The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-05-19


Lectures OF Metaphysics and Logic. BY Sir William
Hamilton Bdronet. Edited by the Rev. Henry l.
Mansel, b. D., oxford, ard John veilch, NJ. A, Edn-
burgh In two volumes. Vol |. Metaphysics Bos-
ton Gould & Lincoln.
This first volume, large octave of more
than seven hundred pages, complete in itself,
contains forty-six lectures on Metaphysics, to-
gether with appendix consisting of several
fragmentary but exceedingly valuable disserta-
tons. A second volume will embrace his lee
lures on Logic.
Sir William Hamilton was elected to the
Chair of Logic and Metaphysics in Edinburgh
in july 1886, and these lectures were prepared
in the interval between his appointment and
the commencement of the College session in
November of the same year, and as he deliver
ed them. 1t was vast intellectual labor, but
he brought to it the training and accumulated
materials of long years of close thinking. The
editors might have spared apology for their al
legged incompleteness AS the distinguished
author was in the habit of repeating the lee
lures from year to year for twenty years till
1856, he was not the man to suffer anything
crude or imperfect to escape his revision.
In metaphysics, we can hardly expect any
thing new, as it respects fundamental facts and
principles. Mind, its states and its laws, are
essentially the same in all ages, but there is di-
versity in the manner in which they are treated
in exposition. method, analysis, style, Ilustro-
ton, argument. In these respects generally.
and in comprehensive and varied scholarship,
pertaining to the history of metaphysics, Sir
William Hamilton is in advance of Scotch and
English metaphysicians.
We are glad that so grand treatise has been
given to the American public. Metaphysical
investigation unfortunately receives too little
attention from our young men; and yet there
is nothing SO well adapted to give vigor and
subtilty to the mind, and train it to habits of
exactitude and carefulness, to enable it to
detect and expose sophistry, and avoid the
fallacies of language; to give precision and
cloSeness to its argumentation-in a word, to
make the very best use Of whatever power and
materials it possesses.
1t may seem presumptuOus, but we must
venture to express the opinion that even mathe-
MATES are inferior, viewed as a system of men
tai Gymnastics, to metaphysics.
Let every young man who would train him.
self to lofty intellectual life and action, study
these lectures Sir William Hamilton.
Memoir of Captain w. Thornton Bat, R N, by the
Rev. John Baltic GOur and Caius Coll Cambridge
New York: Robert Carter & Brothers BaIlantyne
Washington, ID. c.
The memoir of Havelock, Hammond, Fican,
and Sir Edward Parry, have abundantly proved
that the highest style of manliness and practi,
cal efficiency Is by no means inconsistent with
the most fervent and decided religious principle
and feeling. This memoir of Captain Bate en-
forces the same great truth, and is fit COM
panion of the biographies of these illustrious
men. 1t is a rapid and animated sketch of the
active life and early death of an honest, earnest
capable, and faithful Christian sailor. The an
thor appears to aim at producing biography
which shall convey just conception of the
character he portrays, by the life itself, as it
passes before the readers mind, rather than by
AN elaborate analysis of its elements, as reveal
ed to his own closer investigation. He allows
the subject of his memoir to reveal himself by
his own words and deeds. In carving out
this plan, and in the effort to avoid tediousness
of detail, and secure animation of narrative,
there is sometimes .je1hy style of transition
from things secular to sacred, which is not
agreeable. The constant recurrence of mex
pressive and commonplace religious verse, in
which there is the form of poetry, without the
power is a decided blemish to the narrative
- IL, 1do1 W
notwithstanding these drawbacks, the picture
which this work presents of heavenly and ear
nest Christian, cheerful sustained and signaly
efficient in the midst of the most arduous du-
ties and the most vexatious and notifying in
Justice, is one which cannot be read without
imparting tone of vigor and manly fortitude
to the soul. 1t is a life which well deserved to
be commemorated, as an illustration of the
truth, that a living Christianity is the mother
of whatsoever things are lovely and of good
report, and to stand by the side of those of
Hedley Fican and Gen. Havelock, as "pillar
of witness to the power and excellence of the
Gospel. This simple Doric shaft is no less ex
pressive of this greattruth than the more grace
ful and elaborate Corinthian columns with
which it is associated.
A brave English boy-a reckless, generous
"middy "a converted sailor, with all the en-
ergy and daring, and none of the arrogance
which mark these modern vikings laborious
photographic officer, employed in wretched
vessels, and with unjust omission of promotion,
for services most faithful and repuIsive--a COM
mander of fort during the recent war with
China, and at length victim Of that war in
the attack on Canton-these are the outlines Of
! his career. 1t is one which will send O salutarv