Guesses at Truth: by Two Brothers [JULIUS CHARLES, and AUGUSTUS, HARE] From the fifth London Edition. Boston: Ticknor & Fields, 1861. Pp. 555. With a portrait of Julius Charles Hare, finely drawn. This is a beautiful edition, from the University press, Cambridge, of a work well worthy of such attractive paper and typography. Like all the books issued by Ticknor & Fields, it abundantly satisfies the hand and the eye. The first London edition was issued in 1838; and it was recognised at once as infusing into English criticism and reflection a new spirit-learned, thoughtful and reverential, based on wider studies, and pervaded by a more generous philosophy, than were then current. Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Arnold were leading the way in a movement, whose end is not yet. Its critical and philosophical, rather than its theological, phase, is represented in its dawning period in these Guesses at Truth. The popular, common-sense, Scotch and English speculations are criticised, in a fragmentary way indeed, but so as to stimulate thought. From almost every page pregnant sentences, suggestive reflections, and striking aphorisms might be culled. It is just the book to have at hand, when the mind is lagging and needs a stimulus, and not an essay. E. g. "Hardly any thing is so difficult in writing, as to write with ease." "Contrast is a kind of relation." "Excessive indulgence to others, especially to children, is in fact only self-indulgence, under an alias." "Truth, when witty, is the wittiest of all things." "There are persons who would have us love, or rather obey God, chiefly because he outbids the devil." "Be what you are. This is the first step towards becom ing better than you are." In darkness there is no choice. It is light, that enables us to see the differences between things; and it is Christ, that gives us light." The Christian Element in Plato and the Platonic Philosophy. By Dr. C. ACKERMANN. Translated by S. R. ASBURY. With an Introduction by W. G. T. SHEDD, D.D. Philadelphia: Smith, English & Co. We are glad to announce the publication of this able work, which we cordially recom mend. A full notice of it, prepared for this number of the REVIEW, is necessarily deferred. The Conduct of Life. By R. W. EMERSON. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. 1860. Pp. 288. Contents: Fate; Power; Wealth; Culture; Behavior; Worship; Considerations by the Way; Beauty; Illusions. The first topic gives the essence, and the last topic gives the net result of these inimitable Essays, to which we shall recur again. other Coins, Medals, and Seals, Ancient and Modern. Illustrated and described. With a Sketch of the History of Coins and Coinage, Instructions for Young Collectors, Tables of Comparative Rarity, Price Lists of English and American Coins, Medals and Tokens, etc. etc. Edited by W. C. PRIME. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1861. Small quarto, pp. 292. Not only coin collectors, but all readers of history, will find ample instruction and entertainment in this beautiful work. It is printed on tinted paper, and every page contains clear and well executed engravings of coins and medals, ranging through all the chief nations and periods. Those who cannot procure the costly works of Mionnet and Eckel will here find a good substitute, sufficient for all ordinary use, and containing much of local interest not embraced in Humphrey's Coin Collector's Manual, and Coinage of the British Empire. In the prevalent zeal for numismatic collections, such a work will be cordially welcomed. Mr. Prime's history of coins and medals is not only instructive, but also in a high degree entertaining. The part relating to American coins and medals is the fruit of much research, though, as he says, "sadly imperfect," in consequence of "the obscurity which overhangs the history of American coinage." Among the special subjects are, Rare Coins of the U. S. Series, Gold Coinage of U. S., Prices of Coins and Medals, Colonial Coins, Washington Coins, Medals and Tokens, Presidential and Election Medals and Medalets, Political Tokens, Temperance and Miscellaneous Medalets, and American Medals awarded by Congress. The whole work is highly creditable to both the author and the publishers. Chambers's Encyclopædia. A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge for the People. Vol. I. Pp. 824, royal octavo, double columns. This valuable popular Encyclopædia is now published by J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, printed from the plates of the Edinburgh edition. It is beautifully illustrated with numerous wood-cuts. Seven steel-plate maps, very well executed, printed in colors, are included in this volume. The whole work will be comprised in six or seven volumes. The paper and type are excellent. As to its contents, it is a model of a popular Dictionary of Knowledge, giving in the most condensed and perspicuous form the results of substantial and careful scholarship. The rate of three dollars a volume, at which it is afforded, is remarkably low; and the style in which it is got up is much superior to other works of the same class, sold at the same rate. We have no hesitation in recommending it as decidedly the best work of its kind; in the same compass, and at the same rate, there is none to take its place. As a work of reference for a family, or for district school libraries, it will answer all ordinary demands. On controverted subjects, so far as we have examined, it is impartial and candid; its general theological tone is conservative. The historical parts are brought down to the present times. Some of the articles, e. g. Esthetics, Atonement, show the fruit of much study. The work will undoubtedly have, as it deserves, a wide circulation in this country. The Odyssey of HOMER, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice. Literally Translated, with Explanatory Notes, by THEODORE ALOIS BUCKLEY. New York: Harpers. 