Mississippi Scheme" and its author, John Law. For more than a century this man has been the scoff and derision of the world. The grave has received long since his mortal body, but stronger than death and "more greedy than the grave" slander and detraction have seized upon bis character. He has been called in turn a knave, fool, swindler and coward. He was neither-and Mr. Mackay's pages make this most abundantly manifest. others say because the rebellious Thug committed the crime of Actæ on-the goddess decreed that thenceforth they should bury their own dead. The race of Thugs is much thinned, but their number is still 10,000, and it is confidently stated that they murTo the charge that from his ignorance or folly he plung-der every year 30,000 of their fellow-creatures. Many of ed France into most imminent danger, and brought her to the leaders have, however, been given up and punished; the brink of revolution, the author replies.—and supports among others the notorious Feringeea, from whom Sue his assertion, that Law was a complete master of Finance has drawn his Faringhea. and that up to the time when the Regent forced him to We were much pleased with Mr. Mackay's notices of issue bills to the amount of one thousand millions of francs, the Count St. Germain and Cagliostro. By a few quiet touches, the character of the wonderful nobleman who | wont to consider as second only in authority and claims had discovered the elixir vitæ and lived for centuries, is to reverential regard, to the Bible itself,) as the modern brought out in bold relief;-and though Mr. Carlyle in railway upon the old-fashioned mud turnpike of 1800. one of his most curious performances has ridiculed and The Lexicon is one of the most beautiful specimens of tyattempted to throw discredit on the account of Cagliostro pography that ever came from the press of the Harpers. here given, we incline, after reading both, decidedly to- We repeat that every student of the Latin tongue ought wards the speculations of Mr. Mackay. Everything re- to have these works in his library. For ourselves, we lating to Cagliostro is dark and doubtful; we can only would not be without them for five times the amount of judge of the probabilities of his character and career. Mr. their cost. Carlyle has drawn him such as the "Arch-quack" and "King of Scoundrels," in his own opinion, should have been. Mr. Mackay has painted him as we think he was. The chief remaining subjects treated of in "Popular Delusions," are Slow Poisoning, the Crusades, and Witch craft. For sale by Harrold and Murray. THE ISLAND WORLD OF THE PACIFIC; by the Rev. HENRY T. CHEEVER. New York. Harper & Brothers. 1851. For sale by Morris & Brother. FADETTE: A Domestic Story, from the French. By We have not for a long time read so sweet a story. It is pure, natural and wholesome; thoroughly Frenchbut not the French of Dumas or of Sue, the exaggerated and prurient abominations of the present day. It more resembles the romances of Florian and Saint Pierre, but, while the purity and beauty of their morals are preserved, the tone of the picture is reduced, by exchanging the pastoral and sentimental coloring, for the sober hues of country life in France. It is truly what it is called, a domestic story; and one that is much more likely to profit a child in the reading, than a ream of such flimsy, made-to-sell, Elizabeths." We are indebted to Messrs. NASH & WOODHOUSE for the gratification this work has given us ; and we commend our readers to their store for the like This is a very readable little volume of some 400 pages, containing much that is interesting about the Sandwich Islands, and especially concerning the lives, labors, and escapes of the missionaries, who have achieved so much in the civilization and conversion of the Islanders. The manufactures, as the "Rollo books," and the "Charlotte sketches of the natives, also, their modes of life and manners, changed as they are by the influence of the white man—and the description of the great volcano, which defies alike the control of the savage and the civilized man-pleasure. are very faithful and spirited. We have one or two faults to find with the book. First, the author is too fond of quoting poetry, onymous and anonymous; and, secondly, he makes too much parade of the prevalent licentiousness in those islands, and its unfortunate results. Very probably he will say with Midshipman Easy-" duty before decency," which is a very good maxim to obey, when it is once proved that the indecency is indispensable to a discharge of duty. But we do not believe that a single Hawaiian will be reclaimed by Mr. Cheever's book; while many a modest cheek (if he has female readers,) must blush at some of his pages-many a modest mind be wounded by thoughts and images that should ne'er have found entrance into places as pure. A NEW CLASSICAL DICTIONARY of Greek and Roman Messrs. Morris & Brother have sent us a copy of the American Almanac for 1851, published by Little & Brown of Boston. This valuable work is too well known to need any commendation at our hands, but we may say that for full and accurate information on all matters connected with the progress of the country, the present issue is fully equal to any of the former volumes. The astronomical and statistical portions are of especial interest and value, and have evidently been prepared by careful hands. The book is very neatly printed and sold at the low price of One Dollar. THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE CREATOR; OR THE ASTROLEPIS OF STROMNESS. By HUGH MILLER. Author of "The Old Red Sandstone," etc. From the third London edition; with a memoir of the author by Louis Agassiz. Boston: Gould & Lincoln. 