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original, abounding in sentences of aphorismatic brevity, vividness, and pungency. The author displays great sympathy with the ethical spirit and purport of the epistle, and cannot be consulted without profit ; but we lack the racy and angular force of the apostolic moralist.

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The volume now published verifies what we have so briefly said. Some of its discourses are truly great. Let any reader turn to the discourse headed, “ Uncharitable Judgments Judged,” or to “The Missionary Plea," and he will note the truth of our remarks. The author says in his preface that he does not feel “ ranted to send to the press for perpetuation and general dissemination either extemporized thoughts, or extemporized expressions of them," and he has acted accordingly. Few volumes of sermons display such mental powers and such mental peculiarities. It is refreshing as well as edifying to read it, though we cannot but regret the footnotes which are generally disconnected with the text, and being of a personal nature manifest an egotism which probably in a greater or less degree belongs to all men of Dr. Anderson's temperament. We cordially commend this volume, and hope soon to see a successor to it.

COMMENTARY ON PENTATEUCH.

Translated from the German of Otto
Von Gerlach. Edinburgh: T. and T.

Clark. London: Hamilton, Adams, &Co. This is a book for the general reader ; is devout in its tone and evangelical in opinion. It contains little or nothing which is not already provided in or dinary British commentaries. It is expository, not critical, and unlike most of the works issued by this enterprising publisher, is of comparatively little value to the scholar and the student.

THE WORDS OF THE RISEN SAVIOUR, and

Commentary on the Epistle of St. James.

By Rudolf Stier. T. and T. Clark. THERE is something profoundly interesting in collecting the “words of the Lord Jesus from heaven," and the practical worth of the study surpasses even the sublime attractiveness of the theme. Lengthened commendation of Stier is wholly unnecessary. The student will discover the same minuteness of inspection, the same copiousness in research, the same devout simplicity and spiritual precision which belong to his previous volumes on the “ Words of the Lord Jesus." The "Commentary on the Epistle of St. James” belongs to another class of compositions. It is the reproduction of a series of unwritten discourses delivered to the congregation. It requires a kindred genius to expound this invaluable and neglected epistle. We scarcely hope to see lectures in the style of the

1. CHESS PRAXIS: a Supplement to the Chess Player's Handbook.

By H. Staunton. London: H. G. Bohn. 1860. 2. MORPHY'S GAMES OF CHESS. With

Analytical and Critical Notes by J.

Löwenthal. London: H. G. Bohn, 1860. THESE two volumes form a most valuable addition to English Chess literature. The former brings up our knowledge of the science to the present day, in a clear and easily intelligible form. Mr. Staunton is certainly second to none in his power of conveying chess instruction. It is much to be regretted, however, that he should have allowed certain private matters to influence so evidently the animus of this otherwise excellent book. The covert reflections continually directed against Mr. Löwenthal, and the attempts to depreciate Mr. Morphy's play are in exceedingly bad taste. Why is it, also, that in a work professing to complete the analysis of the openings, there should be no mention of an important defence to the Bishop's Gambit, introduced into England (if not invented) by Mr.

Morphy? We allude to the third move in the defence, Kt. to K. B. 3. Surely as used by such a player, it was worthy of some mention.

Mr.Löwenthal's edition of Morphy's Games is an invaluable contribution to chess. The notes, partly compiled with the assistance of Mr. Morphy, are highly instructive, and furnish almost of themselves a complete treatise on the openings. The absence of personalities is also greatly to be commended.

AGAINST WIND AND TIDE. By Holme

Lee. 3 vols. London: Smith, Elder,

& Co. 1859. MADEMOISELLE MORI: a Tale of Modern

Rome. 2 vols. London: J. W. Parker

& Son. 1860. OLD FRIENDS AND NEW ACQUAINTANCES.

By Agnes Strickland, author of “Lives of the Queens of England.” London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. 1860.

good enough, but the developinent is rather tedious and uninteresting. Weknow and recognise the characters, but we care little for any of them, except Robert's young wife, who, however, very soon dies. By forcible measures all is made smooth, even for the ungrateful Cyrus, at last ; and we are left to suppose and hope that he will settle down after his miseries into the steady and happy head of a family.

“ Mademoiselle Mori” is a tale relating to that portion of the history of Rome involved in the accession of Pius IX. It is essentially a political novel, and so, almost of necessity, eminently a failure as a work of fiction, if it be read as such. It may be a very good history, but although written with much power, and indications of great æsthetic feeling, it is certainly very heavy reading considered as a romance.

Miss Strickland has published a selection from her former contributions to various journals, and some new sketches, under the title of "Old Friends and New Acquaintances. Most of them belong to the former class ; and since they appeared we have become so accustomed to the authoress, in another and more attractive capacity, that we feel as though these tales, good as they are in their way, scarcely add to her present rep!tation. They are, however, agreeable, and should they be well received, the writer promises another series, illustrative of “Life and its Varieties, especially in the Eastern Counties." We feel sure they will be welcome to a large class of readers.