1861. Pp. 432. Price 75 cents. The Pseudo Herodotean Life of Homer, in the translation of Kenneth Mackenzie, Esq., is prefixed to this volume. It also contains, besides a careful prose translation, frequent extracts from the "brilliant paraphrases of Chapman, Congreve, and Shelley." The Hymns and Minor Poems are here for the first time literally rendered into English. We cordially commend the work to all, excepting academical and college students. HERODOTUS. Recensuit JOSEPHUS WILLIAMS BLAKESLEY. 2 vols. New York. 1861. Pp. 362, 364. Price 40 cents a volume. Two new volumes of Harpers' Greek and Latin Texts, beautifully printed on fine paper, in lithe binding, and wonderfully cheap. The type is clear and finished. Sinai and Zion: or, a Pilgrimage Through the Wilderness to the Land of Promise. By BENJAMIN BAUSMAN. With Illustrations. Philadelphia: Lindsay & Blakiston. 1861. Pp. 543. An unpretending and interesting narrative of travels in Egypt, Arabia, Palestine, and Syria, in the winter and spring of 1857. The volume is issued in handsome style, and is well illustrated with appropriate cuts. The Dutch Dominie of the Catskills: or, the Times of the "Bloody Brandt." By Rev. DAVID MURDOCH, D.D. New York: Derby & Jackson. 1861. Pp. 471. This is a narrative of primitive Dutch and Indian life, illustrating scenes of historic interest in the bloody conflicts of 1778. The scenes and characters are well drawn, and the moral tone is unexceptionable. One of Them. By CHARLES LEVER. New York: Harpers. 1861. Pp. 187, octavo, double columns. 50 cents. A new volume from the fertile pen of Mr. Lever is sure to find numerous readers among all the lovers of genuine humor and entertaining narrative. Studies from Life. By the Author of "John Halifax, Gentleman," etc. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1861. Pp. 290. Miss Muloch is deservedly a great favorite, for the naturalness and beauty of sentiment, the skill in delineating character, and the elevated moral tone, which pervade her works. This volume, made up of a variety of studies on general and domestic topics, is an excellent book for reading in the family circle. The Children's Picture Fable-Book, containing One Hundred and Sixty Fables. With Sixty Illustrations by HARRISON WEIR. The Children's Picture-Book of Quadrupeds. With Sixty-one Engravings by W. HARVEY. The Children's Picture-Book of Birds. Illustrated with Sixty-one Engrav ings by W. HARVEY. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1861. Here are three fascinating volumes for children. The descriptions are clear and simple, and the illustrations beautiful and spirited. The Children's Bible Picture-Book. Illustrated with Eighty Engravings, New York: Harpers. 1861. Pp. 321. Another volume, admirably adapted to interest and instruct children. Many of the engravings are from designs by Steinle, Overbeck and others in the Illustrated German Bible, and from the well known Bible Pictures by Julius Schnorr. Stories of Rainbow and Lucky. Up the River. By JACOB ABBOTT. New York: Harpers. Peterchen and Gretchen: or, Tales of Early Childhood for Little Children from Four to Eight Years. Translated from the German, by the author of "Little Susy's Six Birthdays," etc. New York: Randolph. 1860. A very good book, and translated with fidelity and spirit; but not quite equal to the translator's own works, which are inimitable. News of the Churches and of Missions. DURING the first week of January The "Annual Survey of the Misthousands in this country, in England, sions of the American Board" gives Scotland, Ireland, on the Continent the following summary of its work of Europe, in India, China, Western during the last half-century: "It has Asia and Africa, were offering their sent out, in all, from the United prayers in concert for the spread of States, more than twelve hundred the Gospel throughout the world. male and female laborers, and has esNever, probably, were so many Christ- tablished some twenty-six missions, ians praying, simultaneously, for the which are still exerting their influsame blessings. ence for good, though not now all The progress of the Gospel during connected with the Board; 'in these the last sixty years has been such as missions, churches to the number may well incite the church to prayer been gathered, with a present memof one hundred and sixty-two have and effort. During that period the Bible has been translated into up-bership of more than twenty thou wards of 100 languages. There are sand, and with a membership from 