59 Washington Street. 1850. This is a work of the very highest value, and we most A Copious and Critical LATIN-ENGLISH LEXICON, Found- cordially recommend it to the public, though from a press ed on the larger Latin-German Lexicon of Dr. William of engagements we have been unable to give it that ample Freund: With additions and corrections from the Lexi- and thorough examination which its high character calls cons of Gesner, Facciolati, Scheller, Georges, &c. By for at our hands. The North British Review, the most E. A. Andrews, LL.D. New York: Harper & Broth-liberal and reliable of all the quarterlies, declares it to be ers, 82 Cliff street. 1851. unsurpassed "by any modern work of the same class," and Dr. Buckland, author of a "Bridgewater Treatise" astonished in his life by the powers of any man," and that this "wonderful" author made him ashamed of “the comparative meagreness and poverty of his own descriptionshe would give his left hand to possess such powers." Two admirable companion volumes, evidently published on geology, avowed that "he had never been so much at great expense and with the most scrupulous accuracy, which no classical scholar should fail to purchase. The Biographical Dictionary is a reprint of Smith's well-known work, embodying many valuable notes of Professor Anthon, and is destined, we predict, to supersede all other works of the class in our language. Professor Andrews' Lexicon is all that could be desired in that line, and is as great an improvement upon the eminent Ainsworth of our school-boy days, (a book, by the way, which we were We have only to add that the work was written to coun. teract the sophistry of the "Vestiges of Creation," to recommend it to the attentive consideration of every rightminded searcher after truth. For sale by Harrold & Murray. A SOUTHERN HOME JOURNAL. PROSPECTUS FOR 1851, OF THE SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE. The only Weekly Journal of its class now published South of the Potomac, and pronounced by its contemporaries, both North and South, THE HANDSOMEST FIRESIDE NEWSPAPER IN AMERICA. Published every Saturday, in Charleston, S. C., by WALKER & RICHARDS, at Two Dollars a Year, in advance. The Gazette is now permanently established, and its steadily advancing reputation and popularity, afford evidence that such a Journal is both needed and appreciated by the Southern people. It is a paper of the larger class, containing weekly four columns more matter than the Home Journal of New York, and printed from beautiful type, on paper of the finest quality. It is conducted by Mr. WILLIAM C. RICHARDS, who is aided by Mr. D. H. JACQUES, a gentleman of high attainments and cultivated tastes. Many of the best writers of the entire South are regular contributors to its columns, and it has a well regulated corps of HOME AND FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS, through whom all intelligence of interest, in every department of ART, SCIENCE, LITERATURE AND INDUSTRY, is faithfully and speedily obtained. The Gazette is independent in criticism, and in the discussion of every legitimate topic, but strictly NEUTRAL IN POLITICS AND RELIGION. It will contain well digested abstracts of FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE, Together with REPORTS OF THE MARKET AND GENERAL PRICES CURRENT. The publishers deem it unnecessary to extend this Prospectus, further than to pledge themselves that the Gazette shall not be second in ELEGANCE, INTEREST, OR EXTENT OF INFORMATION, 10 any weekly family newspaper in the known world. They invoke the patronage and support of all those who desire to see the intellectual resources of the South developed, and who feel a just pride in every token of her progress. Having shown that a Southern family newspaper may be AS CHEAP AS THE CHEAPEST, AND AS GOOD AS THE BEST,” they are willing to confide their enterprise to the patriotism and generosity of their fellow-citizens of the Southern States. TERMS TO CLUBS: It will be furnished to persons becoming responsible for the whole number of copies, and having them sent to one address, on the following terms: Three copies, Ten copies, All orders must be accompanied with the money, and addressed, post-paid, to WALKER & RICHARDS, N. B.-Editors who will copy, or notice fully, this Prospectus, shall receive the Gazette regularly, and also a beautiful Juvenile Magazine, entitled "The Schoolfellow." |