The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-27 00:00:00

LITERATURE

Thomson's Winter. Annotated for the use of
Schools. By Walter M`Leod. Pp. 142. Long.

man and Co.

The editor and annotator of this charming little
schoolbook has here, not by any means for the first
time, evidenced his remarkable skill in the way of
insinuating knowledge delightfully. Of this rare
art, an art born of tact and experience (the one a
gift, the other an acquirement). Mr. M.Leod has
already shown himself to be in the fullest sense of
the term a Master—namely, by a companion
volumette of Thomson's Spring, now in its
second edition, and still more popularly by
his issue, upon precisely the same plan,
of Goldsmith's Deserted Village, now in its Tenth
Edition ! Each of these little books, it should be
said, is not only-as the title page intimates "For
the Use of Schools," but each of them is especially
adapted for candidates about to undergo examina-
tion. At the head of the title page, in point of
fact, are significantly enough printed "Oxford
Local Examinations." For the which, it may be
remarked, these kind of elementary brochu7es are
in effect the very thing. Preceding the Poem
itself, there is given a brief memoir of the Poet.
Thomson's " Winter," moreover, being accom-
panied by an abundance of notes, every one of them,
so far as we have been enabled to examine them,
moat aptly chosen, not one among them that we have
seen being in any way superfluous—notes critical,
explanatory and grammatical, as well as numerous
illustrative examples and remarks on the analysis
of sentences. Of the poem itself—what boots there
now to say one passing syllable. Who is there
whor knowss whatever of the poetical mas-
terpieces tp cLiterature, who is not familiar
eeein anything
English
with that magnificent Winter of Thomson—the first
in one sense, the last in another, at once the pre-
lude and the climax of his noble tribute to "The
Season," and through the Seasons to the Maker of
them? For the preservation of Thomson's fame in
English literature—The Seasons are his Ctaadri-
lateral. And it is the one of them that he first wrote,
it is the one crowning and completing this series of
four in their natural order when the three companion
poems had beencompleted—itis Thomson'a" Winter"
that Mr. M'Leod has here selected as the theme
through which to inculcate so many valuable truths
of grammar and of rhetoric to the student in quest
of this very information.

Vacher's Parliamentary Companion again sup-
plies us with a wonderful little waistcoat-pocket
epitome of the Lords and Commons, beautifully put
together, and yet published, for all that, at the
"ridiculously small amount" of Sixpence. The pre-
sent year of grace, 1864, is the thirty-third year of
its sessional appearance as a Guide Book. It is as
full and complete as ever; and its contents are at
this moment more than ever interesting, now that
the niceness of the balance of parties has become
such that the fate of the Ministry may be said to be
trembling nightly upon the suspension of a hair.

Nine cardinals' hats aro at present disposable.
Pius IX. has during his reign created 4.5 cardinals, and
seen 65 disappear from this world.
SHAKSPERE AND BIRMINGIIAM.—ThO people of
Birmingham, as well becomes the men of our chief War-
wickshire town, propose to commemorate the 23d April
next, by founding a local Shakspere Library.
William Itcupell, the great forger, is at the pre-
sent.timo an inmate of the convict prison at Vortsc:a. lie
works in the yard, cud is also engaged in levelling the
fortifications surrounding the town.