100,000 professing Christians in New the beginning of not less than fiftyZealand; 100,000 in Burmah and five thousand, averaging more than Pegu; 112,000 Protestant Christians a thousand for every year; that in India; 5000 or 6000 in Turkey; as many as one hundred and seventy250,000 in Africa; 40,000 in Ame-five thousand must have been in rica; and 250,000 in the islands of the mission schools since the comthe Pacific. There are Christians in mencement of the enterprise, while China, Madagascar, Mauritius, and some thousands of these have enother remote parts of the world. joyed the advantages of the seminaThere are 200,000 or 300,000 Negroes ries and boarding-schools; and the under the care of Christian pastors in number of pages issued by mission the West Indies. There are more presses from the beginning, can not than a million and a quarter of living Christians, who but for the labors of the missionaries would have all remained idolaters. An approximate calculation has been made of the advance of the church at different periods: There were, of Christian communicants, In the fifth century,. In the tenth century, In the fifteenth century,. fall much short of one thousand and five hundred millions, mostly in languages which had previously contained little or nothing of a truly Christian literature, several of which, indeed, were first reduced to a written form by the missionaries." Protestantism in the Latin Race. Dr. Baird estimates the Latin race at about 116,000,000, viz. Italian, 26,000,000; French, 42,000,000 (includ In the eighteenth century,..200,000,000 ing portions of Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, etc.); Spanish, in the Old | present Chamber of Deputies; M. and New world, 40,000,000; Portu- Cremieux, minister of justice, and gese, 8 to 10,000,000. Among these Godcheaux, minister of finance in the number of Protestants does not 1848; M. Achille Fould, at present now exceed 3,000,000. About 30,- secretary of state, and minister of 000 Italians are reckoned as Protest- the imperial household; M. S. Munk, ants. member of the "Institute;" M. F. Halevy, member of the "Institute," and perpetual Secretary of the Section of Fine Arts; M. Ad Frank, member of the "Institute," of the imperial council of public instruc tion, and professor at the "College de France." It was formerly gener ally asserted that the Jews were unfit for military service; but the statistical facts of France prove this assertion to be erroneous. Out of the 4,000 Universal Israelite Alliance. A scholars, who, since 1830, were adnew "Universal Israelite Alliance" mitted in the "Ecole Polytechnique," has been formed in Paris, intended over 100 belong to the Jewish reto embrace the whole world. Its ligion. And thus, while the Jewish object is to bind the Jews together, population forms hardly the 400th So as to promote their general part of the French population, they emancipation and progress. This are represented in the military schools alliance will tend to foster a feeling in the proportion of one fortieth. of unity among the Jews, and may lead to important consequences. The programme of the alliance has been recently published. The alliance is intended to be a centre of universal reference for all that concerns the position of the Jews, the exceptional laws under which they suffer, the acts of oppression of which they are the victims, the efforts which they make to free themselves from a galling yoke or to lighten it, the assistance which they need, etc. It now numbers 600 members. ACCORDING to statistical returns, from the different countries, the number of murders to a million of population is Naples, 174; States of the Church, 113; Sicily, 90; Tuscany, 60; Austria, 36; France, 31; Sardinia, 20; Ireland, 19; Belgium, 18; England, 4. This itself is a comment on free institutions. The Jews in France.-Dr. Gallayardin, of Lyons, has published a book entitled, "The Position the Jews are Occupying in Society on the Globe, but especially in France and Germany." This brochure, as the Lien d'Israel says, is full of highly interesting facts and observations. The little book in one of its chapters, enumerates the Jews holding distinguished offices in France; M. Bedarride, President of the Imperial Court of Aix; Messrs. L. Javal, Königswarter, members of the Papal Missions.-The receipts of the Roman Catholic “Association for the Propagation of the Faith," for 1859, were 5,260,595 francs, not far from $1,050,000. Of these receipts 3,067,728 francs were from France, 255,047 from the British Isles, and 354,223 from North America. There were expended on missions, in Eu rope, 1,334,924 franes; in Asia, 2,167,194; in Africa, 388,652; in America, 1,397,366; and in Oceanica, 477,211. British Subjects in Spain.-The missionary chaplain of the English bishop of Gibraltar states, in a letter to the London Times, that there are 3,000 or 4,000 English residing in Spain, in various capacities, besides twice as many continually travelling. There was not an English clergyman in the country until 1848, and now there are only two, even the English embassy having never had a chaplain until last year. One reason for this is in the rigidity of the law which prohibits the public profession of any |