has occupied his thoughts for almost half a century. At length, in the evening of life, he has felt himself rich enough in the accumulation of thought, travel, reading, and experimental research, to reduce into form and reality the undefined vision that through so many long years had floated before him.

HUME'S ENGLAND. New York Edition. The Harpers have just brought out the first volume of Hume in a style corresponding in all respects to the Boston edition-which means, we suppose, that the public are to have the work at retaliatory rather than remunerating prices.

CUBA AND THE CUBANS. New York: Samuel Hueston. This volume professes to give a sketch of the history of Cuba; its present social, political, and domestic condition; also, its relations to England and the United States. It contains a map of the island, and a valuable digest of commercial and other statistics. The work is prepared with evident reference to "the Cuban question." For sale by J. W. Moore.

CHALMERS' POSTHUMOUS WORKS. Harpers. The ninth volume of this inestimable series has been received from the publishers. It contains his prelections on Butler's Analogy, Paley's Evidences, Hill's Divinity, with several special addresses and lectures. Every additional volume of Chalmers' posthumous works increases our wonder, amounting at times to amazement, at the productive energies of this great man.

BELL'S DIETETICAL AND MEDICAL HYDROLOGY. Philadel phia: Barrington & Haswell. This work is a complete treatise of baths and bathing, including cold, sea, warm, hot, vapour, gas, and mud (?) baths, the watery regimen gene. rally, hydropathy, and pulmonary inhalation, with a sketch also of the history of bathing. While the work is, to some extent, scientific and professional, it is at the same time written in a style adapted to the common comprehension, and on a subject of universal interest. Let not the unlettered reader be deterred from buying the book by the Doctor's uninviting and most formidable title. The work ought to have been called "Baths and Bathing," for that is, in two words, a description of the book, and it ought to be in the hands of every one who regards his own health, comfort, or decency.

SCENES OF THE CIVIL WAR IN HUNGARY. Philadelphia: E. H. Butler & Co. The writer of this book is an Austrian officer. He sympathizes, of course, with the government that employs him, and feels towards the Magyars as the loyalists of '76 felt towards the American rebels. He worships the Ban Jellachich, and devoutly believes that Kossuth is-no better than he should be. Still, with all his prejudices, he is a brave, dashing soldier, and a remarkably brilliant writer. His book is made up almost entirely of personal adventures, which are told with great spirit and freedom, and which give altogether the most lively idea of the real character of the Hungarian struggle that we have yet seen.

SKETCHES OF MINNESOTA. By E. S. Seymour. Harpers. Mr. Seymour very significantly styles Minnesota "the New England of the West." This great territory is destined soon to be filled up-it is even now filling up-with adventurers from that "hive" of states, from which have already swarmed so many thriving communities. Mr. Seymour's book consists of two parts. The first is a history of the territory, or a brief digest of all that has been known of it from the first visits of the early missionaries, and the fur traders, to the organization of the territorial government in 1849. The second and larger portion of his book consists of incidents of travel in the territory in 1849. The materials are all fresh, and the book is one of extraordinary interest.

THE AMERICAN QUARTERLY REGISTER. By James Stryker. It seems to be a growing opinion that this periodical, professedly modelled after the British Annual Register, is superior to that celebrated work. Its statistics, and its digests of public affairs are prepared with admirable judgment, and with an industry and a candour worthy

of all praise. The volumes, unlike most works, increase in value as they increase in age. Each volume is valuable on the year of its delivery, for it is only by seeing at a glance the whole affairs of the year brought together that we get a correct impression of the whole. But twenty years hence, when particular occurrences shall have faded from the memory, and documents shall have been mislaid or lost, how much more valuable will be this contemporaneous and faithful record of public affairs, enriched as it is with all the most important state papers, and with comprehensive statistical tables of every description.

BYRNE'S DICTIONARY OF MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING. Appletons. Nos. V. and VI. are received. Every intelligent mechanic, or rather every well-informed person of whatever profession, ought to have a copy of this work.

SHAKESPEARE'S WORKS. The Boston edition of Shakespeare is proceeding with uninterrupted punctuality. Part XII., the play of" All's Well That Ends Well," is received. The engraving of the heroine, Helena, is very beautiful. As the edition will probably have an immense sale, those purchasers who take the numbers as they come out, will have the advantage of early impressions of the plates.

