The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1859-01-19

weeks issue. Thr following from the
ApEND- IEtruvo OF Dec 20, 1858. speaks
irusliully OF the LIST vol Orders for the
work may be addressed to f. :. Martin,
Williamstown w.
We have before II. the first volume Of
. work, which, lo use nv old German cx-
preston, " responds to want that has
been long felt" The rapid az well as the
inl'n." Development Of American life. in
political, economical. nnl social relations.
and We may add IN those Of srieuro and
art. ha, for years been bringing to LIGHT an
immense mass Of important materials.
the results Of research and of social pro-
eress the knowledge OF which is not only
essential to those who from abroad would
gain an insight into the life aud movement
OF the American nation, but also for those
who, in the midst of this life and move-
ment, would continue TO have a clear per-
ception Of its changing forms.
The materials, however, lie so scattered
in the productions of current literature. in
the archives Of scientific associations in
reports to the government, and other pub.
lie documents, in statistical papers, in the
desks OF merchants and manufacturers
that their collection is almost impossible
to the person by whom they are wanted
A work OF reference, of an encyclopedia.
cal character, in which these materials
should always be ready for use, was there.
fore necessary want
The present work reverses the method
hitherto taken by the leading European
works it gives by far the largest SPACE
to American subjects, and to those which
possess an immediate interest from the
American point of view: and of those
historical or biographical articles which
form the chief portion of European Ency-
clop@dlas, it presents only so much as is
requisite to understanding the topics and
that in the brieiost possible yet in an at
tractive style
ms gives 1t an entirely original char
acter While Brockhaus presents most
prominently the results of German scho.
lastic learning, and in a manner (which is
now rapidly passing away even in Ger.
many adapted to kind OF culture as far
as possible removed from the interests of
real and practical life, the American Cy-
clopEedia pursues course entirely differ
ent. In this, reference to practical in
terest, SO far from being avoided, is con-
stantly kept in view In Brockhaus, the
speculative sciences in the New Ameri.
can, the exact sciences, hold the first rank
Theology ,philology abstract philosophy,
pedantic and minute exactness in the in.
vestigation of historical details, physical
geography, &c, predominant in the Ger.
man work but the natural sciences, cs-
pecially chemistry in its application to ag-
riculture and manufactures, physiology
and the science of health, technology, the
description OF countries and peoples. and
artistic, discriminating sketches of histor.
ical events and persons, distinguish the
American Cyclopedia.
The difference in the contents of the
work, extends also to the style. In the
German Conversation Lexicon, a narrow
pedantie, formal manner prevails, avoid
ing all approach to popular illustration,
all reference to the everyday affairs of
life; while in the American, we have a
clear, compact and in the best sense of
the word popular style, which, transpa-
rent in itself makes even the most alb
stract subjects ineligible to every reader,
though at the same time the accuracy and
precision of the ideas ere not diminished
thereby, but on the contrary heightened.
We thus find copious illustration of the
oretlcal propositions, an attractive color.
ing OF the sketches, and freshness and
vivacity in the treatment even of those
subjects, which at first sight it would seem
impossible TO treat in manner adapted to
the great mass of readers.
The volume now published is rich in
articles to which these remarks fully ap-
ply. OF the great abundance of excellent
matter we will only partcularize the care
fully written biographies of the Presidents
John Adams and John Quincy Adams !;
the articles on Agriculture and Agricul.
tural Chemistry, which in Brockhaua are
dispatched in few lines, bat here, as is
proper, assume the dimensions of a treatise
and collect the results Of the latest inves.
legations; the articles on Aiment, Adult
teration, Age Of Man and Animals, Alb
sorption, Anatomical Preparations, Aque.
ducts with special reference to the great
American water-works) Anthracite full
of interesting statistical data) Animal
Magnetism Animalcues; an interesting
monograph on American Antiquities, com.
bining the discoveries which can be found
elsewhere only in very expensive and vol.
luminous works. The geography and sta.
tistics of the United States are treated
with great care-as for example in the
artibles on Alabama, the Appalachian
Mountains, the Adirondac, the city of AL
bany, and the Apache Indians. Under
the title Anti Masonry, we have con-
dcnsed history of the whole Anti Masonic
party, as under Anti-Rentism that of the
Anti.Renters and under Abstinence that
of the Temperance party Almost too
detailed are the biographies of Agassiz,
and Alston, the father of American pain
ting. That the results of the latest scien-
titic researches have been carefully worked
up, is evidenced, among many other ar.
ticles, by those on Abyssinia and Africa
very attractive on account of their popular
mode of treatment, are the articles on Ad-
yenturers and Advertisements.
Even euhiactS If nm otatro nj mamma a,a