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The lady who writes under what we suppose to be the nom de plume of Holme Lee has decidedly attained the rank of a popular favourite, and deservedly so ; for although her works are, neither as to artistic arrangement, force of thought, or brilliance of expression, approaching to the first rank of excellence, they are pleasant reading, have generally a healthy tendency, and never offend the tastequalities not to be predicated of the majority of our novelists. Against Wind and Tide” will scarcely be considered, however,, either the best or pleasantest of her works. The subject is not a grateful one ;-a peasant girl is wooed and won by a baronet, who appears subsequently to have another living wife. The subject of the work relates to the different manner in which the unfortunate circumstances of their birth affect her two sons, Cyrus and Robert Hawthorne. The former rebels throughout life against his position, and is always miserable ; the latter accepts and makes the best of it, and is happy and prosperous. The moral is

THROUGI THE TYROL TO VENICE. By

Mrs. Newman Hall. London: James

Nisbet & Co. A MOST graceful and interesting volume of travels, as clear and sparkling as the playful streams or the breezy dawns that enchanted our authoress in her Tyrolese trip. Enchantment it must have been, for the

seen

very spirit of these blithesome things has possessed the writer and photographed her page. There is no ambition in the volume ; it is simply a vivid record of what was and felt in a brilliant summer holiday ; but this simplicity, this sunny truthfulness, which makes you see and feel what the writer records and revives, give a wonderful animation to the book. We do not criticise where we have so fully enjoyed. We have clambered up the Klamme Pass, we have cogitated.on the ruins of the Amphitheatre at Verona, and swept soundlessly over the glittering water-streets of Venice, burnished with the gold of heaven, in company with our fair authoress, and now part regretfully, but bearing with us pleasant souvenirs.

WORK AND CONFLICT; or, the Divine

Life in its Progress : A Book of Facts and Histories. By the Rev. John Kennedy, A.M. London: The Religious

Tract Society. Part I. contains the Soul's Work ; the World's Work ; Social Work.

Part II. contains Conflict with Sin ; Conflict with Despondency and Doubt ; Conflict with Death.

These subjects Mr.Kennedy handles with his usual felicity and abundance of illustration. Facts interest and instruct the general reader more than speculation. They are flesh and blood arguments, and have a thrill about them that moves when logic is powerless. So Mr. Kennedy, with a wise reference to the wants of Christian people, has made his book a book of life. It is crowded with brief biographies, which point and urge his moral well.

Count CAVOUR: His Life and Career.

By Basil H. Cooper, B.A., of the University of London. London: Judd & Glass, New Bridge Street, and Gray's Inn Road. Pp. 200.

MODERN EUROPE: a School History.

By John Lord, A.M. 9th edition. Lon

don: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. 1860. This excellently got-up work extends from A.D. 1400 to the peace of Villafranca. It is exceedingly well adapted for the purposes of schools by its copious indices, table of contents, marginal references and dates, and the series of analytical questions added at the end. It may also with advantage be consulted by those older than schoolboys.

THE life and career of Count Cavour is likewise the history of the development of Constitutionalism in Sardinia, and this is the two-sided subject ably treated in this volume. The book is for the most part a translation, and as we recognise under the English garb a foreign friend we have recently met, we are happy to give our testimony, along with the translator's, to the high character and authority of the original.

The translation has been admirably done, the English is vigorous, idiomatic, and free from all that foreign flavour which renders many translations unpalatable to English taste. In this respect the work is a remarkable success, and reflects, we think, great credit on Mr. Cooper. The highest merit of a translation is not to read like one. A schoolboy can translate words ; only a scholar can transfuse living thoughts from a foreign language into his own.

A LIFE-LONG STORY; or, Am I my

Sister's Keeper. London: Simpkin,

Marshall, & Co. The history of a young zealous minister of the cross and of his bravehearted wife, who lost her patrimony by her marriage, and after his premature death, wore her strength out at embroidery work in order to support her two children and herself in one of the London suburbs. So stated this seems a meagre twice-told tale, but delineated by the clear-etching pen of the authoress, and the acces

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cases.

sories wrought out with pathetic the people. In this he was greatly simplicity, it becomes a dramatic and assisted by the advantages he enjoyed powerful picture. It is not the tale, “from immediate and constant interhowever, that constitutes the chief course with the various authorities, interest of the volume, but the aside- and the most friendly reception by passages where the womanly soul of the natives of every class.” The resul the writer breaks out in lamentation is a most pleasant and readable book, of the woes that overrun our Chris- containing a vast amount of informatian land, describing with vehement tion connected with the present conand almost prophetic tones, the dition and prospective resources of wrongs and misery-the blinding these hitherto little-known islands. tears and bloodless deaths, that waste Although these islands are a Spanish and blast the helpless, oppressed, colony, the number of European tempted, fallen women of our large Spaniards settled here is very small towns, and imploring with an earnest- indeed compared with the natives ness that must awake the stoney

and mixed races. The entire popuhearted confessor of Christ to wit- lation is supposed to be about four ness and work against those evils millions, of whom 1,787,528 are in trade and social life that wreak native Indians, paying tribute, and such woful consequences on the Weak 78,400 are mestizos and Chinese and Fair.

