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
religion, it also exposes the perverted views to which
Tractarianism 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.,