The Press. — London, England, 1854-01-28 00:00:00

JANUARY 2B, 1854. The Sacramental and Priestly System Examined ; or, Strictures on Archdeacon Wilberforce's Works on the Incarnation and Eucharist. By Charles Smith Bird, M.A., F.L.S. London: Seeleys. Tin: subject of this volume in general scarcely falls within the purview of newspaper criticism ; but, besides treating of the deepest mysteries of our re ligion, it also exposes the perverted views to which Tractari an ism tends even in things of less moment. Archdeacon Wilberforce quotes respectfully Mr. Neale, who published a few years ago a History of England for young people. That history Mr. Bird thus describes "In that history, so called, he scarcely mentions that feature in the English constitution, a Parliament, till he arrives at the reigns of the Stuarts. He speaks of it now and then as a tumultuous and irreverent assembly; but his young readers, if they depended on him alone for in. formation, would scarcely know what it was. The history of England resolves itself, in his hands, into the rise, pro gress, and decline of what he calls ' Church principles.' Thomas A Becket is of much more consequence than King Alfred or William the Third. More recently, the same honest and veracious gentleman has thought fit to publish an edition of the ' Pilgrim's Progress,' with the omission of many of John Bunyan's sentiments, and the substitution of his own. Truly we are sorry to see that a man like the archdeacon should have deserted the company of our Reformers to take up with Mr. Neale !" The Stratford Shakspere. _Edited by Charles Knight. _ Vol. I. London : Hodgson. Tuts new cheap edition of Shakspeare is to be com pleted in twenty monthly volumes, at the price of one shilling each. Its print and paper are reason ably good, but we cannot decide yet upon the merits of the annotations. In his Shakspearian enthusi asm Mr. Knight has more zeal than discretion; and the liberty which he has taken in the orthography of the poet's name is in opposition to the canons of sound criticism. Without intending disrespect, which would not coincide with our admiration for his scholarly qualifications and fine talents, we may ask, who is Mr. Knight that he should reverse the spel ling of the name as it was used by Ben jonson, Mil ton, Dryden, Pope, Johnson, Garrick, Siddons, and Kemble ? The titlepage of the first collection of the plays in the folio of 1023 bears the inscription : "Mr. William Shakspeare's Comedies, Histories, " and Tragedies, published according to the True " Original' Copies." Two centuries' usage of the name as therein spelt ought to bar editorial innova tions. There are several other points in " Knight's Shakspere " which indicate a fanciful and conjectu ral spirit in its editor. The " Life " of the poet by Mr. Knight wants reality and a simpler style. But it would seem that " The Stratford Shakspere" will have several special features of its own. " The ori ginal texts" are to be followed, non obstante Mr. Payne Collier. The text of each play is to be printed without note or reference; there is to be superaddded "A Commentary and Glossary" for after-reading or instant reference, including "various readings," critical illustrations, and "an analytical view of the Plot and Characters." Lastly, Mr. Knight frankly says that he designs " The Stratford Shakspere" to be "the people's Shakspere;' and he defines "the people " to be " that vast aggregate of " persons who have become readers of books during " the last quarter of a century " times called the million." Its cheapness, and con venience for the hand or the pocket, will be not the least attractions of "The Stratford Shakspere." Twelve Letters on Transubstantiation. By James C. L. Carson, M.D. London : Houlston and Stoneman. Tuts is a pamphlet of seventy eight pages, printed for the author at the office of the Londonderry Sentinel in Derry. On the 20th of May last year the Rev. Dr. Cahill preached a sermon at Coleraine to prove the truth of transubstantiation. Dr. Carson, to disprove it, offered to contribute 1001. towards Roman Catholic purposes, provided Dr. Cahill would transform a wafer, prepared by the former, and then swallow it. As the terms of the M.D.'s challenge pretty plainly indicated poison, we are not surprised that the D.D. declined to accept it; and thereupon Dr. Carson addressed these letters to the London derry Sentinel and the Coleraine Chronicle. They are written with vigour and spirit. The present edi tion is the third thousand. The Symmetry of Vegetation. By John Lindley, Ph.D., F.R.S. London: Chapman and Hall. THIS pamphlet cf fifty pages contains the substance of three lectures delivered by the author to the students of practical art at Marlborough-house, in which he traced an outline of the principles to be observed in the