MONEY BAGS AND TITLES. Lippincott, Grambo & Co. This is one of the cleverest "hits" at the follies of the age that we have seen for some time.

THE PRINCETON REVIEW. Philadelphia: J. W. Mitchell. -This sterling periodical is always welcome to our table. We feel sure, on opening its pages, of finding at least something original and instructive. In the number now before us, there is a review of Macaulay's England, written with marked ability; another, on the relations of religion to what are called diseases of the mind, in which the fallacies of certain recent sophistries on this subject are pursued with a calm and steady logic that makes its perusal quite a refreshing intellectual exercise. Of the article on "English Diction," however, we feel constrained to say, we wish the author would practise better his own precepts. He argues very strenuously and very justly for the rights of Saxon vocables and idioms, while his own pages are crowded with words of Latin stock, and with syntax, we are sorry to say, neither Latin nor Saxon. Such an article is out of place in the Princeton Review.

THE ADVENTURES OF DAVID COPPERFIELD. By Dickens. -Part I., including one-half of this work, is now published in a cheap form by Lea & Blanchard, for 25 cts.

THE WILMINGTONS. By the author of "Norman's Bridge," &c., &c. Harpers. No. 137 of the Library of select novels. Price, 25 cents.

THE HISTORY OF PENDENNIS. By W. M. Thackeray. Harpers.-Part IV. of this work is received. It is published in handsome style, with numerous illustrations, on good paper, and in a readable type.

THE DEBTOR'S DAUGHTER. By T. S. Arthur. Peterson. -Complete in one volume. Price, 25 cents.

THE LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF ROBERT SOUTHEY. This publication, just commenced by the Harpers, and to be completed in six parts, will be a most acceptable accession to our literary history. Parts I. and II., now received, carry the life of Southey forward to his thirty-first year. It is thus far chiefly autobiographical.

THE OGILVIES. New York. Harper & Brothers. Price 25 cents, in paper covers. Unabridged from the original edition.

THE LIFE OF JOHN CALVIN. By Thomas H. Dyer. Harpers. A Life of Calvin has certainly been a want in theological literature. Whether Mr. Dyer's work will fill this want, remains to be seen. It shows much learning, and a certain earnestness of manner which carries the reader along despite the somewhat rugged character of the style. The conduct of the great theologian in the matter of Servetus is handled in a way that will probably offend some of his admirers. The volume is adorned with an admirable mezzotint likeness of Calvin, by W. G. Jack

man.

WEBSTER'S QUARTO DICTIONARY. This work has assumed at length a permanent form. Whilst the great lexicographer lived, he continued at successive editions, to introduce additions. After his death, the whole work with his latest improvements underwent revision at the hands of his legal and literary executors, and assumed the shape in which it is now offered to the public. Those who buy the work now, have no fear of its being superseded and left comparatively useless on their hands by a new edi tion. As it is, it is likely to continue, without material change. We purposely say nothing of the general merits of Dr. Webster as a lexicographer. No scholar, whatever may be his opinion on this point, would feel his library to be complete without a copy of "The American Dictionary" unabridged.

AGAIN.

WE have been compelled, for a third time, to reprint the early numbers of the present volume. We feel certain now that we have enough to supply the demand. Those persons, therefore, who are still unsupplied, may send on their orders. The present volume, ending with the June number, will contain the whole of Hardscrabble.

SUUM CUIQUE

Is Cicero's most general formula for the expression of that great principle of Justice, which consists in giving to each his own. Our purpose in the present paragraph, however, is not so general, being limited in fact to the single object of "giving the devil his due"-the printer's devil, we mean. A part, certainly, of the praise awarded to our Magazine for the beauty of its appearance is due to the superior manner in which it is printed. Let any one scrutinize carefully the pages of the Magazine, and observe the clearness and uniformity of the impression, the exactness of the registering, the judiciousness and good taste displayed in the spacing and title-matter, and what to authors and editors is still more highly prized--the rare accuracy of the proof-reading. As editor, we claim some credit for the appearance of the Magazine in these respects. Yet much is due also to the admirable arrangements of Mr. Sherman's printing-office-an office in which every department of the business, from the delivery of the copy to the handing over of the pressed sheets to the binder, is under an exact system-where, without confusion or the slightest appearance of hurry, about fifty hands are permanently employed, and more than forty reams of paper are printed daily, chiefly on the finer descriptions of work, such as the volumes of the United States Exploring Expedition, the Annuals, the Magazine, &c.

