The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-10-11 00:00:00

REVIEWS OF BOOKS.

331ac.'Iwood's Magazine. Edinburgh : Blackwoods.
It is always a labour of love to notice a magazine
which, confessedly at the head of our periodical
Sterature, maintains its position so ably and so
sell. The number for October commences with a
-ireview of " Uncle Tom's Cabin ;" a work which
,he writer acknowledges to have read only within
-the last month. He admits many faults of con-
struction in the story, but highly eulogises the
genius, piety, and good intention of Mrs. Stowe, in
her celebrated book ; of which the gem, in the"
reviewer's opinion, is the character of Topsy.
ISpeaking of another character, Gassy, he de-
scribes her as " a being whom we did not suppose
airs. Stowe, with all our trust in her previously-
cxhibited powers, equal to conceiving and sup-
porting. She occasionally reminds us of some of
the greatest passages in Greek tragedy." Praise
from such a source, and it is• not spared, must add
to the already wide reputation of the authoress.
—The charming story of " Lady Lee's Widow-
Ilood" is brought to a conclusion, after the approved
-fashion, though it seems to have required several
,glaring improbabilities to accomplish it.—The
-third part of the notice on " New Readings in
Shakspere" completes the review of the several
Alterations proposed by the MS. commentator,
-inhered into notice by Mr. Payne Collier. It is a
.merciless onslaught on the daring hand—for whose
vccupation the writer has no sympathy—when he
'Was paring and pruning the darling of the uni-
-verse.' We agree with the reviewer in most of his
iconclusions, but must take exception to his expla-
mation of the following passage in " Antony and
Cleopatra," where Caesar says :
" But you are come
A market-maid to Rome, and have prevented
The ostentation of our love, which left, unshown,
Is often left unloved."
lie meaning of which the reviewer conceives to
be—love which is left unshown is often left un-
returned. A far more obvious interpretation is,
that where love is left unshown, it often ceases to
be felt. In the tragedy of " Macbeth," Act IV.,
:scene 1., he gives the MS. commentator credit for
altering, " Rebellious head, rise never" into " Re-
bellion's head." It is an alteration with which
-we have been familiar long before the old corrector
was brought to light.—A paper, headed, " Rail
stud Saddle in Spain," is a sweeping, though de-
served exposure of the perfidy and dishonesty of
the Spanish Government, and a caution against
iembarking any money in Spanish Railway schemes.
'There is no political article this month, and the
3:umber concludes with an able vindication of the
icharacter of Dean Swift, from the unjust and un-
vbaritable aspersions of Mr. Thackeray, in his. Le-
ctures on " English Humourists."

Chambers' Edinburgh, Journal. Liverpool : Orr.
The part just published is one of the best which
tas yet appeared, notwithstanding the long and
popular career of this well-conducted periodical. It
contains several highly-interesting articles, both of
-entertainment and information, of which not the
least curious is an exposure of the secrets of some
of the apparently unintelligible advertisements
.which have appeared in the Times.

27ie Dodd Family Abroad. By Charles Lever.
No. XIV. London : Chapman and Hall.

The adventures of this erratic Hibernian house-
hold continue as full of frolic and courted mishaps
as ever. The manoeuvring blunders of the
"mamma, the little more skilful fishing of the
-daughter and son, and the half-knowing, half-
-blind perversity of the father, afford materials for
las nice a nitlange as the most enthusiastic lover
if light literature could desire. The illustrative
i3tehings are, as usual, clever and characteristic.