delineation of plants. " Symmetry" is defined "to be the general correspondence of one half of a given object with the other half in structure or other perceptible THE PRESS. circumstances; or the general correspondence of one side of an object with the opposite side in structure or other perceptible circumstances." This symmetry is shown, by a minute examination of trees, flowers, Sze., to pervade the vegetable king dom. The lectures are made intelligible by nu merous diagrams, and are not only useful to the professional artist but interesting to all observers of nature. Sunlight Through the Mist. By a Lady. London : Murray. THIS is a pretty little Sunday book of 231 pages with several illustrations. It was written to sup ply a want of books which " should turn the " thoughts of children from their usual amusements, " and yet not weary their attention." The author has succeeded in her object. The life of Luther is pleasingly related in a series of conversations by mamma to her little ones. Monotony is prevented and a personal interest given to the work by an underplot of the daily life of the domestic circle intervening at appropriate intervals in the career of the great reformer. The former is turned to account to illustrate the latter for instance (Harry had been very naughty) : " Luther, before he was summoned to appear at Rome, had preached a sermon- in which he had explained the difference between inward and outward excommunication; can any of you tell me what you think it means?' " I should think it might mean,' said Edward, after he had been silent a little while, the difference between being angry with ourselves, or the I'ope being angry with us.' " Very fairly answered,' replied his mother, ; but, as I see Edith still looks puzzled, I will try and explain it a little more clearly. Now supposing, my dear child, you had done anything very wrong, which you refused to con fess, and determined to go on doing that wicked thing again and again, would you not be afraid of praying to od and of asking for His Holy Spirit ?' " Yes, mamma.' " ' Then do you not see, my love, that this would be like pronouncing a sentence of excommunication upon your self? yon could have none of the blessings of religion, none of its peace or happiness, and if you were to die in your sin you would perish.' "A loud sob from Harry at this moment startled all the little party." Church Courts and Church Rates. A Letter to the Right Hon. W.. E. Gladstone. By Theodore H. Galion. London : Ridgway. Ix this pamphlet of thirty-one pages Mr. Galion succinctly discusses the mixed questions of church rates and the ecclesiastical courts. In the former he proposes that the present system should be abolished, and that to supply-its place a fund should be raised by "offertory" contributions, by voluntary donations, "and by the adoption of part of a plan prepared by Lord Monteagle and revised in a modified form by Sir William Clay." In the latter he makes various suggestions, the chief of which are, that a new tri bunal be appointed to take cognisance of all cases relating to matrimony and morality generally, and that in testamentary cases, except so far as relates to the validity of wills, jurisdiction should be given to the county courts. Mr. Gallon's letter is more sug gestive than convincing. The Parlour Library. The Scottish Heiress. By the late Mackenzie Daniels, Author of "The Young Widow." London : Hodgson. Tins cheap series of reprints loses none of its merit in the bands of its new publisher. The present volume is by a writer who attained high distinction S a successful storyteller. His fidelity to Scottish life in the middle and humble class obtained for him the name of " The Scottish Boz ;" but the appella tion was more complimentary than critical. Mr. Daniels, however, had sufficient merits of his own to render a borrowed distinction unnecessary. Though inferior in romantic interest to some others of his tales, "The Scottish Heiress" exhibits the lifelike reality and variety of character for which the author was so deservedly noted. Ought England to go to War with Russia? THE author of this peace tract, which does not bear a publisher's name, answers the question in the nega tive : first, because Russia is so strong that war would be very expensive ; secondly, because she is so weak that no danger can be apprehended from her; and, thirdly, because war would disturb the commercial and manufacturing system. The argu ment is more logical than most that emanate from the men of peace. PERIODICAL LITERATURE. THE Quarterly Review (No. 187) for December, 1853, contains one of those minute and ingenious arti cles on the subject of the Bonapartes the authorship 91 of which will be readily inferred by those who are among its regular readers. An article on the " Life and Works of Gray " opens with the following appro priate anecdote : " When Mr. Mitford obtained, many years since, the origin als of the correspondence with Dr. Whartou for a new edition of the works of Gray, he found that Mason had taken portions of letters of different dates and blended them into one, that he had constantly changed the order of the sentences, interpolated fragments of his own, altered phrases, and elaborated the style. In 1843 Mr. Mitford published a supplementary volume, containing the corres pondence of Gray with Mr. Nicholls, which Mason had not only used with the same unwarrantable freedom, but had sent back with a note that deserves a conspicuous place among the curiosities of literature:- 4 Curzon-street, .Tan. 31, 1775. Mr. Mason returns many thanks to Mr. Nicholls for the use he has permitted hint to make of these letters. Ile will find that much liberty has been taken in transposing parts of them, dcc., for the press, and will see the reason for it; It were, however, to be wished that the originals might be so disposed of as not to impeach the editor's fidelity, but this he leaves to Mr.Nichulls's discretion, for people of common sense will thick the liberty he has used very " Mason would have cared nothing for the censure of people who were devoid of common sense if he had really believed that those possessed of it would approve his con duct: nor if his profession had been sincere could it have given honesty to his wish to persuade the world that the letters were faithful transcripts, or to his endeavour to pro cure the destruction of the evidence which might one day prove that they were not. lir. Wharton, far from thinking the liberties venial, was extremely indignant; and if Mr. Nicholls shared his sentiments he took the most effectual revenge when, instead of destroying the letters of Gray, he added the note of Mason to the heap." On " The Missions of Polynesia," otherwise an en tertaining article, we have occasion to observe that Massachusetts was not, as loosely stated by the reviewer," the commonwealth of the old Blue Laws," but that these laws were the production of Connecticut. The paper on Guizot neglects to draw the broad in ference as to the insecurity of a throne which is not cordially allied with, and supported by, an aristo cracy ; and here, as also in this entire number, we miss that bold and definite Conservatism which has been in past times one of the principal recom mendations of the Quarterly, and to which it must return again if it would recover its ancient popularity. The Band of Hope Review. London: Partridge and Oakey. Trns is the second volume of a cheap and useful little serial designed " to form a breakwater against " the fearful influence of the immoral prints." It is dedicated, by permission, to Lord Shaftesbury, of whose letter granting the permission a facsimile is given. Many other favourable testimonials are pre fixed to the volume, which consists of a varied selec tion of verse, anecdote, and current events, calculated both to amuse and instruct; the whole well and pro fusely illustrated. It is pleasing to see how our great old Duke lives in the hearts of all classes: on the first page his well-known figure meets the eye. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. Booxs. The Law of Horses, 4c. By G. H. H. Oliphant. S. Sweet. Mortimer. A Tale of the Times of Owen Glendower. By W. O. Starbuck. Saunders and Ottley. Notes at Parib—Particularly on the Stale and Prospects of Religion. Itivingtons. Obarrr cabin sof a Solicitor. By E. W. Field. Longman, Brown, and Co. Is Symbolism suited to the Spirit of the Aye ? By Wil liam White. Bosworth. Geraldine. A Ballad. By John Lang. Chapman and Hall. The Band of Hope Review fur 1S 3. Partridge and Oakey. PAMPHLETS. Plain and Simple Hymns. Rivingtons. A Few Practical Suggestions on Efretoral Reform and the Ballot. By One of the Middle class. Tweedie. Importance of the Temperance Enterprise. An Oration, delivered in Exeter-ball, December 27, 1853, by J. B. 4iongh, Tweedie. An Address to Children by J. B. Cough in St. Martin's hall, Long Acre, December 2)3, 1553. Tweedie. Railway Loans. A Few Words to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this Subject, as a Point of Finance. By Charles Hill, Esq., F.S.A., Fellow of the Statistical Society, itc. Mann Nephews. Why go to War with Russia, or Who is for this War ? Earnestly addressed to every Payer of Taxes. Edinburgh: Kerr. TIIE TOWER OF TIIE CHrRCH ST. JACQFES DE TA Bm - ctimitc, in Paris, is undergoing a complete reno vation. All the sculptures of the exterior are to be restored, and the niches filled with new statues, to replace those of which nothing but a few relics have been left for many years. The cost of this work, whose execution has been entrusted to M. Boiler, will be 50X0,000 francs., il