The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-17 00:00:00

Mr. Bohn's Volumes for November.

The Prose TVo7ks of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
One vol., pp. 580. Henry G. Bohn.
An Essay on the Evils of Popular Ignorance, 4-c.
By John Foster. One vol., pp. 394. Henry G.
Bohn.

Although Mr. Bohn, during this last quarter of
a century, has become the possessor by purchase of
shoals upon shoals of valuable copyrights, and
month by month, volume by volume, has re-issued
old standard works as additions to a whole series of
Libraries—he still contrives, in some mysterious
manner, to have one or two thoroughly well-known
English classics, to sand forth thus from the press,
by twos and by threes, with the
.magazines.
In this way, but very recently, as we
took occasion to notice at the time, he
has published in a cheap and beautiful
form Miss Mitford's charming Sketches of " Our
Village," a cluster of the famous " Essays" of John
Foster, the friend of Robert Hall, Mr. Russell
Hind's Popular outline of " Astronomy," and seve-
ral of the choicest " Fairy Tales" of those Brothers
Grimm beloved alike by philosophers and by chil-
dren. Now one of b is libraries, now another of them,
is:selected by Mr. Bohn for these monthly additions
—libraries as varied in character as the Standard,
the Scientific, the Philosophical, the Illustrated,
the Classical, the Antiquarian. The most recent
among these multifarious and always well-selected
republications, are the two volumes now demand-
ing some notice at our hands, the volumes issued
with the magazines for this current month of
November. They are both old familiar favourites.
One of them a collection of three lovely stories—a
volume complete and perfect in itself as a collection.
The other being a continuation of the serial re-issue,
thus, in occasional volumes, of the finest essays
penned by one of the most able and brilliant among
our modern essayists: a writer here already referred
to—John Foster, the great dissenting Essayist, one
of the loftiest intellects among the most eminent of
the Dissenters. The addition now made to his
writings in the shape of this new and most accept-
able edition—an edition calculated very consider-
ably to extend the popularity already acquired by
them in their original form among thinking
men—is, ii not apparently at the first glance parti
cularly attractive, at any rate certain to be found upon
examination, intrinsically, most judicious. The
Essay on the Evils of Popular Ignorance, in truth
stood, beyond any doubt of it, high among Foster's
masterpieces. It is a great lay sermon—wonder-
fully eloquent at times—and throughout most
impressive. The text, as we may almost call it,
prefixed to this lay sermon is from Hosea; run-
ning briefly thus, " My people are destroyed
through lack of knowledge." And, how strikingly
Mr. Foster expatiates upon this awful theme, no
one can even faintly conjecture who has not
carefully followed out his remarkable argument.
File purport of it comes even to the
more reflective reader almost like a revelation. It
seems as though, until Foster painted the terrible
truths sent to us, that we had not realized even
partially the fearful burden of ignorance weighing
down the great messes of the population. But
yesterday, as it were, that wide• spread ignorance
was, with the generality, far more tearful, of course,
than it is now-a-days, even in exceptionally dark
and neglected localities. It is an ignorance that
has been plombed by Parliamentary investigations
Bluebooks have recorded its magnitude, its
prevalence, its blackness, its profundity. It
is in no way an evil, vague, uncertain, ima-
ginary, supposititious. It is as real and afflicting as
the poverty accompanying it. It is a " darkness that
may be felt !" How large the audience is already won
for himself by the gifted writer of these pages we
may recognise in the terse and striking intimation
upon the title-page, " Twentieth Thousand." Mr.
Bohn's New Edition, it should be remarked, more-
over, is is one that has been carefully revi‘sred,e
some parts considerably enlarged.
syllable
acceptance in any form no one
Works" of Professor Longfellownee' need
of
rhforaPtrhoesier
England
introduction. Their popularity
Ameriica : and
will, with their popularity it
Is the welcome
in both countries almost eau
thea
same charm
accorded to the poetical works
cially interesting to
ing writer. It is always
esfipelds and pastures new',
follow a poet into
tnh oe f fresh
nrvo
.ke nhda ;p
ens
sm
toor e
bpe a rot
fi caun-
laofr pose
itc °siro' when
ei
the
imaginative character:
,P:lithesma
masond MooresG r'ay::—Alsvt ciiph set-
ron," Charles Lambs
little home tales like the latter, glorious raids
into the Great Classic Fairyland like the former :
even casual ventures of that kind are always
found to be most acceptable to these who
care for the poet at all. The grandest
instance of all, of course, grow up for the masses
first, no doubt, unconsciously, and afterwards for
a long while but very doubtfully, by reason of the
thick and, at the outset, impenetrable veil of the
anonymous hiding froTmhiveiewwateh,e
sanely,
ofw when
Great Unknown.
Walter Scott the Poet became the grandest
prose writer of fiction that had ever lived,
the Wizard AemaLci6t of the North, the inaup-

