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But in this, as in every other part of the book, Dr. Clark's aims have been modest-and he has made a book of far greater practical utility than many of more pretension.

(6.) We noticed some time ago, with marked commendation, a translation of Pütz's Manual of Ancient Geography and History. It is now followed by a “Hand-book of Mediaval Geography and History,” translated from the Gerinan of Pütz, by Rev. R. B. Paul: (New-York: D. Appleton & Co.: 12mo., pp. 211.) This work is characterized by the same fulness of matter, clearness of arrangement, and conciseness of expression, that marked its predecessor. It is furnished with a set of questions, adapting it for practical drilling in schools, and also with a modest list of references to accessible sources of information, by the American editor, Professor Greene.

7.) WE have received a copy of Dr. Thomas Smyth's book on the "Unity of the Human Races," (New-York: G. P. Putnam, 1850: 12mo., pp. 404,) and find it marked by the industry and earnest research which characterize the other works of the respected author. More extended notice of the work will be given in an article on the general subject now in preparation. In the mean time, we commend the book to the attention of our readers—especially our clerical readers, who will probably find it necessary to study the subject in view of the new interest that has been given to it in this country by the publication of the views of Professor Agassiz and others.

(8.) "The Country Year-Book; or, the Field, the Forest, and the Fireside, by WILLIAM HOWITT:" (New-York: Harper & Brothers: 12mo., pp. 423.) That delightful and popular work by the same author-the "Book of the Seasons"--owed much of its attractiveness to the pleasant way in which it treated of botany, natural history, horticulture, &c.; the present volume aims principally to illustrate the "pleasures and pursuits of human life in the country." It has a chapter for each month in the year, with poetry in prose and verse, pretty descriptions, and stories, appropriate to the changing skies of the revolving year. The calendar for December includes a strange but attractive budget of remarkable dreams, warnings, and providences.

(9.) WE have received two additional volumes of Abbott's excellent series of histories for young persons,-the "History of Xerxes the Great," and the History of Madame Roland:" (New-York: Harper & Brothers, 1850: 18mo.) Mr. Abbott shows hardly less skill in the choice of his subjects for these historiettes than in his admirable manner of treating them. The coming generation of American youth will remember him as a benefactor. We heartily renew our commendation of the series as containing reading at once unexceptionable on the score of morality, and as attractive as romance for youthful readers.

(10.) “Success in Life; the Mechanic, by Mr. L. C. TUTHILL," (New-York : G. P. Putnam: 12mo.,) is a series of illustrations of the value of virtue and industry as means of securing what is commonly called "success in life"that is, respectability and wealth. The lives of Fitch, Franklin, Fulton, Rumsey, and others, are used to point the moral of the book. Though the motives to which it appeals are not the highest, it offers pleasant and not unprofitable reading for youth.

(11.) Ir is a pleasant thing to receive from the hands of a layman—and from one, too, who long held the foremost rank in a profession generally deemed not the most congenial to religious thinking—such a book as "The Gospel its own Advocate, by GEORGE GRIFFIN, LL. D.:" (New-York: D. Appleton & Go., 1850.) The book is an eloqueut exposition of the Christian evidences— and, as the title intimates, it unfolds chiefly the internal evidence, though the external is by no means neglected. Its pages glow with a genuine Christian enthusiasm; while, at the same time, they afford substantial refutations of the common objections brought against the Gospel.

(12.) THE beautiful paper, printing, and binding of the annual gift-books are too often but a setting-off of worthless wares. We are glad to chronicle the appearance of one in which no such deception is practised, namely, “ The Token of Friendship: a Gift-book for the Holidays, for 1851, edited by Bradford K. Pierce :" (Boston: C. H. Pierce.) It contains a collection of articles of rare excellence, chiefly contributed by Methodist ministers, among whom are some of the most eminent names in the Church, and others that are rapidly rising to eminence. We trust that its success will be so decided as to insure a continuance of the enterprise in successive years.

