The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-11-16
New Publications,

EssAYs; MORAL, Po1Ir1oAL AND EsTHET1o. By
Herbert Spencer; Author of illustrations o.
Universal Progress, - sc First Principles OF
Philosophy, +" Sc. 12mo, PIP. 1856. new
York: D. Appleton, 3 Co., 1865.
The subjects treated Of in this volume Of Es-
says are: l. The Philosophy Of Style; 2. Over
Legislation; g. The Morals Of Trade; 4. Per-
sonal Beauty;-5. Representative Government;
6. Prison Ethics; Z. Railway Morals and Rail-
way Policy; 8. Gracefulness; Q. State-tamper-
ings with Money and Banks; 10. Parliamentary
Reform; the Dangers and the Safeguards.
Those who have become familiar with Mr..
Spencer's enchanting style. and the force of his
logic, and the strength, thoroughness and mas
siyeness of his reasoning, will no doubt welcome
this volume. and read its pages with interest
and profit.
For sale in this city by Bailey s. Noyes.
LYRA ANGLIcANA; or a Hymnal of Sacred Poe
try. Selected from the best English writers,
and arranged after the order of the Apostles
Greed. By Rev. George T. Rider, A. M.
limo. PIP. 2sS New York; D. Appleton &
Co. 1865.
A book of elaborate beauty externally viewed,
which reflects high credit upon the printers art,
far more than upon his taste. . Why American
publishers or authors will indulge in Old En-
glish type, of a cut long since gone by, is past
our comprehension. 1t cannot be from any de-
sire to crafty the reader, for it has neither
beauty, grace, nor anything to afford relief to
the eye. We have no patience with this over
weening reverence for thing simply because it
is old and moss-grown; old tomb-like churches,
old worm-eaten philosophers, old quasi heather
religions, old feudal political economies, old
musty book-worms and such like. This is q
world of progress. and the highest models are
to be found in the ideal future and not in the
out-grown past. The spirit of religion is live,
progressive spirit, and dwells not in cloisters or
in damp cells. 1t delights in sunlight, where
Gods children labor and strive, and where they
meet to fight the battles of life. We have not a
particle of sympathy for that economy which
would either twist mans head around so as to
make him look back all the time, or that would
place his eyes in the back part of his head. The
world to-day has better poets, better painters,
better sculptors, better physicians, better d.
vines than in any past age; better because in
advance of the past, and truer to the ideas and
demands of the hour, and of the human heart.
&c. too, of the Arts and Sciences. We don't
believe in going back to the days of Elizabeth
for style Of type in which TO embody the
thought of to-day. Wedon't think it credita-
BILE to the Mechanic Arts that we should go fol
models in style in such matters, to an age when
the art of Printing was in its infantile rudeness
1t is weakness into which learned pedants have
fallen, that our books must be dressed up in Q
style of type every way inferior in beauty tc
that in which the best newspapers Of the day are
now printed e vWh ,T.Nh
But this has nothing to do with the book IL
question, except that much effort has been ex'
| pended to give setback to the taste. Of thu
reading public, against which every American
reader should utter solemn protest. The bool
is well enough otherwise exceptits pedantictitle
ssLyra Anghcana; or asHymnal Of Sacred Poe
try Nonsense, or, as d.. johnson would say
an OBSERVATIONS display of learning" How
much better to say English Tyre, or Hymns o
Sacred Poetry" Butthen this would have beef
| plain English, doing homage to the mothe
tongue, and would not have shownthat the .au
thor was man of big words and of eminen
learning Aside from the faults noticed, tn
''Lyra Anglicana'' is beautiful book, an
makes an elegant comfortable ornament. a.
For sale in this city by Bailey Noyes.