, 1859-05-21
~S.EF FE1kIC4TI0.N"G.

~N~NA--~-
D. 9uScETs WR1Tgs s1sys: Tas'a5
I1ckno1 f1eda. For eale hy c. onxE' y Co.. and W
". b. k'su, Laka s.5rst. Chicago.
A ucw volume from the nervous pen OF De
Quncey, cannot fail to meet with an sarnest well
come from the American reading public. The
collection before III (made BY tue publishers,
not by the author, as the latter acknowledges ii.
u handsome note, embraces powerfully writ
ten tale of Northern Germany, entitled the
A@enger; three chapters Of additions to the
Confessions Of an Opium Eater; the Essenes,
chapter supplementary to the authors original
essay oyerthroning Josephus' religious romance
ofthat sect; curious, but as it strikes US profit
less md unsatisfactory exegesis Of blind pas
sage in Seutorius, entitled Aelius Lan.ine' y;
pamphlet on China presenting very strongly
the points which justified the action Of the
English Government in that Empire in Isis
this paper has decided merits apart from its re-
la.iou to English politics Of the period men
toned; and finally very pleasing and ins1rue-
tive essay On the Traditions Of the Rabblns.
This catalogue Of themes, treated with the cs-
hanstive learning and vigorous dialect Of De
Quincy, is no common accession to our stand
ard literature.
SllAKESrEARE's LEGAL ACQCIREMENTs tDS.
SpEKEm: II 1oHS Lo5n tA1rnt,a IN 'ta;s. M IL ~ =:
Sate bys L. Gdel;s i Co.. Chicago
This volume, which mny he easily read ut
sitting, forms pleasant and interesting addi-
ton to Shukesperian criticism. 1t is simply
whit it purports to be, viz: an inquiry wheahcF
Shakc.pcare's apt and accurate use oflaw terms,
and the number Of them scattered through lis
dramas, do not indicate that he was once IN III
torney's clerk. The biographical materials
bearing upon this point are also carefully col
lated. Lord Campbell does not assume to ans
sser his own question positively, but makes up
his case and leavcs it to the jury Of his rearrs
The contemporary testimony tending to estab-
lsh the theory that Shakespeare was once u
lawyer or lawyers clerk, is, like all the biogra-
phical natcriYls which have come down to us,
meagrc and unsatisfactory. Lord Campbell
gives us IN extract, however, from ''An cpistle
to the Gentlemen Students Of the Two Cnivcr-
sities," by Thomas Nash, in which Il contcmp-
tuous alIusion is made to certain fellows who
"leaye the trade of lforerint, whereto they were
born, and busy themselves with the cndcav-
"ors Of ast, aud will afford you whole
Hanal<ks Of tragical speeches" The trade Of
iaore-int was the business Of IN astorncy-thc
phrase being derived from the opening sentence
of deeds, bonds, etc, "Norerint nnirersi pr
rresenfts:" " Know all men by these presents y
Nash was u contemporary Of Shakespeare and
had reasons for dislking him.
Having concluded his examination Of 5hak-
>peare's juidieia! phrases and forensic al|u-
>ions, the author says:
"0u the retrospect anl amazed, not only by
their number, but By the accuracy and propri
ETY. with which they are introduced. There il
nothing 50 dangerous as for one not Of our craft
to tanlpcr with our free-masonry, (the law
= While noyelists and dramatists are
constantly making mistakes as to the law Of
nlarriage, Of wills, and Of inheritance-toS Slak-
speare Is law, lavishly as he propounds it. there
can neither be demurrer, nor bill Of exceptions,
nor writ Of error
by his own arguments Of the tbeory-which, by
| tile way, was first suggested By Chalmers, and
is now insisted upon By Ar. Payne Colier-but
presents both sides Of the casr with eminent ju-
| diciul capacity.
| MOT11ERvELLS roET1CAL WoRKS-nWES
MEREHiTH'~ POEMS. Two fn!4. TusSeE i
F,E1, bur uni ydl edition. For sae by ". u. kEES,
chicago.
These neat volumes arr Il continuation Of Tick
| nor Fields blue and gold edition Of contcnl~
porary uniform with their issues Of Ten
| nyson, Whittier, Lowell, Lonsteilow, etc.
| Among the minor poets Of Britain, William
Mothcrsell has won by hard labor and patient
hope place of clear distinction. Tie Battle.
Flag Of sigurd, and the Sword Chaut Of Thor
! stein Kuudi belong unquestionably to the cata-
logue Of word music which the world will nut
let die. In these and othcr poems Mothcrwell
hns reproduced the spirit Of the Norse'and, its
Vikings and Saga, with The rarest fidelity. The
stalwart vagabonds troop through his verses
| with their own marital tread, and We seem to
hear the gratiug Of their kec!s against the Eng
| Iish coast.
| Outn NeytlfI is CONCEDED to to be the no,n de
| plume Of Robert Bulwer l.ytton. The volume
which he has been bold to contribute TO the world
Of English poetry has been highly commended
By the London critics, some Of whom give lin
place among thu musicians Of verse beside
Tennyson and Edgar I'oc.