The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-03 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Books FOR REVIEW, &c.—Books, New Prints, Music, &c.,
intended for review, may be left at Mr. C. Mitchell's, Red-
lion-court, Fleet-street, London, addressed " to the Editor
of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD," when they will be forwarded
and receive attention.

Blackwood's Magazine. Edinburgh : Blackwoods.
It is always a pleasure to notice a magazine
which has done such good service in the promotion
of healthy literature and sound Conservative policy;
but the present number coming so immediately upon
our publication, we must be content to point but
briefly at its igteresting contents. It opens with a
continuation lior the charming story of " Lady Lee's
Widowhood," the monotony of which is disturbed
by a variety of lovers, presenting the most striking
contrasts in character and eligibility. " Count
Arensberg, or the Days of Luther," is a review of a
novel under that title, by Mr. Sortain, of Trinity
College, Dublin, whom the reviewer describes to have
been faithful to history and fair in his polemics. The
lovers of science will he delighted with the next
article, headed "The Circulation of Matter," which
is drawn chiefly from Johnston's" Elements of Agri-
cultural Chemistry," a subject of increasing in-
terest. " From Brest to the Island of Bourbon" is
a pleasing description of a voyage in two French
frigates, in 1843, as detailed by Dr. .I van. The
next article is also from a French source, being a
notice of " Lord Wellington in Spain," by Jules
Maurel, a Frenchman, who has earned for himself
the reputation of having written the best eulogium
of our departed Duke. In "Dr. Chalmers as Poli-
tical Economist" the reviewer, while praising his
author, exposes some of the errors into which he has
fallen. Aft " A Tale from the French Stage,"
which shows that Blackwood is devoting more and
more attention to French literature, the magazine
concludes with a humorous yet withering sarcasm
on the miserable American delusion of "Spiritual
Manifestations." We may observe that this number
is without any political essay, which most readers
of Blackwood have learned to look for.

General History of the Christian Religion and
Church. London : H. G. Bohn.

We have here the eighth volume of Neander's
celebrated work, and with it is concluded the his-
tory of the Christian Church, as published by the
great German. Since his death a posthumous
volume has appeared, compiled from his papers, by
his pupil Dr. Schneider, so that there is some pro-
bability of a further continuation. Mr. Bohn has
determined upon having the remainder translated
for his excellent and truly cheap edition ; and at
its completion he promises to give a general index
to the whole. Mr. Bohn, by the selection of such
a work for his " Standard Library," has conferred
a boon on the students of history, the value of
which we can hardly estimate too highly.

Alison's History of Europe. People's Edition.
Edinburgh : Blackwood and Sons.

When the nineteenth century shall have passed
away, the publication of Alison's " History of
Europe," in its present shape, will be remembered
as a momentous event in the history of that cheap
literature which forms a distinguishing feature of
the age we live in. Few "first parts," so suggestive
as the present, have ever fallen into our hands. We
have turned over the one hundred and twelve com-
pact pages of letter-press, which are offered for a
monthly shilling—or for the poor man's three half-
pence a week ; and we have done so with a deep
sense of gratitude, and the most unfeigned wishes
for the success the Messrs. Blackwood so well
merit. It is not the time now to argue that perio-
dical literature is the bane of our age, and the
destroyer of true knowledge and greatness. Perio-
dical publication and cheapness are now unques-
tionably the two requisites for success; and the
right way to counteract evil influences, is to send
into the market good books, with all the attractive
adjuncts (if possible) in which the useless and the
positively wicked are almost sure to excel. The
Messrs. Blackwood, with none of the arrogant pre-
tensions to cheapness which disgrace too many
publishers, have published what all must admit to
be the most moderately priced work ever given to
the British public. Sir Archibald Alison's great
work is to be completed in forty-four shilling parts.
The paper, type, and illustrations, are of the first
quality.

The Annals of Roger de Horeden. London:
H. G. Bohn.

One of the oldest and richest treasures in the
cabinet of English history, is here presented to the
reader in a fresh form—comely, and all unlike the
cumbrous editions of the past, which were not only
cumbrous, but frequently incorrect. Roger de
1-loveden, by some supposed to be a native of
York, lived and wrote in the reign of Henry III.;
and, although a professor of theology at Oxford, it
is believed that he united the study of the law with
that of divinity, and acted as one of the clerks or
secretaries to the king. From the union of eccle-
siastical and court influence, this industrious and
learned man had of course access to the most
reliable sources of information ; and, although
Leland has charged him with surreptitiously bor-
rowing from Simeon of Durham, it must be ad-
mitted that he gives a clearer and more correct
view of English history, and pays more respect to
chronology, than his North umbrian predecessor.
We value Hoveden's book, because it is the fullest
account of the same period extant, and for this
other reason, that it reveals the character of the
English educated mind in the twelfth century—
believing in Christ, yet daily visited by the Devil in
person, or by omens, or by frightful astrological
predictions ; uttering pious ejaculations, and in the
same breath condemning to summary punishment
Jew, Saracen, heretic, and pagan ; delineating with
some measure of sadness the frailties and miseries
of mankind, but never on any occasion wasting a
word of sympathy on their sufferings. That Mr.
Riley is the translator of this work is a sufficient
guarantee for its faithfulness and ability.

Australia Visited and Re-visited.
London : Addey and Co.
We have here a narrative of recent travels and
old experiences in Victoria and New South Wales,
by Samuel Mossman and Thomas Banister, the
former the author of a valuable work on "The Gold
Regions of Australia,"—the latter favourably known
as the author of " Britain and her Dependencies."
Although, in a literary point of view, the present
book is capable of improvement, still we have no
hesitation in pronouncing it the best account of
authors\gge are
eid which has yet been published. The
plain, conscientious, painstaking men,
who describe what'
they haven and in doing so
have evi 'ently repressed all flights of the imagina-
tion—feeling the responsibility of
determine
eeir
upontask, as i t
related to those who might
hazard-
ing their fortunes in Australia, and even as it con-
cerned the general reader. 'e have derived from
its pages the clearest and most distinct view of our
golden colony which we have yet been permitted to
enjoy through the medium of books. To all who,
keeping pace with the increasing knowledge of the
age, wish to learn something of Australia, we
heartily commend it ; while to the intending emi-
grant we deem it indispensable, if he wishes to
avoid the painful condition of being ignorant of the
voyage, and of his adopted land. The maps,
which form a most valuable feature, are by Mr. A.
R. Johnston, geographer to the Queen. The
publishers have done their part well; and a more
tasteful, as well as useful, addition to the drawing-