tributaries. The reinainder, of whom the number is necessarily uncertain,

are natives not under government, THE SIDEREAL HEAVENS. By Thomas inhabiting the mountains. The prinDick, LL.D. 6th Thousand. London:

cipal part of these are Pagans, alWard & Co., Paternoster Row.

though there are many exceptional Dr. Dick has for many years been,

For instance, in the island of perhaps, our most popular writer on

Mindanao, there are many Mahome subjects connected with astronomy.

dans, “probably of Malayan descent." The present work in its successive

The enmity between these and the editions cannot fail to sustain his Spaniards is constant and deadly. very high reputation. The matter is There is an interesting account good, and our knowledge of the

given in the chapter on “ Population science brought up byit to the present

and Races" of some inhabitants of year. The illustrations are

the remote mountainous regions of

very beautiful ; and the whole forms a

Mindanao—"a race in the very lowest very cheap and valuable compendium

stages of barbarism, I cannot say of of starry science.

civilization, for of that they present no trace. They are said to wear no garments, to build no houses, to dress

no food. They wander in the forest, A VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. whose wild fruits they gather by day,

By Sir John Bowring, LL.D., F.R.S., and sleep among the branches of the late Governor of Hong Kong, H. B. M.'s Plenipotentiary in China, &c., &c.

trees by night. They have no form London: Smith, Elder, & Co. 1859.

of government, no chief, no religious

usages of any kind. I saw one of the In the course of a few weeks' holiday race who was brought for sale as any from the cares of his colonial govern- wild animal might have been, to the ment, Sir John Bowring paid a short governor of Zamboanga." Yet it is visit to the Philippine Islands, during clearly and satisfactorily proved that which it is evident his time was not these people are susceptible of cultiwasted, but devoted with character- vation, civilization, and Christianisaistic energy to observation of the tion. capabilities of the soil and climate, On Ethnology, Sir John holds some and of the manners and customs of remarkable and certainly original

views. Instead of agreeing with the general tendency now in vogue, to trace all varieties of mankind and of language to one common origin, or (with some) to a few defined types, he goes so far as to imply that the varieties now observed are few in number compared with those that originally existed ; and that the same is the case as regards languages. “I believe there are more varieties of the human family than have hitherto been recognised by physiologists, amongst whom no affinity of language will be found. The theories current as to the derivation of the many varieties of the human race from a few primitive types will not bear examination. Civilization and education will modify the character of the skull, and the differences between the crania of the same people are so great as to defy any general law of classification. The further back we are enabled to go, the greater will be the distinction of types and tongues ; and it will be seen that the progress of time, and commerce, and knowledge, and colonization, has annihilated many an independent idiom, as it has destroyed many an aboriginal race (p. 167.) One remarkable fact adduced with regard to the wild races, is the great separation of the toes, enabling the foot to be used in great part as a hand. Were this proved to be an original endowment, it would certainly go far to support the theory of diversity of race. We think it scarcely necessary, however, to state that we in no degree acquiesce in our author's ethnology.

The established religion is that of the Romish Church. As to the wild natives and the Mahomedans De Mas advises that the Spanish Government should buy them and convert them! and employ them in agriculture.

The great characteristic of the national manners and customs is strange enough. Cock-fighting ; its prevalence is beyond all description. The passion for it is “a delirium, and no law can check the number or the duration of the fights: ... there are

cocks in every house, at every corner, at the foot of every tree, along the quays and shores, on the prows of every coasting ship, and as if the living were not enough, they are sculptured, they are painted, and charcoaled (not artistically), on every wall for public admiration, and public admiration recognises the portraiture, though the information is not placed there-as by the painter of old-to announce This is a cock.'”

Tobacco constitutes the staple trade here, rice is also grown very extensively, and sugar to some extent, but the climate is not particularly favourable to general agriculture, being specified in a Spanish proverb as

six months of dust, six months of mud, and six months of everything." Indigo and spices might be grown to much advantage, but they are neglected. The forest trees seem destined to form a considerable part of the riches of these islands. Gold is found here, and coal, but of inferior quality. The chapters on commerce, education, and government are full of instructive matter, and the most valuable suggestions ; but they must be read entire to be appreciated. Altogether the work is most interesting and instructive, though largely made up of extracts and sentimentsnot always acknowledged--from other writers. It is also agreeably illustrated with good lithographs, and forms a valuable contribution to our knowledge of tropical countries with their associated habits and capabilities.

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