Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-03-23
| admiration it would command from the
men what envyings and heartournings 1t
would excite in the women
New Publications.
LECTURES ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAeE. BY
George p. Mars. New York Charles
Scribncr. Svo., PIP. 697.

George y. MarsA. New YORK OharIee
Scribncr. SvO., PIP. 697.
We have had this work Of our townsman.
Hon. GEo. P. MARSH, in our possession for
several weeks vet our engagements have
been such as to hinder US. thus far. from
giving it that complete and piins-takin- *
animation which we have felt To Do nee, ssery
for as full and appreciativo d notice as it de-
serves. We have, however. examined it
enough to see that it is a work Of great inter
est and value. The copious, though unpre-
%tentious learning Of the author. On a subject
very little understood, except by here and
there one Of the millions for whom the Eng
lish is their mother tongue. the gems Of beau
tiful suggestion and nuggets Of golden dis
cOvery contained in it, which his mining into
the hidden depths Of many languages has
enabled him to bring out % enrich the minds
of his readers, combined with the clearuass,
and directness, and elegance of his expression,
make this volume one Of unique imp7rt1pce
to the American and English public. W.
find an excellent notice Of it in the Atlantic
Monthly for April, which We copy below, as
more worthy Of the book than any thing
which we can give from our pen
An American scholar of wide range, at the
same time thorough and unpretentious. is a
rarity "A philOl0gist who Is neither pcrvarsalv
wrong-headed no. the victim of p preconceiv-
ed theory is a still greater one Yet we find
both characters pleasantly united in the ag-
thor Of these Lectures. Decided in his apin-
ions. Mr.. Marsh is modest in EXPRESSING them.
because they are the result Of various culture
and long reflection. and these have taught
HIM that tile and study often render tha
most positive conclusion doubtful, especilllv
in regard to such a topic rs Language. D.
serveilv honored with diplomatic mplovment
in Europe, he has done credit 81 the choice of
the Government by turning the l0n- ! isUrr
# a foreign mission n rs great profit ~ study
and observation as if he had been a Travelling
Fellow and these had been the conditions Of
lis tenure.
Addressed 70 a mixed audience. 70 the laitv
rather than % students. these Lectures are
more popular than scholastic in their char
acrer. Mr.. Marsh alludes o. tliswitr some
thing Ike regret in Lis preface. Welookuron
this as by no means a misfortune. The book
will. for this very reason. reach and interest
a much lurger number of readers and while
there i nothing i'm it 70 care away thls, who
read for mere enter-ai mant, they whose
studies have led them into the same paths
with the author viii continually r~ec,rnlz,
those signs, trifin. bur unmis-akable. which
distinguish the work of a master frm tina If
q iournevman. Scholarship is indicated. not
only by readiness Of alluSi0u, and variety and
lVtueSs If illustration. but by a thorough
salt-possassion and chaStened c@loluance Of
style. 4 genius FIR language comes doubtless
hv nature, but Mr.. Marsh is too wise q man
70 believe that knowledge Of II comes in the
same way his learning has that riu.nrd
c~leirness which lis Of oljen vin-aros and ~ /
long storing in the crvpts u the brain he
has nothing in common with the easy Ceuer-
alizers who know a. little roots as Shellev's .
skv-lark, and who, seeking q shelter in vel
come clouds, pour forth I'd profuSa strains of
unprecedented art - upon questions which
above all others are limited bv x .ct science
and unyielding fact.
We believe we are not going too far when
We say that Mr.. Marsh's book is the best
treatise Of the kind in the language. Ii
abounds in nice criticism and elegant dis
cussIon on matters Of taste, showing In the
author a happy capacity for aesthetic discrim-
nation as well as for linguistic attainment.
He does not profess 70 deal with some # the .
deeper problems of language. but negerthe-
less makes US feel that tn Y have been sub
Jects of thoughtful study, ami within the
limits he has imposed upon himself. he is
often profound without the pretense of it,.
We have spoken warmly Of this volume.
for 1t has both interested and instructed Us.
and because we consider it one Of the few
thoroughly creditahle productions Of Cl>ar-
lantic scholarship. We hope the appreciation
1t meets with Will be suc1 that we shall soon
have occasion to thank Mr.. Marsh tor another
volume on some kindred theme.
SPIatrcALIsM TESTED or tina facts % its
history classified. and their cause in nature
verified from ancient and modern testimonies
BY George W. Samson. D. D.. President Of
Columbia College, Washinston,D DC.
Boston, Gould d Einc5ln.
TIE drift Of this littlo volume is 20 show
that "SpirirIalism, .Mssmerism. or
whatever it may be cailel, is nothing new il.
the world. but has been witnessed from early
times and in various nations-that there Is
nothing supernatural about it-that the
cause Of the phenomena lies in an
extraordinary degree Of peculiar nervous en-
eIgy existing in SINE individuals. whereby
they influence other persons. media" who
have an extraordinary susceptibility 10