The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-01-27 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICES.

THE WORLD AND How IT WAR KADT..—This is
the title of • small work recently published by Mr. J.
Sherren, of Weymouth. The author, in his preface,
says: "In them days of change and development, it is
refreshing to linger in the green naths of our childhood,
and to dream among the historical and traditional
records that generations have held wend, and upon
which the grand superstructure of all that is noble,
beautiful. and good, has been raised. Feeling the in-
fluence of these old associations, we offer no apology
for transcribing our thoughts as we have revelled in the
early Mosaics] amount of our earth's creation. Leav-
ing miens. to the philosopher, and bolding fast to that
faith which has proved • buckler against temptation to
thousands, we hope that our readers may experience a
portion of thesiMo pleasure in perusing these iniagin-
logs of a fervid brain, that we have in committing
them to paper." The subject iii sublime one, and the
author ho treated it in • masterly manner. In
imagination he Inv.' this mundane sphere to revel in
the abode where

" --Seraphim pealed through the bright expanse
Of Heaven's high dome,'
to view the process by which order sprang from chaos,
and

paved the way
For unborn scenes of harmony and truth."
Following the Mosaic account of the original state of
this globe, he saps:—
"Forth went the word, and at the high behest,
Atom on atom piled beneath the spell :
From Rhine nothingness now grew the first
Created sphere disordered chaos knew.
For until now had shape or order ne'er
Their fair existence in those wild domains;
But in the plaue of beauty and the charm
Of rare design—Thy work, Intelligence !
Disunion, foe alike of mind and form,
Spread wide its cankering blight along the scene ;
While darkness, helpmate fit for such a work,
Roo° like a goul of evil from his train.
And with his outstretched wings—dread canopy—
Chemed upon all one undistinguished night,
And clay-sold deep, dank with eternity."
And then, when the light was divided from the dark-
Das, and the first day's work completed, Jehovah is
represented as assembling the Angelic host to view what
he had done
:
"Within the cloud-built palaces of air
In crescents vast stood the Seraphic Host,
Each in his own successive order planed;
From the archangel, whose intelligence
Like orient pearls shone from his radiant brow,
Down to the humblest spirit of the air.
That, conscious of inferior merit, paused
'Mid clustering nturbers further from the scene,
And in the centre of this concourse grand,
Grander than all, the Hire of Heaven appeared
On jewelled throne, whose pure and dazzling rays
Gleamed like a net of diamonds interwove ;
His brow august a circling crown embraced ;
His sceptre emblem ot his power, divine,
Was slowly raised, and pointed o'er the world,
At which dread sign the whole assembly stilled,
And Godhead spoke a breathless calm
'Now let a vaulted firmament be spread
Around the earth, and let its office be
The veiling of the parer floods of Heaven
From the gross waters from the Earth-born Na.'"
We have road the little work with great interest and
pleasure, and although a kw slight reeisions would ho
, beneficial, the poem upon the whole is one of no
mean merit. We can heartily recommend it as worthy
of perusal.
Tit FAMILT PRAY= BOOK; or Morning and Even-
ing Prayers for Every Day in the year. London: Cassell,
Fetter, and Galpin.—The contributors to this novel but
very valuable addition to the lists of Messrs Cassell and
Cs' I's publications,are clergymen and dissenting ministers
of all evangelical denominations. It is unnecessary,
thereiore, to add, that it is entirely free from sectarian
Ines. A list of between forty and fifty contributors
are given in the prcepecnns, among whom are the Revs.
Canons Champoeys and Miller, the Reeds. Dr. Spence,
H. Allen, W. Brock, Dr. Allen, D. Osborn, W. It
Bunting, Prebendary Fisk, Archdeacon Utterton, R.
Murnity, Dr- Anus, and C. Clayton. The Rev,
Edward Gerbati M.A., Losaakbeat Grop's Lao-reed,

and Boyle lecturer;' and the Rev. Samuel 3fxrtin,
Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and
Wales, arc the editors. The work is piddialled in penny
numbern and monthly parte of M. or ILL each part, and
contains morning and evening. prayers for a month,
and etch lawyer is headed with • portion of Holy
Seriptufe suitable ter family reading, which, ill
1.1110 degtee, gives to the prayer its general tone and
character. The work is printed in hohl type and on
superior paper, and we kite en dembt it will receive,
an such a work dmerves to receive, s large circulation
amongst professing christians.
Ter BRITISH WHIIRMAII„tan FRITHS rft THI Sos•
Or Ton. London : S. W. Partridge.—The feel that half
• million of each issue of the British Workman and
their way ill the frottage• of the "none of toil" is of
itaelf as illustration of the high estimation in which
this publication is held by the elms for whom it is more
e.pecially intended. The admirably elevated engravings
are worth the whole of the money charged rot the work,
besides which there is a large meat of instructive end
amusing reading. Tbe yearly columns are tmdefulir
gut up, and are well auited for pnsenta from parents
to their children, and from masters and mistresses to
their servante. The work is worthy of a place in every
litambold.

THg tertttsiovoegg's Mamie MN:Aim; double
number. London :S. O. Beeton sod Co—This seriel
cannot fail to become a great fsvnurite among the fair
sex. The number for the present month contains, be-
sides between 40 and 50 ',ages 54 love tales, serious
essays and reviews, • description of the fashions, a sheet
of designs for useful and ornamental needlework,
illustrations end disgrarns for elating out and maideg •
ball dress leiddiee, and the new hoe pestilion orate for
dinner coatumedind two prettily.shaped bonnet curtains,
illudrations of new riding-habits, and warm wraps and
fashionable jackets, new coiffures and head dress,
nep mountings for ladies' needlework, design for plated
coils r and cuff, Hz illustrations of aprons petticoat
insertion, an entire alphabet of smbroidered letters,
velvet head-dress, toilet emblem, pen wiper, three
children's costumes, with foil direttions and descrip-
tions for making buil working ; two Button plates; •
coloured pattern for lamp mat for raised swot-work.
Also, printed in colour, Greek braiding design for
dresses, braiding design for bonnet strings, embroidered
velvet glove gauntlet ; and • lady's muslin cravat traced
ready for workiis4. Surely here is money's worth, and
variety enough to please the most fastidious.
Teis Ban's Pgs T MAGAMAIL London: S. 0.
Beebe—Thu. is • new monthly magazine, containing
28 lieges of letter press and illustrations sewed in •
wrapper. "ft having been represented to the pro-
prietor of the Boy's Own Magazine that the change of
price, from twopence to sixpence monthly, would pre-
vent a great number of boys buying the magssioe, he
has determined to ions • periodical for youth cheaper
than ever' :Molt the present seriel is within the
reach of every boy, pocket. The first number contains
ten tales—just such as a boy would be likely to read
with the greatest avidity and delight ; two pieces of
poetry, puzzles, conundrums, curious ex perimenta, notes
sod queries, and things worth knowing. It is• espied
hot', book.
_

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TNII NEw'R ALMANAC' for 1863. London : office of
The News."—This hi • •ery useful compilation, being
a banking, invaranoe, railway, and public companies'
diteetcrry, besides containing the information usually
found in Almanacks. It states that, in the part year,
footmen Insurance Companies ha.e tranafetred their
bilsinms—thaf of these fourteen offices one was estab-
lished fifty nine Ices ago, mother thirty-sis yearn; a
third twenty.uine port and • fourth twenty-eight
years ago.