The Comedies of Aristophanes. A New and
Literal Translation. By William James
.Jliekie. Vol. 11. London : Henry G. Bohn.
On the English student of the Greek classics,
few greater boons can be bestowed, by any means,
than by furnishing him with literal translations of
the standard Greek authors, and more especially of
the dramatic poets. In the dramatic poetry of
IGreece, the machinery and language employed
lhave so little in common with the same appliances
1)1 the English drama, that a thorough comprehen-
sion of the meaning, and even an approximate
*ppreciation of the former is to a common English
scholar a matter of considerable difficulty and great
labour. By the intervention of such translations
Its this, the concluding volume of which is now
ibefore us, much of this labour is spared and
mearly all the difficulty obviated. On the first
volume we felt warranted in bestowing a warm
said approving welcome, and we are glad to find
that this, the concluding one, sustains the charac-
ter of the first. The present volume contains
4"Lysistrata," "The Thesmophoriazusw," "Frogs,"
"Ecclesiazusw," and " Plutus ;" and, as in the
=ling volume, the translator, in addition to a
English rendering of the text, furnishes us
also with copious readings from the best German
land other commentators ; besides giving parallel
illustrative passages from Greek and other poets.
In short, the translation and its accompanying
motes display much scholarly attention and a ready
understanding of the author, as well as familiarity
-svith the elucidatory remarks of the best commen-
tators. It forms a highly creditable addition to
the valuable series published by Mr. Bohn under
the denomination of the " Classical Library."

The Universal library. Nos. 21 and 22.
London : Ingram, Cooke, and Co.

The two parts just issued of the very hand-
,,ome and comprehensive series published under
the denomination of the " Universal Library "
maintain its character for cheapness and elegance.
'hey contain " Bacon's Essays, and Locke on the
iteasonableness of Christianity ; " together with
•' The Neighbours," " The Twins," and other tales
Uy Frederika Bremer.

Izaak Lakadam. By Alexander Dumas. Part I.
London : Vizetelly and Co.

This is a romance from the fertile pen of Dumas,
the wonderful Parisian feuiltonist, whose speed
and eccentricities of composition have formed
themes of admiration to the literary cognoscenti of
Europe. The scene of the story before us is in the
wicinity of Rome, and its period the latter half of
the fifteenth century. It contains some striking
and characteristic events, enriched by accompam-
-silents which in an ordinary romancist would be
called elaborate ; but, if we are to credit the tales
eve are told of the facility of romantic creation pos-
sessed by Dumas, we must consider them as little
better than artistic make-weights, hastily snatched
,4ip by the author, and thrust into the scale with-
-out premeditation or arrangement. The scenes
end incidents are generally dashed off with
sninch spirit, and are in a high degree suggestive.
Among those incidents is a competition of archery,
in which Izaak, a sort of nondescript pilgrim, plays
-the principal part, with the most perfect coolness
.end indifference, beating his competitors in a man-
lier much similar to that of Locksley in the cele-
brated archery competion at the tournament of
Ashby-de-la-couch in Ivanhoe, to which trial; in-
ideed, the scene bears a considerable resemblance.
How the story may turn out is, of course, diffi-
cult to say; the field it proposes to traverse is a fertile
one, and from the opening it promises well. It is
lbeautifully printed, and illustrated by two exceed-
ingly clever wood engravings.

l'he Three Presidencies of India. By John
Capper, F.R.A.S. London : Ingram, Cooke,
and Co.
I'ew books are more likely to be generally
`lam', or have greater chances of extended use-
."
L essiam., than a succinct and well-digested history
At the present time, when it is felt by
all part •
es that the resources of the vast empire
sessei
vos
by Great Britain in the East have
scarcely receivedan even the rudiments of their de-
goverriira7nt
otf t'isivhile crude schemes for the future
sgreat empire have been foisted
on the people of
Some estimate of the
rendering
country, a means of forming
hitherto pursued, and
the progress made in endrseing our Indian territory
.snd itt3 productions available for British uses, fig

at once both welcome and necessary. The qualifi-
cations required for the task of, producing a book
which shall supply such a means will not readily
be found united in one individual•; and it is no
disparagement to either the talent or the judgment
of Mr. Capper to say he does not fulfil all the con-
ditions requisite 'to the production of such a work.
One qualification, however, of no mean order, he
does possess. From a protracted residence in the
East, and from •having had practical opportunities
of studying our oriental institutions, and of can-
vassing their immediate operation, he is entitled
to be heard and attended to as an intelligent
witness ; and if we are sometimes • compelled to
receive his testimony cum notw, as one whose
conclusions have been biassed by the prejudices
inherent in the position he occupied, we are never-
theless called on to admit that he displays very
considerable knowledge of the subjects on which
he treats. In •his preface he lets the reader into
the secret of his feelings in respect to