The Portland daily press., 1872-01-26
RecentP Publications.

Character is such book as only Samuel
Smiles could write. The theme merely gives
pretext for the introduction of a multitude of
those biographical details with which the au-
thor's mind is SO richly stored. Anecdote fol-
lows anecdote and illustration follows illustra-
ton until one forgets all about character and
amuses himself with the idea of reviewing in
this pleasant and novel way such useful infor-
nation OF the biographical kind as he may
have acquired on his way through life. If not
a useful Character is a very pleasing book
Harper & Brothers. For sale by Loring, Short
& Harmony E
To the six lives of the founder Of Methodism,
Rev. L. Tyerman has now added the seventh.
The Life and Times of John Wesley in three
large vo. volumes is intended to be an ex-
haustive collection of all the facts connected
with Wesley's history, and to supplant all the
earlier biographies, only two of which are now
in print. 1t has been a work of love on the
authors part and the enthusiasm with which
he has hunted down every out of the way bit of
information touching his hero in the old letters,
forgotten books and musty manuscripts is
something wonderful The work is mainly
collection of facts. Indeed the author disclaims
III usS plcldCc W bu0 llISb volume, WHICH is now
ready, all intention of presenting philosophy
of the reformers life. He adds 'sWesley was
not designing man; cunning he had none; he
was man of one idea; his sole aim was to
save souls. This was the philosophy of his life.
All his actions had reference to this. He had
no preconceived plans; and hence it is needless
to speculate about his motives The man is
best known by what he did, not by what philoso-
piers may suspect he thought. Holding
these opinions, my one object has been to col
lect, colate and register unvarnished facts,
With such an aim as this it might be expected
that the author would produce a bald, uninter-
esting narrative. But his skill as writer and
the wonderful story he has to tell unite to
make book that may well attract the atten-
ton of others as well as Methodist sectaries
The mechanical execution of the work is be-
yond all praise. The firm binding, the thick
white paper, and especially the glorious large
clear type make the book pleasant one to
look at. The first volume is e1hbellished with
a rare portrait of John Wesley Harper &
Brothers. For sale by Loring Short & Har-
mon.) .6r48
The Science Of Religion is the name given to a |
volume containing four lectures on that sub
ject, a paper on Buddhist Nihilism, and a
translation of the Dhammapada or path of |
Virtue, . by Max Muller known to scholars as |
great philologist, but ON this side of the At
lantic chiefly as the author of Chips from a |
German Workshop. The Buddhist poem is
very curious. 1t contains 424 verses, and is
supposed to contain the utterances of Buddha
himself. The whole work is very learned. but
is sufficiently popularized to be Ineligible to
the average reader. (Scribner & Co., New
York. For sale by Hoyt Fogg s. Breed.)
Jesse Meyers leaned against shaft reyoly-
ing three hundred times per minute in a Mum
cy, Ind, slaughter-house. He undressed in
about ten seconds, but strange to say, he was
not at all injured. Not stitch of clothing re-
manned upon him,