The Press.
London, England, 1855-06-02 00:00:00

And this to the first :

The greatest impediment was the badness of the cutting-
tools furnished from the storekeeper-general's office in
England; the profits of the contractor seemed to be the
only thing respected. The engineers eagerly sought for
French cutlery, because the English was useless !

Thus the first serious siege undertaken by the British
army in the l'eninsula was commenced, and, to the dis-
credit of the English Government, no army was ever
worse provided for such an enterprise. The engineers
were zealous, and some of them well versed in the theory
of their business, but the ablest trembled at their utter
destitution. Without sappers and miners, or a soldier who
knew how to carry on au approach under fire, they were
compelled to attack a fortress defended by the most prac-
tised and scientific troops of the age; hence the best oil-
errs and boldest soldiers were forced to sacrifice themselves
in a lamentable manner, to compensate for the negligence
and incapacity of a Government always ready to plunge
into war without the slightest care for what was necessary
to obtain success. The sieges carried on by the British in
Spain were a succession of butcheries, because the com-
monest materials and means neceassary for their art were
denied to the engineers.

The volume is a right one issued at a right time.
The gloom and glory of war are faithfully pictured in
it, and such generous praise is accorded to the
gallantry of our old foes that tho narrative of our
tierce struggles with them must tend to raise admira-
tion of their chivalry and increase the cordiality of
the existing alliance.

Every Boy's Book. By G. Forrest, M.A. London :
Routledge.

STARTING from the principle that "there is as much
" instruction in the playground as in the schoolroom,"
Mr. Forrest has included in his hook of sports and
amusements not only all games which can healthily
exercise the physical powers of boys, but those also
which have a tendency to call forth their faculties of
contrivance and ingenuity—which can lead them to
think, plan, look about them, and consider how diffi-
culties are to be overcome, and objects requiring some
forethought and perseverance are to be achieved.
This is an important part of a boy's education at all
times, and more especially so now, when there is a
continually-increasing demand for proficiency in me-
chanical science. In addition to chapters on all
kinds of athletic sports, as skating, swimming,
cricket, boating, angling, doe., and on such parlour
amusements as chess, puzzles, and conjuring, the
elements of the principal sciences are clearly ex-
plained and amusingly illustrated. The directions for
the rearing and treatment of birds and pet animals
furnish a good introduction to natural history, and
chapters on carpentering and gardening are calcu-
lated to direct the ingenuity of boys into the most
amusing, harmless, and, it maybe, most useful chan-
nel. The articles are all written with full knowledge
of the subject, and explained by a profusion of wood
engravings, the book containing upwards of six hun-
dred of them, from original and spirited designs.
Written in a free, bold style, which boys will appre •
ciate, the tutor is kept out of sight, though humane
and moral intelligence is never absent. Mr. Forrest
has been, perhaps is still, engaged in scholastic la-
bours, and it is a strong proof of his fitness to pro-
duce an encyclopedia of boy's sports that he says he
has found the task of directing the youthful mind a
pleasant one ; that he is fond of boys, has mingled in
their sports, and invented new games for them. The
book is produced in all respects in a style most cre-
ditable to Mr. Routledge's press.

The Calendar of Victory Commenced by the late
Major Johns, R.M. Continued by Lieutenant I'.
H. Nicholas, R.M. London : Longmans.

WE cannot better explain the design of this volume
than by a passage from the preface :

The plan of the work is exceedingly simple. Beginning
with January Ist, the successes of the English arms by
sea and land are briefly related for each successive day
throughout the year. The synopsis of our victorious
achievements is accompanied by a carefully-prepared
index, which, while it gives the date of any enterprise,
and directs the inquirer to the source of more extended
information, at the same time supplies a chronology of
military and naval occurrences from the wars of the cru-
sades, to the heroic struggle in the Crimea in the present
year.

We may add that the achievements of the army
and of the navy form separate portions of the work,
and that in each part, while usually there are several
distinct exploits for every day in the year, there is
no instance of a single day being without its blazon
of success for each service. That the sun never sets
upon our empire is a proud boast, but it is a prouder
that it should never rise but to commemorate our
victo►ies by sea and land. In the face of this volume
Lord John Russell would find it difficult to maintain
the assertion with which he meets all complaints of
governmental mismanagement—" England is not a
"military nation." Chronological tables, carefully
compiled, give every engagement of the army and
navy from the baule of Hastings to that of Inker-
mann, and an index refers to the exploits of every
commander in our annals. The volume must have
taken immense labour in its preparation, and, from
the vast amount of information it contains, its con-
venient arrangement, novel plan, and careful execu-
tion, richly deserves the patronage of the public.

—......-....,
'where the etymology of a word is doubtful, discussion a cause of excitement, while the wondrous Power of disci- that it should never rise but to commemorate our
'on it is reserved for the end of the article, the place Aline bound the whole together as with a band of iron, and victories by sea and land. In the face of this volume
also where remarks on comparative philology are in the pride of arms none doubted their might to bear down Lord John Russell would find it difficult to maintain
found. To each word space is apportioned according every obstacle that man could oppose to their fury. the assertion with which he meets all complaints of
to its importance. The typography and arrangement Passages here and there show that it is not without governmental mismanagement—" England is not a
are a great improvement upon every dictionary cause that the managers of the present war are so "military nation." Chronological tables, carefully
we have yet seen. The words are printed in a fond of referring to the events of the Peninsula for compiled, give every engage►nent of the army and
bold type, so as to stand out in relief from the precedents. The following relates to the second navy from the battle of Hastings to that of biker-
body of the text, and attract the eye at once; and siege of Badajos : mann, and an index refers to the exploits of every
the numerals, to denote the various significations of commander in our annals. The volume must have
The greatest impediment was the badness of the cutting-
-the word, are in the same type. The ordinary printtaken immense labour in its preparation, and, from
tools furnished from the storekeeper-general's office in
is remarkable for its clearness; and it is evident, England; the profits of the contractor seemed to be the the vast amount of information it contains, its con-
.even from a cursory inspection, that immense labour only thing respected. The engineers eagerly sought for venient arrangement, novel plan, and careful execu-
has been bestowed in correcting the press. As a . French cutlery, because the English was useless ! tion, richly deserves the patronage of the public.
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