The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-04-08
LITERATURE.
BOOKS.

BORDEN L. BOVINE, ffoioesOr VI Lhu0ooyry -
Roston University and author OF "Studies In
Theism." New York: Harper BrotheIs;
i Chicago: Jansen, McClurg Il Co.: Ottawa: Os-
man II Hapeman. $500
While perhaps no study ismore alluring, none
'is less satisfying than metaphysics. fquesuons
everything, probes for foundation principles
and shrinks not from graphing with the problem
of the great first cause. What is being-exist'
ence--co ciousness? Is there such thing as
reality, or is 1t all dreamy Professor Bovine
lays no claim to having discovered new realms
in the metaphysical world, but having thorough
Nv familiarzed himself with the spsculations OF
the Typdalls and Darwins and Spencers OF Eng
land. of the Rants and Fichtes and Lotzes OF
Germany, &c, &c, he processes to have ascer-
tanned with new accuracy and defniteness the
metes and bounds of the territories explored by
his predecessors; and tracing these through
maze of what to all but thoroughly trained
minds in this particular realm of thought is both
excessively hard and dull reading, evolves the
conclusion, that matter, in all its aspects, IS
''simply form of manifestation OF which the
reality is the immanent God" The work thus
has value as polemic, especially helpful to such
az find themselves caught In the drift OF materi-
alism without being able to regain their footing
on the old foundations OF theism, 1t being The
assured persuasion of Professor Bovine that 1t Is
impossible ITO save the human reason from utter
distrust OF itself and its conclusions on anything
but theistic and spiritual basis"
MEMOIRS OF PRINCE MErrERNICH. Edited by
Prince Richard Metternich. Translated by
Gerard W. Smith. Vol III. New York: Har-
per IL Brothers.; Chicago: Jansen, McClurg "
Co; Ottawa; Osman u Hapeman $lW.
A month or two ago we had occasion to men
ton the appearance of Vols. and ii Of these in
terest,ng memoirs, and now Vol. III is before us,
covering the period from 1880 to 1885. Meter
Mich had now attained his 57th year. He had
piloted Europe through the maze into which
its politics hsd become involved by the career Of
Napoleon, had seen Legitimacy" fairly re-estab-
lished on the various European thrones, and had
Just passed through aud been defeated In his
conflict with the Lafayette party in France that
succeeded in browning her ''citixeR king" He
could now afford to rest, and to sweeten bis re-
pose he contracted marriage This third with
the Countess Melanie Itchy .Ferraris SIZE was
. woman who had moved IN the highest society
OF Vienna, and by birth, education, beauty and
intellect was eminently fitted to adorn her POSI-
ton as the wife Of the great chancellor. From
her wedding day forward she kept faithful
'Diary," which, until herldeath in 1853. filled 30
stout, closely written volumes. Meantime most
OF those near and dear friends Of the Prince, cor
respondence with whom served ~ guide to the
reader through the preceding volumes, had
passed away, while hencefOrth VIC have mainly
-. II lat hy fho
Prince TO the Austrian Ambassador in Paris,
Count AppOny, abundsntiy aled out in the
matter OF afTording an insight into the domestic
life Of the Prince and his political activity, by
.ths ever copious and satisfactory details OF the
s'Diary" OF the Princess Meanie. or course 1t is
too early to open all the wealth OF that sealed
book. Enough only ia given to maintain contin-
uity and clearness In the flow Of the biography
and to give it piquant seasoning.
GREAT MOVEMENTS AND THOSE WHO ACHIEVED
THEM By Henry j. Nicoll. With thirteen
portraits. New York: Harper u Brothers;
Chicago: Jansen, McClurg U Co.; Ottawa;
Osman 81 Hapeman.
l1Noking back upon the face OF society at the
opening Of the nineteenth century aud compar-
ing II with its present aspect how few people
still under the allotted age OF three score years
and ten, realize the wonderful achievements Of
the age in which they have lived. Between the
age OF the Caesars and the "Bloody Era '0S" had
the world made any real progress? Had archi-
ftecture, navigation, engineering, agriculture, in
tercourse between man and man, the productive
powers OF machinery, general intelligence and
the amenities and humanities made any advance.
nd II ia
hlrSi TO tell wherein on single point AS In the
age OF the Caesars, 80 10 1900, there was no rail-
road, no electric telegraph, no telephone, no
steamboat, no popular education, no cheap lit
erature, no cheap postage, no gas-human slave
ry east It's shadow over half the world; every
prison was hell, and war was a system of mcr-
ciless rapine and slaughter. What change wo
see to-day! The railway and telegraph have an
initiated time and space, the steam engine has
multiplied the productive power Of the human
hand a thousand fold, Intelligence is universal,
the press Is free, human slavery hides shame
faced in few dark corners Of tho earth, prison
life is meliorated and humankind, criminal law
shorn OF its barbarlsm, war OF Its atrocities, and
men gather as brethren and kindred from the
four quarters of the earth.
The transformations butjdeeply interesting vol.
ume before US tell briefly how and through
whose instrumentallty these mighty changes, in
so brief period, have been wrought First we
have brief biography OF John Howard the
great English pioseer in prison reform; next Of
William Wilberforce, through whose efforts the
slave trade was abolished, setting in motion the
train of forces by which the stain of human
slavery itself will ultimately DO wiped from the
face OF the earth next of Sir Samuel Romlly
the pioneer in England of the reform Of the Grim
ihal codes and next of Lord Brougham, the
pioneer OF popular education. Then com,
sketches of the great movement In favor Of cheaI
literature, with due credit to Constable, Cham
bers, Knight, and others for the conspicuou,
part born in IL 10y them; the penny postage re
form, with due credit 10 Rowland Hill the re