The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-10-23

BosroS, Oct. 30, 1919.
NEW BOOKS.

BosToN, Oct 20, 1919.
NEW BOOKS.
Messrs Ticknor & Co., ofour city, publish to-day
a very dainty looking volume, bearing the title of
Lectures ON subjects connected with Literature
and Life by Edwin p. Whipple" These lectures
have been emnently popular in the delivery, but
they will be found even better in the perusal MIR.
Whipple, though young man, Yields his pen with
the grace and skill of master of dcon and style.
We have few so pithy and eloquent writers. His
wit too, is keen and trenchant. Take the follow
ing passage from his book, which have selected
after a random glance through only the first eleven
pages:
the thinker ever precedes the actor Thoughts
ever have to battle themselves into institutions
The passage of paradox INTO truisn ID attehuoo
with numberless CONNEXIONS. With these commo-
tons rather than with the ideas and feelings whence
they spring. history has chiefly chosen to deal; and
il rarely notices the ten thousand agencies oper-
ating nations mind until reyolutl9ns nave
passed from thoughts into facts, and made them
selves known on fields of stricken battle. Every
great originating mind produces in some way u
Change in society; every great originating mind
whose exercise is controlled by duty effects bene-
fetal change. This effect may be immediate, may
be remote A nation may be in a tumult to-day
for a thought which the umid Erasmus placidly
penned in his study more than two centuries ago:
Beware says a brilliant essayist, when the great
God lets loose thinker on this planet Then all
Again:
at seems impossible for men to realize the i'm
portance and influence of authors purifiers or
prisoners of the public taste and morals For evil
or good they exercise vast and nomentous DO
minion But they not generally men distin-
guished from other men by superior strength OF
principle If neglected and despised, they teach
the lesson that if virtue and truth decline paying
wages to talent falsehood and profigacy are not 50
parsimonlous.
"A nn,a mora.
.Only what the mind conceives it assimiates
and draws into its life; intellectual conception
indicating penetrating vision into the heart OF
things through fierce, hrm exeruon OF vital, ere
alive force In this distinction between perception
and conception we have principle which accounts
for the limited degree in which 30 many persons
grow in intelligence and character, IN grace
and gracelessncss. Here, also, Is the distinction
between assent and faith, theory and practice. In
the one case, opinions lie on the surface OIL the
mind, mere objects, the truth OF which IT per-
ceiyes but which do not influence Its Will; In
the other, ideas penetrate into the very &c
Of the mind become one with it, and are springs OF
living thought and action. For instance, you may
cram whole foios of morality and divinity INTO the
heads of Dick Turpin and Captain Kidd, and both
will cordially assent to their truth; but the cap
tves of Dicks blunderbuss will still have to give
up their purses, and the prisoners OF kldds piracy
will still have to walk the plank"
Messrs Little & Brown have in press new edl-
ton of the late Henry Colman's Letters from Eu-
rome the first one which quite large, having
been speedily exhausted. Mr.. Coman had many
friends in England, and Lady Byron, who es-
teemed him highly, was among the Princlpal
mourners at his obsequies. Mr.. Colman, when
first knew him, settled as clergyman at
bingham, in this State He afterwards turned his
attention to agricultural pursuits, and has written
a work ON European agriculture which Will be a
lasting memorial of his literary and scientific cul-
ture as well of his prevailing notions on matters
of moral and social interest.
A CALIFORNIA MALcoNTENT
One Capt Downes who arrived here on Wednes-
day from California having returned on account OF
ihealth- gives account the gold diggings from
one week'sexperence which is rather discouraging.
He obtained little or gold, and says that only
one person out of twenty did well, while the nine
teen did worse than they could at home. The cap
tain says that the gold stories published here al
home are laughed at heartily by those at the mines
He advises all persons of family, who can do mod
crate business, to stay at home. Notwithstanding
this and similar unfavorable accounts, the encou-
raging stories predominant; and vessels are htnng
out from almost every port in New England Tor the