The Press.
London, England, 1853-08-27 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

The Mosaic Miracles Real, not Mythical. Ily the
Hey. W. G. Cookesley, M.A. Eton : 11'illiam r.
Tins is a letter from the author to his son. Mr. A.
F. Cookesley (residing at Malta), and contains, in a
brief form, adapted for popular circulation, a vigorous
reply to the pseudo-philosophical assertions of Ne-
ology. It is very tliffieult within the compass of a
dozen pages to rise "to the height of the great
argument ;" but Mr. Cookesley succeeds in exposing
the presumptuous mode of reasoning followed by the
Stranssiru►s. He thus specifies the works best
adapted, in his opinion, for a popular confutation of
the errors of German infidelity :
" Yllll asked me to inform you where I thought yon would
find the best answer to any objection that may be raised
against the truth of the Mosaic miracles. I was alai 4444 s
not to leave you without a reply for a longer time tl►:un
was unavoidable, and I sent you by the overland mail of
the following day a copy of Leslie's Short and Easy
Method with the Deists,' anal the '2l/th number of the
• Cautious for the Times,' ambling some observati of
nay own in a hurried letter. l also advised you to read
'times on the Pentateuch.' I have now sent you
'Watson's Apology far the Bible,' together with Arch•
bishop Whately's ' Introductory Lessons on Christian
Evidences,' and his admirable ' Historic Doubts relative
to Napoleon Buonaparte.' "
" Graves on the Pentateuch" is an admirable work,
but tit only for advanced students. Leslie is au
excellent writer, though his modes of statement are
too technical to gain popular readers. Watson's
" Apology" is a most effective tract, with an ambi-
guous title that savours of weakness. We prefer
" Magee on the Atonement " to any of the works
named above, as, in its refutation of Priestley and
lielsham, it destroys the class of arguments put
forward by Strauss and his disciples. It has been
publi,,lied in Scotland for popular circulation. We
are very glad to see Mr. Cookesley's eminent talents
employed on subjects which few are •u competent
to discuss.

Facts and Documents relating to our National De-
fences. By Captain ti. A. Warner. London : Piper.
CAPTAIN WARNER is the Mother Carey's chicken of
our political voyage. Whenever the horizon is dark
and storms seem brooding round us, the gallant
officer appears with some pamphlet fluttering in the
wake, symbolising to us the perils that are approach-
ing, and warning us to prepare against them. The
best, or rather the only, preparaf which he sug-
gests, we need hardly say, is the adoption of his own
mysterious projectiles. With these England, he
declares, is invulnerable ; without them she is assail-
able at every point. And if—which patriotism forbid
—they should be purchased by an enemy, from that
moment no wooden walls, no screw steam fleet, no
military camp, though multiplied twentyfold beyond
that lately evolutionising on Chobharn-heath, can
save us for a single hour. These conclusions, after
having formed the burden of many former brochures,
are reproduced in the present pamphlet, where we
find also a copious selection of reports, opinions, and
criticisms elicited from various quarters during the
protracted series of efforts on the part of the anther
and his patrons to obtain a ministerial sanction and
national purchaser for the invent' s in question.
t'apt. Warner, we still observe, persists in believing
that his system, whatever it is, has not haul a fair
trial, and that professional prejudices or personal
favouritism has always stood in his way. It would,
evidently, at this late stage of the business, be utterly
vain to make any attempt to undeceive him on this
point.

The Herb of the Field. By the Author of " The
Kings of England," ite. London : Nlozley.
TursE " Ch apters on Flowers," as they were originally
entitled, appeared first in the pages of a magivine.
They were designed ti, illustrate, every month, the
particular flowers then in bloom, with no attempt at
a bota:►ieal classification. A more scientific arrange-
ment was afterwards adopted: and the papers are
now collected into a vohnne, and presented in a form
likely to prove attractive to the juvenile readers for
whom they arc intended.

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVE!).

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Treettiee ms the Bunk tif Common Proper. By W. G. 11 tioliplir Il.n.
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Donaldson 's Ilebrese (:rfiNowtesr. .1 W. l'utker fuel Son.

tint ;kris.

