The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-31
LITHNATURH.
VIEW OF VIEW OoKs.

cations of Harper & Brothers.
christianity and Greek Philosophy" by
b. +. Cocker d. D., Professor of Nor aud
Mental Philosophy in the University of
Michigan, is a work that is deserving of the
attention of all who are interested in the
subject of religious belief and its develop
ment in the human mind. The object of
Professor Cocker is to show that the Chris
tian system of truth does not rest solely upon
the peculiar events that surrounded the life of
Christ, but that it is the result of a divinely
directed development of human thought in
ages anterior to the advent of Christ. The
lofty philosophy of Greece, in particular, SO
far from being looked upon as the invention
of Satanic mischief, is considered as prepa-
ration for the higher truths of Christianity.
This is a view Of the case that will commend
itself to thoughtful men, and Professor
Cookers work is calculated to give the gene
raj reader broader and more liberal views of
Christianity, while it furnishes him with such
resume of Greek philosophy as will show
what its most important teachings were and
wherein it approximated to the higher truths
of religion. The subject is treated with
marked ability, and the work is written in
such clear and at the same time compre-
hensive manner, that readers who are not
scholars will find no difficulty in following
the line of the argument.
ga Grammar of the Anglo-Saxon Ian
guage," by Professor Francis A. March, of
Lafayette College, is an important contribu-
ton to pathological literature Lafayette
College enjoys the honorable distinction of
being the first institution in the country that
made the pathological study of the English
language an important feature in its course.
That this branch of study should be almost
entirely neglected by the other colleges and
universities of England and America is not
creditable to the scholarship of the day; and
it is to be hoped that this carefully prepared
work by Professor March will have the effect
of inspiring those who are engaged in the
work of education with some idea of the i'm
portance of encouraging the pathological
study of English, even if they have to do so
to the utter neglect of Latin and Greek.
Philology is making rapid advance as
science at the present day; but outside of the
walls of our colleges, which have contributed
but little comparatively towards it, and with
out any disparagement of the real merits of
the classics, thinking men are fast coming to
language, if properly conducted, is quite as
efficient mental discipline as a course of
Greek and Latin, while its practical benefits
are SO immeasurably greater that it can
scarcely be put in comparison. The work
before us is a comparative grammar, by
whi"h the forms of the Ans nglo-Saxon are illus
trat i by those of the Sanskrit, Greek Latin,
GoLlc, old Saxon, old Friesic, old Morse,
and cid High German All the best authori-
ties have been freely consulted, and the work
has evidently been prepared with great care,
and nothing been left undone that will be of
assistance to the student. The work as a
specimen of Typography is creditable to the
publishers, and we heartily commend it to
students of philology and to all who are inte-
rested in the higher branches of education,
with the hope that it will be introduced into
our High Schools and Colleges, even if it has
to displace some of the long recognized ac-
cessories of complete college course.
''The Life of Queen Hortense," by John S.
G. Abbott, is the latest addition to the illus
trated series of historical studies by the
Brothers Abbott, which are SO popular in all
parts of the country. The story of Hertense
is told in that readable style for which this
series is celebrated, and it will doubtless re-
ceive cordial welcome from the admirers of
MIR. Abbott. The work has an illuminated
title-page, portrait of Hortense, and num-
ber of wood-cuts which are particularly re-
markable for the total absence of any artistic
qualities.
Porter & Coates send us ''Antonia," by
George Sand. This is the second volume of
the standard edition of George Sands works
time ago by the issue of 'Mauprat, trans
ted by Virginia Vaughan. ''Antonia," which
has also been Englished by Miss Vaughan,
is by no means as fine an example of George
Sands style as the story which preceded it,
and if the publishers intend, as is probable,
to make selection of George Sands wri-
tings, they might easily have found something
better worthy of their attention than this.
'Antonia" is a school-g -girlish sort of a novel,
pleasant enough for the entertainment of g
few leisure hours, bat scarcely of sufficient
Importance or merit to confirm the authors
reputation as the ''greatest prOsateu of the
nineteenth century," The character of 'M.
Antoine Thierry" is drawn with the skill of 9
consummate artist, but the other personageS
are exceedingly commonplace, and the diff
culties the lovers have to contend against ori
ginate in such an absurd combination of cir
cumstances that the reader finds it difficult
to get up any great amount of sympathy fol
them. "Antonia," like many of the writings
of George Sand is a protest against the mere