rator, as the author of the Waverley Novels,
of a new and resplendant school of imaginative litera-
ture ! Professor Longfellow, as a poet turned writer
of prose, stands, so to speak, intermediately between
a brief teller of tales like Charles Lamb, and a giant
weaver of romance like Walter Scott. "Kavanagh,"
and " Outre.mer," and " Hyperion" take their place
—always as a cluster of stories carefully kept to-
gether—upon an available shelf in our library, in
between the shelf bearing upon it, a dear little book
like Rosamond Grey, and others of that character
(and there are a few such), and those larger and more
extended shelves upon which are ranged the glo.
rious array of " Waveriey," and its followers,
" Ivanhoe," ``The Talisman," " Rob Roy," " Guy
Mannering," and how many others, down to a few
small fragmentary tales that are turned to for the
sake of Sir Walter rather than for their own, little
tales like those of " The Two Drevers," and the
" Surgeon's Daughter." Mr. Bohn's volume of 580
pages, comprising within it these three pet stories b.r,
Professor Longfellow, " Hyperion," " Outre-raer'
" Kavanagh," will be found upon turning over the
leaves to be plentifully and very gracefully illus
trated by no less than four skilful pencils, these
of
Baxter, of Vizetelly, of Cattenacci, and best of all
by that of Birket Foster. As the Frontispiece,
Beirkp amongst the
has given us the prettiest little
pe gst the trees, of that famous house at
Mount Vernon, doubly classic, doubly interesting'
as the home nowadays of the poet Longfellow,
the home formerly of the patriot 'Washington.

The Teeth, as Supplied by Nature, and Preservd
by Art. By M. C. Rogers, M.R.C.S., Surgeell
Dentist, London.—Mr. Rogers shows us that the
teeth are the main agents in ministering to health'
and are therefore deserving of every care. He
presented us, in a very pleasing and popular, en'
at the same time accurate way, with a descriptive
history of the teeth, from their birth to their death'
pointing oct the various diseases to which they are
subject, with the method of preventing or con:that'
ing them. We commend this little work to all Vile
are not careless about health.

The Acclimatisation Society of Great

Britain.