LECTIIIES AND LECTEEEIN I'Dlt THE MECIIANDT.
INSTITUTES.—The Society of Arts has }wen actively
engaged for some time past in forming a union of the
literary and mechanics' institutions throughout the
country. One object of this society in entering upon
this work has been to collect for the institutions such
information as may aid them in procuring a more
able body of lecturers and a sounder and a more

useful class of lectures. In furtherance of this ob-
ject, it has recently issued to the institutions in union
a tabulated list of lecturers (formed from returns
furnishesi by the institutions themselves), with the
subjects on which they lecture ; and, having corre-
sponded with the lecturers KO recommended, has
been enabled t► state the periods and districts during
and in which the lecturers are open to engagements,
as well as, in some cases, the'cost at which the lec-
tures may be obtained. It is believed that this list
will save much unnecessary trouble and cores
spondence, both On the part Of the institutions and
the lecturers; but the society cautions the institu-
tions against supposing that the number of institu••
tions recommending a lecturer can be taken exactly
SS a guide to their relative merits. 1 t is believed
that the list so prepared will place before the ma-
naging committees of institutions a class of subjects
exceeding in interest, usefulness, and extent any
they may have hitherto possessed ; and by its means
it is hoped they may be enabled t► infuse an interest
into that class of subjects for want of which it is to
be regretted of late years the theatres of institutions
have become iu many cases deserted, or mere places
of amusement.

l4t rant 1.

PRINCESS'S TI I EATRE.

The Honeymoon has been played here without Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Kean. Mr. Walter Levy, RS the
Duke, played with more met' than his predeces-
sor. Ilurley, as the muck Duke, was, as usual, con-
ventional, but eminently " funny." Miss Murray's
performance was little more than a shadow of Mrs.
Charles Kean's in the same character; hut Miss C.
Leclerc,' played rio/ente with an intelligence and
meaning which only wanted a mow natural manner
in order to make her assumption perfect.

usit.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

ReoAmino the operatic performances at Drury Lane
as an expointent, to ascertain whether the best works
of the tieri and Italian, and even of the English,
school will attract autliences at moderate prices, we
are not disposed to criticise these perforinanceit very
severely. Yet. they will bear testing by any but a
very high standard. An ample orchestra, well kept
in hand by an efficient conductor, Mr. Anseheutz,
who has before tilled the post in London, is supported
by a numerous and disciplined chorus, with whose
faces the habitu4s of the Italian opera- houses are
familiar. it' in either department. the finish and pro
cision are wanting that characterise the perform-
ances at the Royal Italian Opera, allowance must
fairly be made for the haste with which the under-
taking has been organised, and for the want of the
influence of habit. In the dresses, with the excep-
tion of those of two or three of the principal artists,
and in the general false en saw, there are serious
deficiencies, which must he aseribed partly to the
same cause and partly to the state of the wardrobe of
the theatre. To counterbalance any shortcomings
in these respects, the director, Mr. Jarrett, has given
improvised public (which we are glad to see has
been multitudinous) principal artists of a high
onler of excellence. The operas hitherto performed
have been Per Freigelliitz (sung in Gentian) and
lAwrezia Borgia, which was given in Italian. Of
the former, the main uttraction was the Casper of
Formes, a unique artistic creation. The Lucrezia
Borgia was given for the• first time on Thursday
evening. Madame Cartelori, the prima donna
of the troupe, has a pure soprano voice of con-
siderable range, pleasing quality, and sufficient
flexibility, which she manages with musician-like
skill and occasionally invests with ;neat power. A
finely-formed and commanding person, and a digni-
fied carriage, cover what is conventional in her act-
ing. She has more energy than passion ; but in the
two trying points, after the poisoning of Gennaro,
and later, where she discloses to liim her relation-
ship, she carried the sympathies of her audience by
sheer power, though falling short of that height of
tragic passion which is only the gift of genius. Ity
comparison with the great majority of singers of litr
class she is far superior, and it is only a recollection
of the creation of Grisi that points criticism to htr
disfavour. llerr Reiehart, a concert-singer, as Gen-
nom sang with much sweetness and tenderness,
though exhibiting many of the peculiarities or faults
of German tenors. Formes realised, in Don Al...fonsio, a distinct creation, though his anger and „ire.-
lousy ware more rough and impulsive than what se
have been accustomed to in the more subtle and
Italian-like portraiture of Ronconi. A dibutante,
Madlle. Weinthal, was the Orsini. A nervousness,
natural to the occasion, was increased by some pre-
mature and seemingly-purposed sibillations, but,
partly through her merits and partly through the re-
spending indignation of the audience, she obtained,