The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-14
abe Ssbieh.

| Taylor q injury. washington, u u
The design of this book is somewhat peculiar.
Instead of giving his Impressions of foreign
lands by way of a journal, he takes up classi-
fed subjects, and throws together the results OF
his travel as illustrations of the general topic.
This plan has many advantages, as it enables
him to group in one picture the elements OF the
beauties of nature or art that may have fallen
| under his observation, and gives a variety and
liyeliness of blended colors and tones to the
landscapes, which he paints oftentimes with
great effect 1t has likewise some disadvanta-
ges-the most prominent of which is, that the
individual object does not stand out in so clear
a relief as when alone. There is much fine
writing in the volume, and it would be easy to
select passages from it that display nice per-
ception of the relation of human feelings to art
or nature. A religious mood, too, character
ICES it-not enough evangelical, many will
think to satisfy them; but there is, so far as it
goes, calm, devotional spirit, allied to the d-
vine truths of the Bible, that it is gratifying to
meet with in the consideration of such topics.
The author is not afraid to speak of God, Of
other subjects which call forth his admiration.
Many interesting suggestions occur, which form
themes for meditation, and that may be i'm
proved for still wiser thought. His language
is rich, varied and beautiful. Occasionally he
errs on the side of exuberance, and betrays
somewhat Of an artificial or ambitious style !;
but in general he writes in good taste, as if
IDEAS not words, were what he has in view 1t
is evidently not book thrown off at random,
but called out by reflection. His claim of "the
superiority of art to nature" will perhaps hard
ly be admitted by all, even with the strong
points in favor of the former, by which he seeks
to establish his position. We can, however,
commend the work to our readers, as one in
which they may find much qualification, on ac-
| count of the pictures of beauty they will meet
with at every turn of the authors Kaleidoscope
pen; in unison with which, too, is the style in
which, with its loaded and clearly defined type
and smooth page, it affords case to the eye, af:
ter dwelling on the more crowded sheets of
many volume that comes from the press S.
BIBLE LIsHr FROM BIBLE LANDS BY the Rev Joseph An
derson, Hclensburgh, Scotland. New York: Robert
Carter ~ Brothers. 1856. For sale by Gray Baan-
tyne, Washington d. G.
Within a few years, that class of books de-
signed to throw light on the meaning of the
Bible, by means of better knowledge of the
countries, their manners and customs, in which
the scenes described occurred, has largely in
creased. Travellers have explored with great
er accuracy the Holy Land. Egypt and Assy-
ria are giving up their buried treasures; and,
notwithstanding now and then some one, who
fancies himself wiser than to believe what God
has written, may seek to deduce his conclusions
against the Divine Word from the testimonies
of antiquity, yet, in the main, there is grow
ing conviction that every year adds its con-
irmation to the declarations of the Scriptures.
By more diligent research and closer investiga-
ton, the attempts thus made to pervert the
mute witnesses that stand amid the solitary
ruins of ancient grandeur, and make them fall
sify the record, have been frustrated. The
Zodiac of Dendera, once hailed by French in
hdels as the testimonial of O more than an an.
tediluvian epoch, has been placed in the age
of the PtOemes; and the successive dynasties,
claimed for Manetho, have been demonstrated
in not a few instances, to be of contemporary
date. Even the accurate observations of Vol
ney and others, who had no such expectation
have been drawn forth, and cited as confirma-
tory of that very Bible they would have gladly
destroyed; and this, with the double advantage
that 'they are testimonies Undersigned, and of
enemies to the truth
Mr.. Anderson is both a traveller and COM
pier, and has here furnished us with another
useful book of the class we have mentioned.
Already, as the author of volume entitled
Wanderings in the Bible Lands" he has
brought together the result of his own observa-
tons, well as Of numerous travellers, to ena-
BILE the reader of the Bible better to understand
that work, which will be theme of increased
illustration and exposition, so long as the world
stands In his preface, he quotes the remark
of Sir David Wikie, the eminent Scotch artist,
when asked if he had any guide book for his
travels in the East: % Yes," said he, the very
best "a pocket Bible.
Mr.. Anderson's work is divided into three
books, embracing several sections -PREDIC-
TIoNs VERIFIED, DESCRIPTIONS ILLUSTRATED,
ALLUsIoNs EXPLAINED. Under the FIRST head,
he treats Of Egypt, Arabia, 1dumea, and the
Land of Israel the second treats of places and
customs; the third points to a variety of SUBJ
jects, which are chosen as figures or lustra-
tons Of the Bible. On all these topics besides
his own personal knowledge, he avails himself
of the statements Of the most authentic and ac-
curate travellers, and the whole is prepared
with an eye to usefulness for the general read
er. The assumptions of the late French trav-
eller, De Sauley, in whose footsteps the more
careful Hoander, It. Van Velde, still more re-
Gently trod, and sought to expose his errors,
Mr.. Anderson also calls in question. His aim,
in his extracts and proofs, seems to have been
to put down nothing but what is so far reliable
that the testimony they give to Scripture will
not be impeached. The method Of classified
ton, with its full table of contents, renders it
easy of reference; and to those students of the
Bible, in their own quiet homes, who cannot
avail themselves of the larger and more expen-
sive works of similar kind, or Of the original
sources from which he has drawn his ilustra-
tons, it is work which will especially justify
its title Of BIBLE LIGHT FROM BIBLE LANDS.
The CRITERION. New York: Charles X. Rode, No. 1l3
Nassau street Price 80 per
We have received the first and fifth numbers
of this new literary paper, devoted to Art, Sci
ence, and Literature. 1t is published weekly,