(13.) We should be glad to give extended extracts from the second volume of “ Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Thomas Chalmers, D. D., by Rev. W. HANNA, D. D.:" (New-York: Harper & Brothers: 12mo., pp. 547.) It carries on the biography from his thirty-sixth to his forty-third year, and covers the period of his highest pulpit power and popularity in the ministry at the Tron Church, Glasgow. It illustrates, even more strikingly than the first volume, Dr. Chalmers' indomitable energy and industry, while it affords affecting glimpses of his personal tenderness, as well as of a constantly growing religious life. His humility increased with his popularity; his piety with his reputation. The volume closes with his transfer to the chair of Moral Philosophy at St. Andrews.

(14.) "Five Years of a Hunter's Life in the Far Interior of South Africa, by R. GORDON CUMMING, Esq.:" (New-York: Harper & Brothers: 2 vols., 12mo.) Mr. Cumming may tell a true story in this book; but his pages contain almost as many marvels as Munchausen. Taking the book for truth, it

is full of attraction for those who have a taste for wild and savage sports. One day he shoots half a dozen antelopes; the next, he chases a herd of ostriches; again, he lies down to sleep at night with a venomous snake under his pillow, and droves of wild dogs baying around him; anon, he careers through troops of buffaloes, and only leaves them to engage an army of elephants or giraffes; but he is not satisfied until he stands face to face with the king of beasts, and shoots down lions as other men do rabbits. It is a "wild and wondrous" tale; yet it may be true, as we have hinted. The book abounds with interesting notices of the native tribes of Southern Africa, and with anecdotes of the habits of the various animals that frequent the far interior of that continent.

(15.) THE " Autobiography of Leigh Hunt" (New-York: Harper & Brothers, 1850: 2 vols., 12mo.) is not only a graphic record of a life of rare vicissitudes -mostly vicissitudes of sorrow-but also a running comment upon the lighter literature of the last half century. It abounds also in pleasant recollections of the literary men of that period, with most of whom Leigh Hunt was connected, either as friend or enemy. We should be glad to stop our notice here; but it is our duty to inform our readers that the author imbibed from his father-a refugee lawyer from America, who turned parson in Englandthe poison of Universalism, which he seems to take great delight in distilling freely for the behoof of the readers of his autobiography. The tendency of the book, taken as a whole, is evil.

(16.) MESSRS. GOULD & LINCOLN, of Boston, have published a new edition of the "Life and Correspondence of John Foster, edited by J. E. RYLAND," in one handsome 12mo. volume. We have nothing to add to our favourable notice of the first American edition of the work.

(17.) "A New Method of Learning the German Language, by W. II. WOODBURY:" (New-York: M. H. Newman: 12mo., pp. 504.) This book has already reached a second edition. It is designed to embrace both the analytic and synthetic modes of instruction, and to facilitate, as far as pos sible, the studies of those who are compelled to pursue the language without a teacher. Theory and practice are combined from the beginning, and the student is led on, step by step, through all the difficulties of the study. A synoptical view of the Grammar is given at the end of the volume, with reading lessons, and a vocabulary. The book is one of the most complete of the many German elementary books that have been put forth of late years.

(18.) "The Eminent Dead; or, the Triumphs of Faith in the Dying Hour, by Bradford K. PIERCE:" (Boston: C. H. Pierce, 1850: 12mo., pp. 502.) This is a collection of the dying testimonies of great and good men, of all denominations of Christians, and of many lands. An unambitious compila

tion, it is yet a work calculated to be eminently useful; and it is, at the same time, full of attraction. Our human interest in such records can never fail : for we must all die. The treasures of the Church in the dying testimonies of her faithful children are vast, and the compiler, as he remarks in his preface, has found his chief difficulty in making selections from the multitude. He has done his work well; his volume is worthy of the widest circulation, and we trust will secure it.

(19.) COULD the real history of the Church of Rome be kept before the popular mind, no other argument or protest against her would be necessary. We trust that a wide circulation will be given to "The History of the Confessional, by JoHN HENRY HOPKINS, D. D.:" (New-York: Harper & Brothers, 1850: 12mo., pp. 334.) The plan of the work is good. First, the Roman system is stated at large; then the doctrine of the Church of England and of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. After this the whole subject is examined in the light of the Scriptures, of Church history, and of experience.

