1839.]

history; characters of Biblical personages; the poetry and Múdo of the Bible; illustrations of the Bible from profane authors; hermeneutics, or theory of Biblical exegesis; 6, further illustrations of the Old and New Testaments; containing Bibles with annotations, and collections of works on single portions of Scripture; 7, exegetical writings on the Old Testament; 8, exegetical writings on the New Testament.

The remaining portion of the work contains the literature of systematic theology, of dogmatic theology and its history of Biblical theology, symbolics, and polemics.

3.-The Union Bible Dictionary. Prepared for the American Sunday School Union, and revised by the Committee of Publication. Philadelphia, 1839. pp. 522.

Some years since the Sunday School Union reprinted from the British Press an abridgement of Brown's Dictionary of the Bible. This abridgement was materially improved by the labors of the Rev. Dr. Alexander of Princeton, and had an extensive sale. But one opinion was expressed of its essential adaptedness to the wants of the community. It supplied, at a small expense, a desideratum which had been long felt in the Sunday School, the Bible Class, and the Family Library. To the diligent reader of the Bible, who could not avail himself of larger and more expensive works, this work was indispensable. It was extensively sought for.

It was at first, however, published in the duodecimo size, and in small type. In these respects, it was ill adapted to some classes of readers. The advances also which have been recently made in Biblical knowledge called for important improvements in many articles of the work. It has accordingly been diligently revised, as we are assured, by competent Biblical scholars, who have availed themselves of the information furnished by modern travellers in the East, and especially by American Missionaries, to whose journals frequent references are made.

The result is a somewhat enlarged, and a much improved edition of the Bible Dictionary, which is now presented to the public in a substantial octavo volume, stereotyped in an economical manner, with no waste of margin, and in a fair type. It also contains a great variety of wood cut engravings, illustrating many of the materials and customs named and referred to in the Scriptures, and two maps, the one presenting the countries named in the Bible, the other a map of Palestine.

We most cordially commend this volume to our readers as a work of inestimable value, especially to such as have not the means of access to larger works.

4.-Contributions to the Ecclesiastical History of the United States. By Francis L. Hawks, D. D. Vol. II. NewYork, John S. Taylor, 1839. pp. 523.

The above is the general title of a proposed' series of vol umes, of which this is the second. The specific title of the present volume is, "A Narrative of Events connected with the Rise and Progress of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Maryland."

Those who have read the former volume of this series, (devoted to the history of the rise and progress of the Episcopal Church in Virginia,) need not be told that the author possesses some admirable qualities as a writer of history. His habits are manifestly those of a practical observer of passing events. His conceptions, therefore, of the relations and bearings of the events of other times are clear and vivid; and his style, like the flow of his thoughts, is free and easy. He moulds the materials of his composition into an entertaining form, and leads his readers into the spirit of the scenes which he describes. His "Contributions" are not dull and uninteresting narratives, but books, which one who begins to read, will wish to read through.

The materials of the volume now under consideration are of a highly interesting character. Dr. Hawks, it appears, was requested by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church to prepare the history of the several diocesses in the United States. He accordingly visited England and pursued the necessary researches among the original documents relating to the origin and early history of Episcopacy in this country. In these researches, he says, he possessed" facility." He has thus collected a mass of facts before unevery desirable known to American readers. And what are facts relating to the early settlement and religious history of the few and feeble colonies which constituted the germ of our nation, but topics of the most intense curiosity, and of thrilling interest to American citizens?

Our author begins with the first endeavors of George Calvert, first Baron of Baltimore in Ireland, to obtain a patent of land in this country for the establishment of a colony, in 1624; relates the actual granting of the patent to his son Cecil, who

succeeded to his estate and title in 1632; and the commencement of the settlement in Maryland, in 1634. These events are spread before the reader as preparatory to the history of the Episcopal Church in that state, which began its organized existence in 1676.

The vicissitudes through which that branch of the church. has been called to pass for nearly two hundred years, have been various, perplexing, and often marked with strong and vigorous party contention. And division, it would seem, is not yet at an end in that diocess. Its convention in 1838, after a protracted endeavor to elect a Bishop, failed of its object, the contest being between the high-church and lowchurch parties.

Unacquainted as we are, with many of the sources from which the materials of this narrative are drawn, we shall not presume to pronounce judgment in respect to our author's He is "first in his own cause," and historical accuracy. seemeth just." If he has failed in faithfulness and honesty, some neighbor of his will doubtless come and search him.

This volume is got up in the very best style of Mr. Taylor's publications.

5.-The Poetical Works of Robert Southey, Collected by Himself. Ten Volumes in One. New-York: D. Appleton & Co., 1839. pp. 810, royal octavo.

