The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-17 00:00:00

BOHN'S CATALOGUE.

Bohn, London, 1840.
We should not notice this bulky volume, which
of course is without the pale of criticism, if it were
not to express our surprise at the immense variety
of books, in all languages, of which mention is
made in its closely-printed pages. There may be
more voluminous literal), catalogues in existence--
that of the late Mr. Heber, we believe, is one
—but certainly we have never seen any one whi,c4
could at r.. 11 be compated to Bohn's, whether in 1"8
number or variety of the works to which it refers.;
Imagine an octave containing nearly two thousso
pages, and devoted solely to an enumeration of thei
titles of books in almost every known Isug..4ehe
of then
largest volume of the kind which has
Well may Bohn say that his " catalogue 1.- lea
from the press ; and that it represents the must
recorded "
exte,isive and select assortment ever
stock of the bookseller I" He adds that the "
withou
tual outlay for materials and compilation'
taking into account his own labour, has bee,ni.,";
a fact which
wards of two thousand pounds,"
can readily believe, IN hen we come to look closet
into the catalogue. The collection, to say nutt'filns
of its variety, is an admirable one, for wef the
especially o
abundance of rare old editions,
singular works in
classics ; and such scarce and hitherto issued
the Frcnch, Spanish, and Italian languag,es, as
wad have set Scott's Jonathan Oldbuck and Do._e-
tor Dryasdust wild with extacy.
A catalogue
this is well calculated to lower the self-conceit
may .0I
any one who happen to pride himself on
t.hhe
extent of his reading, for it will itnpress him wit
the humiliating truth, that all that lie knows
*
mere nothing in comparison with that which he
does not know.

MAGAZINE MISCELLANIES. P4RTS I. and AA •
Dodsley, London, 1840.
Dr. Maginn has long been known as one
and,
of the
most successful,. periodical writers of his day,
under the name of Morgan O'Doherty, has for
years been in the habit of furnishing Black -
-
wood's Magazine with some of its ablest arti
cles, in prose as well as in verse. These articles
are now in the course of republication, and few
In
--
vigourpoi n t
andof mannersp simplicity
e; yw
while
as
indeed none—of the sort will bear it better.
writtenregards
fm
they
exhibit the most singular versatility of power.
Shrewd classical criticisms, sparkling sallies of wit,
tales replete with broad humour, translations from
tor
the Greek and Latin poets, into which the s •
putt of
the originals is infused with uncommon skill • ,—eaeb
and all of these may be found in these " Magazin*
Miscellanies," which thus recommended, will serve
to enliven many a weary hour, and force a smile
into many a thoughful countenance. But it is I.°
his capacity of humourist that Dr. Magirm is
most successful. Here he is ever in his element,
throwing off his drolleries, as in the instances of
the " Story without a Tail," the " Tobias Correa-
.
pondence," " First Love," and " O'Doherty
Maxims," without the slightest appearance of effort.
In this respect he has greatly the advantage of Hood
who, rich as his humour frequently is, always secrets
to us to labour at it. As a man of general info!.
mation, the Doctor deservedly ranks high in public,
estimation. He is familiar with the works of tehv
best writers of Greece and Rome is, we undr-
stand, a sound Hebrew and German scholar.; and
shows, even in his slightest essays, how intimate le
his acquaintance with good old English literature.
We believe he is now engaage dlron a translation
of
the Iliad and Odyssey—
cue task,
one for which he is every way qualified, and which,
if we may judge from the specimens that have
Blackwood 's
and Fraser's
already appealed in B
tru any
Magazines, will be the most
ly Ho meric
of
old Chapman's—that
version—not excepting even
has vet been given to the world.