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a richer splendor than was eventually realized; it afterwards appeared shaded down into a more pensive cast. Bereavement and wasting sickness, though they never impaired the religious peace of her mind, evidently depressed her spirits, turned the current of her thoughts on her own experience, and gave her notes, too constantly perhaps, an elegiac tone. Her verse flows forth with a strain of natural music in its rhythm; but it is always the free warbling of the wild woods and mountain streams. Her Muse was a fond dweller in forests, fields, and rural villages; and with the charming freshness which such a sequestered home imparted, there could not but mingle some of its rusticity. It was a Muse that had spent no "seasons " in the city, nor at Saratoga, to learn the fashionable airs.

5. Early Buds. By Lydia M. Reno, &c. Boston and Cambridge: James Munroe & Co. 1853. 12mo. pp. 309.

A volume of poems, written, it would seem, in early life. Though they lay no claim to any high degree of excellence, many of them appear to have been composed with a good degree of skill in "the art divine." There is so much passable versification sent forth, in these times, that poetry which does not have some striking merit is in danger of being overlooked.

6. Rhymes with Reason and Without. By B. P. Shillaber, &c. Boston: Abel Tompkins and B. B. Mussey & Co. 1853. 12mo. pp.

386.

It may be said, "with reason," that this volume of "rhymes,” is better than its title promises. There is grave and earnest poetry in it, humorous poetry, sometimes broad, sometimes sly, but always natural and unaffected,-comic poetry, and serio-comic poetry. One excellence, in particular, ought to be mentioned: we meet almost every where with the straightforward idiomatic expression that goes right home to the point. We indeed find some lines that can hardly be called inspired; but no finicalness,-that besetting sin with a good deal of our poetry. One of the first requisites of a poet is, that he write from a full soul, and this condition Mr. Shillaber fulfils. He has a hearty sympathy with the scenes into which he enters; he describes them, because he is moved to describe them,not because he wants to make some poetry; and he does this in verse, because he can best do it in verse. Of his humorous pieces, the sonnets perhaps are quite as amusing as any. In these, he slides, with peculiar ease and provoking pathos, from a sober strain into an unlooked-for jeu d'esprit, that gives a new point to the whole. We are glad to see the reporter of the famous "Mrs. Partington's" sayings, following the path of Holmes.

7. The New Rome; or, The United States of the World. By Theodore Poesche and Charles Goepp. New York. G. P. Putnam & Co.

The preface opens with these words: "A book with two authors would not be so rare a thing as it is, if it were better understood that every work is the fruit, not of individual thought, but of the intellectual currents that pervade whole times and nations,—that in fact, every individuality is but a modified reproduction of the thoughts and fancies of the age in which it appears." This forcible thought is suggestive of what follows; for a greater concentration of "intellectual currents" pervading this time and people, we remember never to have met with in a book of 179 pp. 12mo. Starting with the paradox that, "There is nothing new under the sun,' "the authors proceed to

show that this New Rome of the United States, is a reflection of the Old Rome of the Cæsars; and that the former is destined, as an inevitable necessity, to include the whole earth. The theory is presented with a good deal of ability and sustained by an array of facts which make the book interesting and valuable. Of course there is, in such a publication, a good deal that is mere moonshine; but whoever opens these pages with the supposition that their contents are all of this class, will find himself in contact with something that looks like reality before he gets far. "The New Rome" is dedicated to Franklin Pierce, President, &c., and especially commended to all friends of the "manifest destiny school."

The book is issued in the usual good paper and fair type of the publishers.

W. H. R.

8. Echoes of a Belle; or a Voice from the Past. By Ben Shadow. New York: George P. Putnam & Co. 1853.

This is a pleasant story, professedly written by an old man. He tells what he saw in the dawn, noon and twilight of life, with tolerable effect. The allusions to slavery show the fair side of that institution. The book is written in a good spirit, and readable style.

W. H. R.

9. The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, with an Introductory Essay upon his Philosophical and Theological Opinions. Edited by Professor Shedd. In seven volumes. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1853.

All American students have reason to be grateful that the Messrs. Harpers have undertaken to publish a uniform and complete edition of Coleridge's works. Six volumes of closely, but clearly, printed matter, have already been issued. These comprise all his prose publications that have any permanent literary and philosophical interest,-nothing being omitted, we believe, but his political contributions to newspapers. The seventh volume will probably, contain his poems and translations.

It is sufficient to call attention to this enterprise of the great New York publishing house, without adding any criticism of the books themselves. Indeed, a notice fairly undertaken, would begin to expand into a treatise, and might widen, like some of the author's conversations, into a boundless exploration of all regions and principles, celestial, terrestrial, et seq. Coleridge presents so many claims to consideration,-as a poet, a philosophical speculator, a metaphysician, a theologian, a critic,-and the dispute as to his originality, honesty, soundness and depth, has been so sharp that a volume would have been required to justify a careful estimate of his powers. It can hardly be doubted, however, that his greatest admirers will always be of that class who love a dim and misty atmosphere around truth, through which the outline of a subject flickers, suffering the imagination to project its fancies, without being checked by the visible assurance that it is trifling with realities. The fundamental principles of his philosophical system, his ideas of inspiration, and the boundaries of his orthodoxy, have never been so clearly stated as to convey definite conceptions of his meaning and views. His influence has done more than that of any other single man, perhaps, to break the power of Calvinistic orthodoxy over the cultivated minds of England. And we have sometimes thought that his haziness of statement and sad lack of method in dealing with the principles of philosophy, the proper plan of Biblical interpretation, and the truth of church dogmas, have been more readily accounted for depth by his disciples, from their gratitude in finding any avenue to escape from their inward unrest which would afford mental freedom, while it seemed to save them from the charge of open heresy.