This is a beautiful complete edition of the Poetical Works of the splendid Laureate. We think it a good sign of the times, that an American publisher can trust enough capital to the taste of the community, to afford us such a treat, at such a moderate price. Heretofore, the admirers of Southey have been obliged to pay seven or eight dollars to Galignani and the revenue; or twice as much to an English publisher, for a possession which Appleton now affords them, at three dollars and a half. The Edition is better than Galignani's, though got up on the same plan. The type is larger, and certainly as handsome; and the book is beautifully executed.

So much for the outside. Only en passant, we must remind our readers, that while for twenty years Southey has been unpublished in America, there has scarely appeared a dirty novel, or a scurrilous farce on the other side of the water, which has not been greedily snapped up by our American houses, and republished, some of them in twenty-four hours! There must be something wrong in our copy-right laws! The boy who was willing to poison himself at college, with

Bulwer's thin and washy messes, could be gratified at any book-shop for half-a-dollar: while the worthier student who desired the uncontaminated nourishment of Southey's real intellectual food, had weeks to wait, before he could get his high-priced volume through some great house at New York, after paying two shillings a pound to the custom-house, a tax on sound learning!

No words are wanted from us, in praise of Southey's works themselves. The friend of Wordsworth and of Coleridge must be a man of more than ordinary genius, as well as goodness. He is well known in America, chiefly as a prosewriter; and certainly his eminence in that branch of literature, is sufficient to create a question whether he is to be more valued as a poet, or as a man of letters. His prose is nearly a library of itself, and the scholars of England usually regard him as authority, in the use of the Anglo-Saxon tongue.

We recommend this volume to every good man, who loves poetry. To students and clergymen it will be a welcome present; and no Annual could be half so acceptable to a lady of taste, however rare its binding and vignette. Thalaba is an exquisite oddity. We never can tell exactly what it is, that renders this poem so dear in memory! The story is certainly a secondary affair; but the music of the verse, and the richness of the language, are "a perpetual feast." Let any reader take the passage, for instance, descriptive of the ruins of Babylon, and Thalaba wandering among them. The whole scene from the opening of the book, is so perfectly laid before us, that we seem to be there with the wanderer. The Pelican in the desert has been beautifully introduced; and the language of Holy Writ in relation to that great city, is employed in a masterly manner; and with a calmness of detail, that is to our mind the very perfection of poetical painting. Of Southey as a versifier, it is sufficient to say that he was the master of Shelley.

The Curse of Kehama, is another triumph of genius-and is valuable as containing the only full account of Hindoo Mythology, which we possess in any popular work. Madoc too, ought to be interesting to us in America, as containing a poetical explanation of the aboriginal remains of our country, with the traditional and fabulous histories of Aztlan, and other great cities that have been, in this our old-new world.

We welcome, and recommend the introduction of such works as these into our country. Their influence on our literature and national taste, cannot be other than happy and desirable; and we confidently trust that the growing taste for poetry observable

among us, if thus directed, and well regulated by worthy standards, is destined to bring forth the latent genius of America, in poetical works which will amply repay our mother country for all she has given us.

6. The Obligations of the World to the Bible: A series of Lectures to Young Men. By Gardiner Spring. New York: Taylor & Dodd, 1839. pp. 404.

This is a publication of more than ordinary value and interest. Aside from the influence, which the Bible exerts upon the spiritual welfare of men, it is maintained in these Lectures, that there is not a department of life, civil, social, or intellectual, which is not under special obligations to these oracles of divine truth. The author deserves well of the Christian community, for thus aiding to place the Scriptures in their legiti mate sphere of honor and excellence. The style of the work is chaste and attractive, though somewhat labored;-the topics, judiciously chosen and well arranged; the arguments and illustrations generally ingenious, logical, and conclusive. An instance of special felicity of argumentation may be found in the lecture, in which is enforced the obligations of the world to the Bible for the Sabbath. The same may be said of the lecture showing the influence of the Scriptures upon the social institutions. A somewhat defective course of reasoning is however to be found in the lecture in support of the hypothesis, that the art of writing was first imparted to Moses, at the giving of the law. The best critics agree in placing the life of Job in the early times of the postdiluvian patriarchs, or, at least, previous to the time of Abraham. As ancient writings are spoken of in his day, it seems quite clear that the art must have been taught and practised before the time of Moses.

We regret to find in a work so truly meritorious, many inaccuracies both historical and typographical. Chedorlaomer, (inaccurately printed Cherdorlaomer) is in one place made to be contemporary with Moses. On p. 48, Sanchoniathan, (inaccurately printed Sanconiathan,) Berosus, Ctesias and Manetho are styled, "the oldest human historians," whereas Ctesias was contemporary with Xenophon, and Manetho and Berosus flourished still later, in the time of Alexander the Great. They all, with the exception of Sanchoniathan, if such a person ever existed, which is quite doubtful, lived subsequently to the time of Herodotus the father of profane history, and also of Thucydides. Page 58, Dr. S. says, the Bible "has given to devotional poetry a glow, a richness, a tenderness in vain sought

SECOND SERIES, VOL. II. NO. IV.

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