Among the achievements of this office, we may mention the beautiful tinted engravings, such as "Spring," in the last number, and the "Washington Monument" in the present, which are printed by Mr. Sherman on a power press propelled by steam-the first time, in the history of the art, in any part of the world, that such a thing has been accomplished. But a few years since the proprietor of this establishment was a journeyman printer, satisfied if he could earn his eight dollars a week. Skill, fidelity in all his engagements, and untiring industry, have placed him at the head of his profession. His office, though not the largest in the United States, is a perfect model in all its departments.

CHEAP POSTAGE.

This subject is again agitating the public mind. The newspaper press in every part of the country is urging the propriety of reducing letter postage to a uniform rate of two cents, and other postage in a like ratio. We do earnestly hope the public opinion on this subject may be so clearly and distinctly expressed, that Congress will be induced to pass a new postage law during the present session. No class of the community suffer such an unequal and oppressive taxation in this respect, as the mailsubscribers of the monthly periodicals. We hope every

one of our subscribers, who receives his Magazine by mail, will take the opportunity to let his wishes and opinions be known in the right quarter. In regard to the general argument, we find the question well put in the following paragraph by our friend, the Editor of the Saturday Courier.

"CAN POSTAGE BE REDUCED TO TWO CENTS?

"This is a question which is frequently asked by those who have not studied the subject; and it gives us pleasure to reply in the affirmative. The old rates of postage, prior to the law of 1845, were so high that the people, refusing to send their letters by the mails, employed private expresses, which carried them much cheaper; and the consequences were, that the letters had decreased from twenty-seven to twenty-four millions, and the revenue in the same proportion. But, under the present rates, the number of letters has increased to sixty-two millions the past year, and the revenue of the Post-Office, after paying all its expenses, has a surplus on hand of six hundred and ninety-one thousand dollars, and, at the end of this fiscal year, the Postmaster-General says there will be over a million of dollars to the credit of the Post-Office Department! So much, then, for the result of the present rates of postage.

"But some of our readers may still ask, Will a further reduction of two cents pay? We answer that this rate has been tried in Great Britain the last ten years, and the result has shown most conclusively that it not only paid the heavy cost of managing their Post-Office, but yielded a revenue to the Crown of four and a half millions of dollars the last year! A population of twenty-seven millions sent through the Post-Office three hundred and fifty-six millions of letters, which yielded a revenue of upwards of ten millions of dollars.

"Perhaps it will still be objected that the population of Great Britain is more dense and compact, and their territory small, compared with ours, and consequently the transportation of their mails cannot cost as much as in the United States, which has a sparse population, and a vast extent of territory. In reply to this, we have it from good authority that the transportation of the mails in the United States costs only ten per cent. more than in Great Britain, and the cost of the management of our Post-Office Department less than theirs by two and a half millions of dollars!

"Hence we come to these conclusions, that if we have as cheap postage-say two cents-the population of our country, which is about twenty millions, will write as many letters as the people of Great Britain, if not more, and that we will have in a short period not less than two hundred millions of letters per annum passing through our Post-Office. This will yield a revenue of four millions of dollars. Then, if Congress pays the PostOffice, as it should, the postage on franked matter, this, together with a reduced rate of postage on newspapers and periodicals, will be amply sufficient to meet all the expenses of the Post-Office Department, and to afford greater postal facilities to the people."

A CARD.

The undersigned, Agent of the Washington National Monument Society, for the city and county of Philadel phia, has the honour to announce to his fellow-citizens, that, in the performance of the duty assigned him, he proposes soon to call on them, either personally or by his authorized agents, that all may enjoy the grateful privilege of contributing, according to their means and dispo sition, to this magnificent work, the enduring emblem of a nation's gratitude.

The friends of Constitutional Liberty will assuredly rejoice in this opportunity to inscribe their names on the tablets to be preserved in the monument, that after ages may know how universal was the veneration of the American people for the illustrious founder of their National Independence. JOHN C. MONTGOMERY.

Philadelphia, April 10, 1850.