Coleridge will always be ranked among the quickeners of the human mind. The man whom Julius Charles Hare always mentions with deep reverence, and whom Thomas De Quincey knowing him thoroughly and clearly seeing his faults, could speak of as the amplest intellect of modern times, must be reckoned as one of the men of genius, however imperfect his utterance has been in clearness and consistency, and however sad the record of his indulgence and weakness of will. What might he not have been, had he trained and consecrated his powers? What might not the author of the Hymn in Chamouni, and of the Ancient Mariner, done for English poetry,-what might not the lecturer on Shakspere had done for English criticism, had it not been for opium?

K.

10. History of the Restoration of Monarchy in France. By Alphonso Lamartine. Volume 4. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1853.

This volume closes the brilliant series of historical pictures and portraits which have been read with so much delight. The description of the revolution of 1830 which placed Louis Philippe on the

French throne is one of the most vivid and intense of all the remarkable chapters which the whole work contains. The coloring may, as a general thing, be a little too poetic for the soberest influence of truth, and the style glares too much with epigrammatic and antithetic brilliancies; but the moral tone of the author's judgements is sound, and his love of liberty is evidently a deeper and healthier passion than most of the declamations of French historians and orators suggest.

K.

11. Redfield & Co., New York, have published some very valuable books lately. We have seen their portly and well edited copy, in three volumes, of the works of the celebrated Senator Hon. Wm. H. Seward. Such a publication is in every way an honor to our country. The biography which introduces the collection gives the portrait of a man faithful from his earliest years in the culture of his intellect, and worthy, by the breadth of his powers and the fulness of his resources, to stand among the legislators for a Continent. And the noble series of State papers, and Senatorial speeches, which he has given to the country, refresh the soul by the patriotic principle, the firm fidelity to conscience, and unswerving allegiance to liberty in the midst of tumult and against all clamors for unrighteous compromise, which their pages breathe. Mr. Seward has spoken for the future, and will surely secure his place in the respect and gratitude of the country, a few years hence. We hope that his political productions will be widely circulated, to uphold the honor of the national mind against the discredit cast upon it by so much of our Congressional literature.

K.

12. Messrs. Redfield & Co. have issued, in very good style, and in three volumes, "Michaud's History of the Crusades." The work, the fruit of thirty years' research, has long been accepted in Europe as the best single history of those wild conflicts of Europe and the East. It is not very entertaining for continuous reading, but it is full, clear and reliable. The translation from the French seems to be very well performed.

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We are indebted to their busy press for an excellent reprint of the remarkable book which is exciting so much interest in England now: 'Notes and Emendations to the Text of Shakspeare's Plays, from early manuscript corrections, in a copy of the folio of 1632. In possession of J. Payne Collier, Esq., F. S. A." Most of our readers, doubtless, are aware of the circumstances of this discovery. Mr. Collier purchased at an Antiquarian book store a copy of the old folio, and after having it in his possession a year or two, without minutely examining it, discovered that the margin was filled with manuscript corrections and notes. These he soon found were of a most remarkable character,-elucidating many obscure passages by a short and felicitous alteration or introduction of a word, and supplying sense to

many a line and period by the correction of an apparent misprint. More than twenty thousand emendations are made to the received text of Shakspere. Some of the corrections give self-evident proofs of their propriety, and must, it should seem, have been furnished by some critic, or player, who knew the original manuscript of the great dramatist. But in several instances the suggested readings are characterised by a prosaic mind, and cannot, we should think, be received as veritable restorations which must set aside the more poetic blunders of a compositor. The book, of course, possesses the greatest interest. The current of belief in England is strongly in favor of its authority. Messrs. Redfield deserve thanks for their enterprise in giving it to our public so soon, and in such acceptable form. We may say, further, that they have commenced a publication of Shakspere's dramas with the emendations incorporated, and marked in the margin. It will be comprised in sixteen numbers, at twenty-five cents each.

K.

13. We have received from Messrs. Redfield & Co., "Marmaduke Wyvil, an Historical Romance of 1651, by Henry W. Herbert." When first issued in this country, several years ago, this book was very popular. Some sixteen thousand copies were rapidly sold. But it was printed on wretched paper, and with a great many inaccuracies. The present edition is very well and carefully printed. One can purchase now a complete and uniform series of Mr. Herbert's brilliant historical fictions in the acceptable form of Redfield's press.

K.

14. The Prophets and Kings of the Old Testament. A series of sermons preached in the Chapel of Lincoln's Inn. By Frederick Denison Maurice, Chaplain of Lincoln's Inn, and Professor of Divinity in King's College, London. Boston: Crosby, Nichols & Co. 1853. 12mo. pp. 466.

Mr. Maurice belongs to the circle in the English Church of which Hare, Milman and Trench are prominent representatives,―men who caught their philosophy from Coleridge, and who unite a very mild orthodoxy with a low-church theory that saves them, in a great measure, from the attitude towards other sects and thinkers of spiritual superiority and Episcopal disdain. Some of our readers may already know Mr. Maurice as the author of a valuable little book on the "Religions of the World," and also of a larger and very Catholic treatise, "The Kingdom of Christ." The book now under notice consists of a series of sermons upon the prophetic office and spirit, and the relations of the great Hebrew seers to their nation and the providence of God. One will hardly get a clear and consistent theory of the powers and authority of the prophets from the scattered statements and implications of the discourses; but the reader will find the inward spiritual condition of the Jewish people very clearly

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