(20.) WE regret that we have only space for a brief notice of "Evangelism in the Middle of the Nineteenth Century, by CHARLES ADAMS:” (Boston: C. H. Pierce, 1851: 12mo., pp. 316.) Mr. Adams' interest in the cause of Christian union, and his labours in its behalf, are well known to our readers; and the present work, notwithstanding its statistical character, may be regarded as a contribution toward the same end. Its design is to afford a descriptive and statistical exhibit of the present state of evangelical religion in all countries of the world; and thus, by laying the real spiritual condition of mankind before the eyes of Christians, to stimulate them to those higher efforts and sublimer sacrifices which we all feel must be put forth before the "earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God." And even apart from this high object, its value simply as a book of reference is sufficient to entitle it to a place in every Christian library.

(21.) A SIMILAR book, so far as its statistical aim is concerned--confined, however, to our own land-is "The Churches and Sects of the United States, by Rev. P. DOUGLASS GORRIE:” (New-York: L. Colby & Co.: 12mo., pp. 240.) We do not know a book in which so many useful facts are condensed into so small a space. The origin, history, doctrines, usages, &c., of the fortyseven (!) religious sects of the United States are exhibited-briefly, indeed, but yet sufficiently for ordinary purposes of reference.

(22.) WE omitted to notice in our last number "The Recent Progress of Astronomy, especially in the United States, by ELIAS LOOMIS, Professor of Mathematics in the University of the City of New-York:" (New-York: Har& Brothers: 12mo., pp. 257.) The design of the book is to exhibit, in a FOURTH SERIES, VOL. III.-11

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popular form, the chief astronomical discoveries of the past ten years; and it is most happily carried out. The unlearned reader can have little difficulty in following its luminous expositions; and the interest of the subject is so great that few who begin the perusal of the book will fail to finish it.

(23.) WE are glad to hear of the complete success of the "Iconographic Encyclopædia of Science, Literature, and Art, translated and edited by SPENCER F. BAIRD, A. M., Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute," now in course of publication by Mr. Garrigue, to whose advertisement at the close of this number we invite the attention of our readers. That a second edition of so costly a work should be called for in so short a time is proof at once of the merit of the publication and of a growing demand for valuable and permanent literature. We have used the word "costly,”—but, in fact, the work, affording two thousand pages of letter-press with five hundred fine steel engravings for twenty-five dollars, is certainly one of the very cheapest.

(24.) MR. PUTNAM has published a new edition of "Elements of the Differential and Integral Calculus, arranged by ALBERT E. CHURCH, A. M., Professor of Mathematics in the United States' Military Academy:" (8vo., pp. 344.) This edition contains not only such modifications as have been suggested by a thorough trial of the work in the recitation room, but also an elementary treatise on the Calculus of Variations. The work is, in our judgment, the best American text-book on the subject.

(25.) "Religious Progress: Discourses on the Development of the Christian Character, by WILLIAM R. WILLIAMS:" (Boston: Gould & Lincoln: 12mo., pp. 258.) This book is a rare phenomenon in these days:—it is a rich exposition of Scripture, with a fund of practical religious wisdom, conveyed in a style so strong and so massive as to remind one of the English writers of two centuries ago; and yet it abounds in fresh illustrations drawn from everyeven the latest opened-field of science and of literature. The Discourses are founded on 2 Peter i, 5-7, and show that the passage is not a mere enumeration of unconnected virtues that should adorn the Christian character, but an exhibition of the necessary growth of the Christian character from its deep root in Faith-that the passage is not a mere string of pearls, but a complete piece of jewelry, the setting of no single gem in which can be disturbed without damage or destruction to the whole. There are a few points, as might be expected, in which we cannot go along with Dr. Williams' doctrinal views; but his book, notwithstanding, we commend to our readers with the fullest confidence, as one that will, with the Divine blessing, at once enlarge their conceptions of the scope of Christian holiness and stimulate them to a more earnest and active religious progress.

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