The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-06-12
Gbe &sbish.

/
ArsoNs EUROPE from the Fall Napoleon 10 the Aces
sion of Ions Napoleon Vol and .
h VAGABoND LIFE MEXICO. BY Gabriel Terry
| rHE ENGINEER or, How 10 Travel in the Woods
| CIcERo's ORATroNs. Translated by c. d. Yonye
All published by Harper Il Brothers, New York
The springtide of publications has loaded
our table with such an accumulation of new
books from editors and publishers, that, amid
the press of other important matter which
crowds upon the columns of our Review, we are
obliged to forego the purpose of giving distinct
notices of many of them, as we had intended.
We shall therefore group together several in
one article, especially in cases of those which
have issued from the same press. This, too,
will be more satisfactory, both to publishers,
authors, and readers, than to delay them, as we
must otherwise do, for weeks, perhaps, before
each ones turn would come.
From this wellknown house, we have sever
al volumes now before US. The extent of cir
culation does not always prove the value of a
work. Every book from the press of these
widely-known publishers, we believe, is stereo-
typed, and to it must of course be allotted
some thousands of copies. Standing orders of
hundreds of different agencies will put into the
hands of readers large editions. Before the
hire, which destroyed so many books and plates
from which to print, there were works in the
Harpers' catalogue of their publications that
were better not to have been given forth. If
not immoral in tendency, they yet were of so
questionable bearing, one could not but be
surprised at their having such an imprineatatr
as that by which they were ushered into the
world. The later issues of this house are not
liable, in any considerable extent, to such OBJ
Jections; and as to the volumes now before us,
we are glad that we can feel they are suitable
additions to the literary stores of our reading
public.
The largest of these, Alison's Europe, is q
reprint from the last English edition, in two
volumes, bringing down the history to the close
of the last Polish Revolution, with the fall of
Warsaw. A subsequent volume by the author
has appeared, we believe, which, we presume,
will also be republished here. The merits and
dement's of Alisonis History have been so
thoroughly scanned and pointed out, in extend
ed reviews as well as brief notices. that it would
be useless task for US to attempt to add any
thing new on the subject. In all histories writ
ten while the actors in part are living, and the
full influence of their prepossessions or preju-
dices is felt, no criticism hardly can be deemed
impartial. So with this work. The author has
been severely condemned, and as highly laud
ed. Our impression is, that it is a work Of much
research, and that the author has meant to be
impartial; but, looking from the point of view
at which he is placed, he has, no doubt, often
failed to give all the weight to which it was en-
titled to the adverse side. 1t is, however, prob
ably the best work of the kind, covering its
whole period, in the English language. It's
style, though sometimes turgid and prolix, is, in
the main, clear, and adapted to its object. The
author was known as man of letters before
he undertook this task, and since it was begun
has availed himself of the criticisms with which
the earlier portions were received, to improve
as he advanced. There is one drawback to the
reading of these yolumes--we mean the fine
print. Perhaps there is an edition not in
double columns, in large fair type, as in the
case of Macaulays History. If not. there ought
to be, for it is serious objection to a valuable
book to have it compressed into small,
doubled-column page, however clearly the i'm
preston of the type.
| The next work from the Harpers' press on
orr list, is book full of life and animation.
The name of the author is not otherwise known
to us; possibly it may be merely an assumed
one, Or these sketches may be translation.
We have seen the book advertised as publish
ed in German, in a recent list of European
publications. But whether original or trans
lated, foreign or home-born, it is racy series
of sketches of piquant adventures, in a coun-
try of many peculiarities. The descriptions are
graphic, off-hand, without attempt at fine wri-
ting; great portion of the amusing incidents
are brought out by that sort of dialogue in
which we are made acquainted with the actors
in the scenes; and we are let into view of
Mexican life, manners, customs, and opinions,
in the most natural way imaginable. 1t forms
a very readable book, though we are half in.
clined all the time to suspect the author is
playing upon us trick, and trying to make us
swallow down his made-up stories for reality
Still, we have no reason to say so, and there is
SO much of an apparent truthfnlness, too, that we
accept his chapters as just such twins in the
kaleidoscope of adventure, as we might expect
in the case of a traveller like himself 1t gives
q sad idea of the state of morals there in many
respects, but accosds here with the general tes-
timony of those who have visited the country
and depicted its condition. The contents are
Perico the Mexican Vagabond; Tray Serapio,
the franciscan Monk; Don Tades Christobal
the Thieves Lawyer of Mexico; Remigio Var
quez the Miners of Ragas Captain Don Bias
and the Silver Convoy; the Jarochas; the Pilot
Ventura-each of which presents us with indi-
vidual character, and occurrences ske.ched no
doubt from life. 5ae'i
Another of the series of Harpers' Story Books, |
called The Engineer, with its easy and familiar
lessons, SO pleasing to children, adorned with |
illustrations, also lies before us. The many
youthful eyes that sparkle at the sight of a new