The Portland daily press., 1877-01-06
nended to the attention Of our Ignorant finan.

mended to the attention Of our Ignorant fiuan-
ciers and mised advocates of silver money.
In brief the biography is to be highly com.
mended as entirely adequate and thorouebly
satisfactory. 1t supplies want long felt in
English biography. and has already taken posi-
ton as standard work.
fRorHINGHAM AND THE NEW FAITH. BY Ed
munh Z. Stedman. New York, G. P. Putnam's
Sons. For sale by Loring, Short and Harmon.
Mr.. Rockingham, although having
attained long since prominent place in
the public mind, may still be called q
rising man." He is still increasing Not
only do the years bring him a more definite
recognition as the leader of radical religious
thought in this country, near to Theodore
Parker, in the succession of apostles, they
bring also-what is better for his fame and
for his usefulhess-a better public apprecia-
ton of his own thought, more extended rec
ogn;tion OF his own mental and spiritual quail
", Distinguishing him from Parker and other
men of icOnoclastic reputation, and almost
making him, among contemporsneous public
men, man By himself. For Mr. Rockingham
is believer, or perhaps more exactly-to pars-
phrase title of one of his own works-a bel,ey-
| ing 11beterer He puts the emphasis on the
positive side OF that expression; be teaches,
not so much what men are to deny, as what they
are to believe; not ignoring contrasts, however,
nor utteriDg ''mush of CONCESSION to the car
tilaginous people who "don't believe in
doubts, or in anything else.
The Introductory note to the present volume,
very justly refers to the general recognition of
the fact that those ideas (Radica) have passed
through their first and inevitable stage of SIM
pie negation and inconoclasm, and are shaping
themselves into positive and constructive
faith, and practical rule of nfe." The book
shows how this process is assisted by the work
OF Mr.. rockingham. 1t is written ev vdentIy
by one who synpatbizes fully with that which
he describes; the reader may think be perceives
here and there a giwmer of propsgs ndism;
but no one can question the entire candor of
the book as work of critical judgment. To
say that it is written by Mr.. Stedman is to say
that it is well written.
For frontispiece we have portrait OF Mr.
rockingham, which may afford to those who
have seen the man himself, food for reflection.
II is at once strikingly like and strikingly un-
like. Its expression is strangely compounded of
the vampire smile" and the tigerish glare; it
is his expression precisely. and yet in looking at
him you never see it 'How is it his, tbeu?,
That is, indeed a curious problem. C.W.B.
The RICHARDSON MEMORIAL. By John Adams
Vinton. Portland: published for the subscribers
by Brown Thurston & Co.
This bnlky volume of nearly q thous-
and pages gives all the inform alton OBJ
tainable in regard to the descendants of the
three brothers, Ezekiel, Samuel and Thomas
Richardson, who came to Woburn from Eng
land in 1641, of John Richardson of Msdfeld,
date 1879, of Amos Richardson of Boston. date
1640, and of Edward and William Richardson
OF Newbury, date 1643 Preceding this infor-
nation much of interest is given concerning
the Richardson family in England. The book
is valuable contribution to family history,
and of especial interest to all of the wide
spread Richardson name and their off-shoots.
1t is handsome volume, well printed and
bound. The portraits, among them those Of
ex-Secretary Richardson, A. D. Richardson,
the journalist. and ex-Mayor Richardson Of
this city, add not inconsiderably to its interest.
The MEDICAL REGISTER FOR NEW ENGLAND. BY
Francis H. Brown, NJ D., NJ. NJ. S s. Boston, H.
Q; Houghton q Co, For sale by Loring, Short &
Harmon.
This edition of the Medical Register includes
al the information contained 10 its predecessors
with the many changes and additions needed
to bring the Sork up to the present. time. Il
now embraces all the trustworthy information
in TEL gard to all medical organizations of the
regular school throughout New England, and
is of great value to members of the medical
profession. The editor explains that in COM
piliDg the directory of physicians be has con-
fiued himself to the lists of the State Medical
Societies