The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-29 00:00:00

23 ... 42

lished.
46 ... Epistles, Book 1., published; Virgil
dies.
47 ... Tibullus dies.
48 ... Carmen Smenlare written.
50 ... Orbilius, Horace's schoolmaster, dies,
100 years old.
„ 13 ... 52 ... Odes, Book IV., published.
„ 12 ... 63 ... Epistles. Book 11., published (?)
„ 11 ... 51 ... Art or Poetry, published (?)
„ 8 ... 57 ... Death of Alweenas, and of Horace •
Augustus Emperor for the third
time.

PA 18 ..
„ 17 .
„ 15 .

From this it will be seen that up to his thir-
tieth year nothing had been done towards the
establishment of his vast literary fame as the
great lyrist and satirist—the follower of Brutus,
the friend of Virgil, the admired of Augustus, and
the favourite of Maecenas. Besides this charming
biographical and critical essay, the British Quarterly
will be found to contain many other agreeable and
some really superior contributions. First in point
of position is a chaptar of " French History in
18:53 ;" and certainly not last in point of merit, is a
paper on " Turkey and Russia." A review of
" Hypatia" will be read with interest by those who
have watched the progress of that serial through
Fraser's Magazine from its commencement to its
1 recent conclusion ; while from an article of a very
different character—one relating to " Electricity
and Magnetism"—may be culled an abundance of
valuable information.

Memoirs of John Abernethy, F.R.S., with a View
of his Lectures, Writings, and Character. By
G. Macilwain, F.R.C.S. Two vols. Hurst and
Blackett.
The author of this work, a pupil of Mr. Aber-
nethy, who had a great respect for his opinions
and labours, observed with regret, some time after
his death, that erroneous impressions were enter-
tained of them. He considers that, "to do him
full jusuice, it would be necessary to republish his
works with an elaborate commentary ;" but as this
would require more time and labour than any indi-
vidual could afford to give, he resolved, at least,
to publish a memoir, which, though a less satisfac-
tory, would be an easier, task. He has furnished
us with an interesting history of an arduous life
dovoted to the pursuit of science and the elevation
of a profession. The motto he has taken is—
" The evil that men do lives after them ;
The good is oft interred with their bones."
This is not the case in the present volumes, as
Mr. Macilwain has the highest opinion of Mr.
Abernethy, and perfectly coincides with his opinions.
He regrets that the arrangements of the hospital
he attended should have kept such distinguished
abilities for twenty-eight years in the inferior posi-
tion of assistant-surgeon, which deprived him of
the power of making those reforms and improve-
ments he would otherwise assuredly have intro-
duced. The author also laments that circumstances
induced him to commence his lectures so early in
life as the age of twenty-three, and thinks that so
much exertion and so little rest as he allowed him-
self in his early days affected his health in later
years, and detracted from his subsequent powers of
usefulness. His lectures soon became celebrated,
and his constancy in attending them is instanced
by the following
"I met him coming into the hospital one day, a little
before two (the hour of lecture) ; and seeing him rather
smartly dressed, I said, You are very gay to-day, sir.'
"'Ay," said he, "one of the girls was married this
morning.
" ' Indeed, sir,' I said ; 'you should have given your-
self a holiday on such an occasion, and not come down to
lecture.'
" Nay,' returned he, I came down to lecture the
day I was married myself ' "
The ensuing passage is from a chapter on his
lectures
"There was hardly any subiect that he touched of
which he did not take some view more or less original;
and his reasoning was always simple and to the point.
No man, we believe, ever exceeded him in the skill he
possessed in conveying ideas from one mind to another ;
but he did a great deal more—he ::nt tho7.e wlio really
studied him away thinking, and led them to work with
a kind of pleasure, wnich was in some sense distinct
from any mere practical or professional interest. He,
contrived to embue you with the love of philoLophical re-
search in the abstract, with a i interest in t-uth far iti own
sake : you found yourself. remembering the bare facts, not
so much from conscious effort of memory as from the
interest suggestive of observations with which they were