•
The monthly meeting of the council was hela a
the offices (3, Duke-street, Adelphi) on Wednesdait
the 11th inst., et three o'clock p.m.; B. Waterhenet'
Hawkins, Esq., presiding.
The following candidates were submitted fer
election, and were unanimously elected, via.
Life Members—Sir Percy Burrell, Bart.,
Martin Tucker Smith, Esq., M.P., 13, Upper Be':
grave street. As Annual Subscribers—Herbs
1
Barry, Esq., Hillingdon ; Edward Bellamy, 1341
1, St. George's-road, Eccleston-square ; Dr. Blather
wick, Highgate ; W. H. Brougham, Esq., Gothic
Villa, Isleworth ; J. L. Broughton, Esq., Aiming'
ton Hall, Market Drayton ; Frank Chadwick, Bsci"
the Hermitage, near Preston, Lancashire; James
Crowdy, Esq , 17, Serjeant's-in a, Fleet-street; 3.°1,2
Draper, Esq., Reform Club; F. G. Dyne, Esq.,
Chapel-street, Belgrave-square; T. P. -Milian-
Ellis, Esq., C srnarvon, North Wales; H. Fenveicifer,
Esq., M.P., Sou thill, Chester-le-Street, Durham r'
Eyre Foakes, Esq., The Fishery, Denham, neat,s
Uxbridge; Myles L. Formby, Esq., Sampford
Braintree; Thomas A. Freeman, Esq., G°,,e-,
Church, Oxford ; W. Greame, Esq., Stone 14°11..k.
Ohibury, Salop; R. C. Hanam, Esq., Laleham,
dlesex ; E. B. Hannaford, Esq., High Wyconlber
Bucks ; P. Hood, Esq., M.D., 15, Lower Seymour-
street, Portman-square ; the Rev. W. li.ingertleei
Seymour/
Kilvington, Thirsk ; J. Mackinken, Esq., Cha
Castle, Stafford ; Lewis A. Mejendie, Esq., 11.e,„,c-
-lingham Castle, Halstead, Essex ; the
Marsh, Wetherfield Place, near Braintree ;
wood Reade, Esq., Arundel Club ; H. J. Schroeder,.
Esq., 24, Grove End-road, St. John's-wood; oh°
A.D. Wake, Esq., Tatchbury Manor House, South'
ampton ; J. G. G. White, Esq., Manor House,
Brintree ; S. M. Woodmason, Esq., Butter:sore'
Cockermouth ; Charles Wright, Esq., 376, Strand'
being two life members or donors of £lO, an
twenty•eight annual subscribers.
The secretaries report Mr. Baring's letter froill
the India Office, stating that Sir Charles Wood ig
willing to recommend to the Government of Indies
and also to those of the Presidencies of Bombay and
Madras, the furtherance of the purposes of the
society through the agency of the officials under
their authority, so far as consistent With their other
duties; and also the interview eince held betweenhao
deputation of the council and Mr. Merivale on the
subject. John J. Stone, Esq., and the
were requested to draw up the letter required
proposed
Mr. Merivale stating the modus opera-
society .
society is
the agents appointed to act for the
Calcutta.
The secretaries also reported the niernorandu
issued by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty'
re-
directing that so far as is consistent with the „,
quirements of the public service, and upon the ael
eecretarby
tinct understanding that no expense is incurred:
every facility is to be given by tha comnlanu ,
officers of her Majesty's ships and vessels to :LI;
accredited agent of the Acclimatisation Society
ens.
may apply to them for the transport of speein3Bars
[Both the Admiralty memorandum and Alr. ,er
ing's letter were printed in The Field of (Mon
24.]
The secretaries reported several matters as to,thi;
proposed purchase of animals, &c., and direetlf
of
a
were given accordingly : also the preparation to
consignment of small birds for Queensland, 00c1;
etl
presentation by A. C. Maclean, Esq., to th e
of a handsome specimen of a hybrid bet-cc gen tit.
Japanese and English pheasants. A parcel of see,..„(ls
.
sent from the Botanic Gardens at Melbouriseutohrel
B. Tegetmeier, Esq., having been pd resentbe
Dt o
rt. the
ns onceite:
oyt,
she
lei st
Britisho f them
title :.udinb.eae
who concurred in reporting that most of them were
and
as up
rm.
Hi t tycleodk
etraor
already common in thisc
tntroyr,
mainder possessed no qualities recommend
tente teedhtue
to the notice of the society.
Mr. Francis stated that the orders for Oa'
and fry already received at the piscicultur al est!'
blishment exceeded £BO, and that ample fa°l-f
lities for obtaining the requisite amount °
CourseB'
spawn were at his disposal.
director of the Imperial piscicultural establis
ft e
thed t hs
requesting to be furnished with a ground
.plan
wmehaicthahte llfeultniiringtuheei phroacdeedminangisfeos
ap,oaratus
ccordina -ly been
and a tracing, with lull notes,
bcatdeda that the, societi
detailed explanations of the society'
sent to him. Mr. Francis e_lPein
us establishment
would be able to assist the enttye :suhflyj!
B aid.
tea
Before the meeting broke up r. Backhand ta. 0
(with reference to a letter by Mr. Berkeley to th
County Chronicle, quot:vg
with salmon ova, in exchangeuufo gother
editor of the Dorset
from a letter written by
Mr. Backhand to Vr
Berkeley) that his letter was a private one ; thatJ;
:
much
and that he had seen its publication wit
had been written at a time when he was very li'
great regret. He could only say that he begged t°'
apologise most heartily both to the council and Mr.
irritated;g
Francis for the words used, and that he hoped thei
the good of the society. Mr. Backhand
would all henceforth work together unanirootslll:rt
was receivedreel*
with
great satisfaction by all P
's statevie-

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day
sitl°6B4
The market still inanimate, and little 1311--
doing, Sales about 3,000 bales.

COUNT COUNTESS DE FLAFLA- ,
_ .TveH.E
.COU. ri-r fc'
EdinArßieir,,
ANDon 'J: luLtrAs dpayy
c,o evening,NsTA Na tceEo vg 1035 f v,t.i.en°l4:o':
, le:
circle
ea N.Ascount end Viscountess Palmerston. and 9' --(' e.
erie,iniaEt
entertaining a succession of visitors at Calverler,r-
ari
Cheshire.
LORD BROUGHAM, prior to leaving
or
51:11
twice to Mr. Walton, of Saville-row,for Lonth® go it
portrait which that artist is painting of his lordstoPiater
will be valuable to future ages as a inetnento of til: ,0,(11,
years of the great lawyer, for it is hardly probable h: ; 0
ship will care to undergo the trouble of sitting I°
portrait again at his advanced age. has bee°
A NEW MODE OF DISPERSING A MOD
ilita
discovered, said to supersede the necessity of a
t'i
WO.it
force. It is to pass round a contribution box,
0
eff
THE POLISHAMAZON.-441dile* P st° udoo-j
late aide• de-camp to Langiewicz, is said to have ab
~.
cow
the profession of arms, and is now in a
sittlaticg3 t'*
panion to n lady in Galicia.