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

poetry, without any suspicion OF plagiarism, is
strongly suggestive of other hands-Tennyson,
and Poe, and especially Robert Browning. With
all his command of the softness, and luxury,
and rhythm of our language, he is not ignorant
Of its terse, Saxon strength, and he yields ii
often with lusty vigor. The Requiescat y
is simple, reverent, and grand. A part of the
"Epilogue" on page 27l is passing sweet
with kind of fearful tenderness. But the
book contains too many beauties to be pointed
out and if the author fulfs his early prom
Use, he will bring no discredit to the name he
bears.
The Precious Stones OF The Heavenly Foundations, with
illustrative Selections In Piose and Verse. BY Augusta
Browne Garrett, author of Musical Selections in Prose
aud Verse, &c. New York Sheldon n Co Washing
toa: Ballantyne e. Co.
This volume was composed in the midst of
Affections. 1t is the yearning outlook of sorrow
into the home of JOY. 1t is an effort to gather
present comfort from a contemplation of the
glory to be revealed" That the reflection of
such mind should find expression in fgurative
forms and in symbolical representations, is in
precise accordance with the mode in which
grief usually thinks itself into peace. 1t loves
to stray and linger in the unfrequented portion
of scriptural history, there to gather honey from
the lonely rock, and to quaf springs hidden
from the common view.
This tendency of the pious mind, however, is
one which sometimes leads to fanciful ntcrpre.
tations. When it employs itself in unfolding the
types and symbols of Scripture, whose nterpreta-
ton is intimated, although not developed, by the
same authority, it is then on safe ground, and
can give itself free play, without being led into
ingenuities where emotion becomes lost in
imagination. But when it takes up obscure
portions of the word of God and attempts to run
out minute parallels between spiritual things
and scriptural Incidents or details OF the Mo
sale institutions, and Of the Apocalyptic vision,
It'll aptto become cold in precise proportion as it
is in ingenious, and modifying in the same de-
gree that it is successful it It's effort.
In the work before US, the spiritual signif-
canoe of the Precious Stones of the Heavenly
Foundation, and their appropriation to certain
Apostles is deduced from their supposed re
semblances, rather than from any scriptural
argument, or any theological authority. That
they are ingenious, in many cases, we are not
disposed to deny; but that equal ingenuity
might interchange some of them, we are in
clined to believe. If however, the mind of a
reader can readily accept these interpretations,
and not be diverted into speculations as to
whether some other explanation might be more
satisfactory, if it can fix itself upon a spiritual
truth rather than upon symbol, or prevent its
attention from being diverted between the sym
Dol and the truth, it will then find in the author
original remarks, and in the,extracts in poetry
and prose much that is edifymg, eleyating, and
soothing to the soul. 1t is book for the hour,
devoted to meditation and prayer
Elements of Rhetoric, by Henry CopPee, A NJ Pha
delphia II Butler & Co. For sale by William Bal
lantyne, Seventh street, Washington, d. e.
This volume does not pretend to give an
elaborate and scientific exposition Of the art Of
Rhetoric, but the author simply designs it to be
an elementary work-"a manual of instruc-
tom and textbook for schools and Colleges
Mr.. 0nppke, az far es we can Judge, has ad-
mirably succeeded i'll his design; the valuable
information, and the clear aed lucid style in
which it is impaired, adapt the book peculiar
ly TO its purpose. The author, who holds the
protessionship of English Literature in the
University of Pennsylvania has made this
book to fill up gap long perSeived-the want
of a strictly elementary treatise on Rhetoric
and, from his experience as ingtructor, is amply
qualified to speak authoritativsly on the subject
PUBLIC OPINION IN ENGLAND.
The Tory Cabinet, now in pewer in England,
has strong bias towards Austria, as has been
manifested in the speeches of Lord Derby and
Mr.. D'Israeli, and in the columns of the Times
paper. The Times is now the administration
organ, and it is the habit of American editors
to copy its articles without giving their readers
warning that all that comes from that print is
to be received in this country with many grains
of allowance. The speeches made at the hust-
ingS for the new election, now in progress,
show the state of public opinion from the best
sources.
Hon. Mr. Bright the great leader of the De
mocracy of England, at Birmingham, at a
meeting held in the Town Hall for the nomina-
ton Of candidates, addressed vast audience
of electors. He deprecated the proclvities of
Lord Derby and his party to take side with
Austria. He said "If your Government is
disposed for war, there will be agents of the
press in London to magnify and distort every
thing, and to stimulate you by appeals, in some
cases to passions that are noble, but in others
to passions that arc base, until at last this
country, this precious gem set in a silver sea,
which alone rides secure amid all the storms
and tempests that agitate and perplex the
world, will be asked to mingle in the strife, and
English blood and English treasure will be
again poured out like water in every part of Eu
rope where battle field is to be lost or won"
The Hon. Mr.. Osborne, in addressing the
electors at Dover, said " Charity begins at
home, and will have no hand in plunging this
country into war for anything but an occasion
of self defence. ! sympathize with Italy from
the bottom of my heart, and wish her patriots
God speed, but / will never call on you to sup
port me in any measure which shall plunge this
country into continental war, least of all a
war in defence of tyranny and despotism.
Loud cheers. The natural alliance of this
country, let who may be on the throne, is
France. Our natural alliance is not with mon
archs, but with the French people" Loud
cheering.
Sir Benjamin Hall, ofthe Borough of Maryle-
bone, London thus accounts for the conduct