Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-03-05
NOTES ON NEW BOOKS.

NOIES ON NEW BOOKS.
OUTLINES OF ASTRONOMY; by Sir JOHN HrnscHEL,
| Philadelphia Blanchard & Lea. ~
The method adopted by the author Of this excelen,
elementary work is neither the analytic the synthetic
but rather such combination both as constitutes the
ddacc It's object is not to refute objections but sim
ply to teach what is hnown All that required of the
student is acquaintance with decimal arithmetic geo
metry, rigonomery and tncture of the elementary
principles of mechanics and optics AS the book leads
the voary merely to the porch of the temple Of SCIENCE
full admission to the sanctuary attanabe only by the
proficient in mathematcs-the great instrument Of all
exact inquiry
As preparatory STEP the seeker after truth expect
ed to dvest himself of all preudces and discard all pre-
you crude and notions and thus be prepared to
admit any conclusions sustained by logical argument Al
most all the deductions of astronomy openly contradict
unframed and superficial observation. Thus the earth
on which we stand is Invested of its apparent attribute of
my and is conceived revolving its centre. The
sun and moon become vast globes the planets habtabe
worlds and the stars of various and transcendent
glory centres of life light myrads of unseen worlds
The chief novelty in this volume is the mode of treat
ing the subject of PERTURBArIoS The chapters devoted
to this subject however, addressed to class of read
ers Of mathematical attanments higher than requisite
for the study Of the rest of the work By resolution of
the disturbing forces different from that adopted by
Newton the momenary change place of the disturbed
eipse is brought directly under inspection and clear
of conception introduced into the perturbation of the
eccenrcite perihelia and epochs which can be obtain
ed by no other method and in keepnghere to
roduce agebrac Investigations it could be shown that
the procedure adopted would lead by easy steps, the
general formu of those perturbations delivered by La
! Place in the Mecanique Celeste
In order bring this edition up actual state
Of astronomical discovery several valuable improvements
have been made to the work The elements of four new
Observation-Disclosures Egera, Victoria and Irene-haye
been added; and improved elements Iris Metis Hebe
and Hygea substituted for provisional elements be-
fore given The remarkable discovery of an additional
ring OF Saturn and the curious researches of NJ Peters
IN the proper motion Of Sirius, also noticed
Ihe work is illustrated with numerous plates and
woodcuts
a DIGEST OF THE LAWS, CUSTOMS MANNERS AND ISsrr-
TuTIoSs OF THE ANCIENT MODERN NATIONS; by
AHosAs pEw, late President of the College of William
ulia Mary. Kew York: Appleton
Inc Disest was originally prepared the outlines of
series o. Lectures be delivered before the class of hist
ryan william and Mary College by the author who was
professor in that department
i Inc WORK constitutes historical manual of no ordpa-
:! merit and possesses decided advantages over the com
pendums now in use in schools and colleges Indeed
the nnye for the preparation of the treatise was
the imsrfecton and unhtnessofthe compilations
and he,ecessty Of proper textbook be placed in
the hand Of the student accompaniment to the his
torical lecture.
The vouoe before u.s. unlike most modern compends
consists rot,f catalogue Of events chronological
arranged nut in laborious and instructive dget Of
the laws ussms manners and institutions Of ancent
and modern nations
The department Of modern history appears TO have
been prepared with unusual industry and ii is
believed that this publication will meet the demand now
existing schools and colleges of suitable text
book adapted the wants Of he student and subsidiary
70 the labOrs Of the lecturer
On sale by TAYLOR MAuRr, Washington.
We have received from the liberal publishe- Mr. PUr-
NAM, Of New York, through F. TAYLOR, the avenue
where the work is sale, very acceptable present
copy Of CALLcor's Hand Book Of Uncasdl Geogra-
ply" being Gazetteer Of the World 1t is comprised in
one thick volume and embraces all additions places to
the present time. As every body who reads at all has
daily need for gazetteer this compendous work is
Of the most useful additions to the stock of literature
which the teeming but discriminating press Of the Pur
MANS is daily throwing out
BIoGRAPuY-We have to acknowledge also the receipt
Of very interesting and really superb work, for which
we are indebted to the polite publishers, Messrs Cor
} xIsH. L.MroRr 6 Co., of New York This is biogra-
phca work being Portraits Of Eminent americans no0
Ljag with biographical and historical Memoirs of their
Lives and Actions by JOHN LIVINGSTON, Esq., of the New
York bar The title the interesting character
OF this work. executed with the ability and impartaity
which from the reputation Of the author it undoubtedly
IS forwe have had leisure look far into it. 1t fills
two large Volumes beautifully printed and is embeished
by finely engraved portraits Of its subjects For
sale BY f. TAYLOR and TAYLOR MAuRY.
"PurSAMs MONTHLY We have received also the third
number this valuable periodicals. 100 compact pages
filed with amusement and instruction
SrAr On he