New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-30
SOME NEW BOOKS.

Mr. F. Howard Collins has compiled an epitome
Of the Synthetic Philosophy" I'd. Appleton d Cob
to which Mr.. Herbert Spencer has himself writ
ten preface. The practical utility OF such an
epitome seems doubtful, for, as Mr.. Spencer oo-
serves, it is quite impossible to comprehend the
synthetic philosophy without carefully mastering
the illustrations with which every proposition ana
principle is Calculated and reinforced. There Is
no royal road TO knowledge of this KIND, ana IL Is
perhaps solely as a work of reference, and hardly
at all as a textbook, that this volume is TO be
employed. Even for reference, it is not likely 10
be often needed. for Mr. Spencer is always careful
70 furnish his works with ample tables of contents
and indexes
"Here and There in Yucatan," by Alice d. lie
Plongeon John w. Lowell Co.., is a process
illustrated volume of sketches in the region named
by the author-eXporer Most of the sketches
are from notes taken during the writer's resi-
dence among the Mayas at the time she was
gathering material for her book upon fucatah'
They relate principally to the mode of life re-
ligon. sacred rites, superstitons, fables and ira
dtions of the Mayas Several of the articles
here brought together were first published in
periodicals. but they are quite interesting, and
fresh enough TO justify their appearance III
more permanent and easily accessible FORM
Under the title EVOlullOn d uuuiocl vi WV
ures and discussions before the Brooklyn Ethicai
Association have been printed boston: James
n Vest. The volume embraces papers on Her
bert Spencer. Darwin, Solar and Planetary Evolu-
ton. Evolution of the Earth, Evolution OF Vege'al
Life. Evolution of Animal Life, the Descent oil
Man. Evolution of Mind, Evolution of Society,
Evolution of Theology, Evolution of Morals
Several clergymen joined in the preparation OF
the lectures and the ensuing discussions, ana uhe
result has been the hrashing out of some toleraoy
high and dry views, tempered In their severity
by a good deal of that pseudo-poetc Inauguration
which seeks to harmonic the most dlscrepanO
propositions by investing them with such maze
of ambiguity as to disguise their irreconciaDhltJ
on ANYTHING like rational and logical grounds.
The drift of the volume altogether, however, IS
in the direction of intellectual expansion.
Honpbton g. Miffn publish volume of " Es-
says on the Constitutional History of the United
States in the Formative Period, 1775-17S9, by
graduates and former members OF the johns
Hopkins University, edited by Professor D. frank
lin Jameson, Of Brown University. The main
purpose of these papers is to examine HISTORICAL
data hitherto generally neglected; to inquire
into the preliminary, tentative, partial and local
movements by which the ultimate and decisive
Matchmaking measures of the period were pre-
pared for secondary purpose is TO estaoilsh
the historical truth that the Constitution of the
United States did not spring ful[armed from
the brain of the convention, but represented
MANY distinct lines of tendency, discussion and
experiment There are five essays, the subjects
being: The Predecessor of the Supreme Court,
by the editor The Movement Toward a Second
Constitutional Convention in 1888. by Professor
Edward p Smith; The Development OF the
Executive Departments, by Jay Caesar Guggen-
beimer; The Period of COnstitution-maklng III
the American Churches, by Professor W. A.
Trent: The Status of the Slave, l775-17s9 by
Jeffrey r. Braclett. All of these papers VIII DC
found interesting and suggestive.