astronomy, or any other science, as we of the nineteenth century do. To this we need hardly add, that our author places the geologists nearly in the same category with the Egyptologists. That the former, as well as the latter, have based their calculations on false data he has little doubt, though, as in the case of the inscriptions on the pyramids, he could not point out a single instance in which they have erred. But Her Majesty's Minister-at-War may say a great many things that seem flippant and even silly, and still be praised as a scholar and philosopher. At all events, the "Survey of the Astronomy of the Ancients" will amply repay perusal; though it is a survey carried on, for the most part, as we have seen, without chart or compass-one in which the surveyor magnifies every modern thicket into a forest, diminishing every ancient forest to a shrubbery.

Leçons sur la Physiologie et l'Anatomie Comparée de l'Homme et des Animaux, faites à la Faculté des Sciences de Paris. Par H. MILNE EDWARDS, Professeur au Museum d'Histoire Naturelle. Tome Septième, Première Partie. 8vo. Paris: 1862.

We presume there are few scientific readers, who pay any attention to the issues of the French press, who are not acquainted with the general characteristics of this work. When completed it will be one of the most valuable contributions to natural history of which the age can boast at least, to that branch of it known as comparative anatomy. In the seventh volume, now before us, the treatment of digestion and absorption is completed, and that of secretion commences. The views put forward are not alone those of the author; who fortifies his own opinions by those of the most eminent naturalists, anatomists, and physicians of ancient and modern times. Medical students will find much that is at once instructive and interesting in the author's dissertations on the physiology of the secretory glands and the supposed functions of the ductile glands. To the general reader, these discussions would naturally seem dry and unentertaining; but the same may be said, still more emphatically, of those on comparative philology, which have occupied the greatest minds of the age, and the value of which, in elucidating the early history of countries and races, is now universally acknowledged. The two studies bear no slight resemblance to each other. One teaches the affinities between different languages; the other the affinities between different animals, and different tribes of the same animals, including man; each showing how those affinities may be turned to account for the benefit of science, and consequently for the benefit of the human race.

Economistes Modernes. Par Louis REYBAUD, Membre de l'Institut. Paris: Lévy, Frères.

French writers have paid more attention to political economy since the beginning of the present century, than any others. The works on the

subject by Faucher, Chevalier, and Bastist, are studied throughout Europe; nor are they altogether unknown in this country. What M. Reybaud has undertaken to do is to review these; in doing so, he extends his criticisms to the theories of Cobden, Mill, and one or two others. The volume consists of six essays, which appeared about a year ago in different numbers of the Revue de Deux Mondes, in which they attracted no slight attention throughout Europe. The part of the book devoted to a criticism of Mr. Mill's theory as to the future of the working classes is worth a volume by itself; indeed, there are but few volumes that contain so much that is at once amusing and instructive. But all the worse for Mr. Mills, whose pretensions to superior wisdom in political economy are laughed at without mercy. The paper on Cobden and Chevalier is also a good specimen of searching criticism, though it is not exclusively critical. Interspersed with arguments, designed to confute certain theories of the gentlemen noticed, are hints and observations which, in connection with those in the other essays of the same series, form a correct and interesting exposition of the ideas on political economy most popular in France at the present time.

An Exposition of the Swedish Movement-Cure, Embracing the History and Philosophy of this System of Medical Treatment, with Examples of Single Movements, and Directions for their use in various forms of Chronic Disease, forming a Complete Manual of Exercises; together with a Summary of the Principles of General Hygiene. By GEO. II. TAYLOR, A. M., M. D., Principal Physician to the Remedial Hygienic Institute of New York City. New York: Fowler & Wells. 1862.

The salutary effect of exercise on the human system has been acknowledged from the earliest records. Hippocrates and Galen had equal faith in its influence. The former was of opinion that, when judicially taken, it was better than all drugs. That gymanastics were not so universally practised by the ancient Greeks and Romans merely for the purpose of strengthening the muscles is evident, from several passages in the works of Plato and Aristotle. The learned Bopp thinks that one of the principal works of the latter philosopher, which have yielded to the ravages of time, was one on gymnastics as a means of preventing disease. In short, no one that knows anything of physiology would venture to deny that exercise is beneficial. But of all the moderns, to a Swede is due the honor of having first attempted to reduce the principles of gymnastics to a practical system of hygiene; and the author of this book was the first to introduce the same system into this country. Even now we believe there is no regular "movement-cure" establishment in America but his, and that of his brother-the former situated in Thirty-eighth street, and the latter in the Cooper Institute, in this city.

The author of the volume before us, not content with studying all that had been written on the subject, proceeded to Sweden in order to obtain

instruction from the founders of what is now known throughout Europe as Hygienic Gymnastics; and hence it is that he dedicates his book to Professor Gabriel Branting, Director of the Swedish Central Gymnastic Institute, and Herman Sotherburg, M. D., Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in the Carolinian Medico-Chirurgical Institute, Stockholm, "as a testimonial of gratitude for their kind personal instructions, and generous hospitality." Altogether apart from its scientific character and the valuable suggestions which it contains, it is so agreeably written, and embraces so much information of a curious and interesting character to which none can be indifferent, that it is more attractive to the general reader than many a novel.

Dr. Taylor makes no attempt to depreciate the services of the regular faculty, but on the contrary. His own early studies and sympathies would naturally preclude him from this.

"To a thorough understanding of all the principles of the MOVEMENT-CURE, “he tells us in his preface," an intimate acquaintance with Anatomy and Physiology, and, indeed, with medical science generally, is absolutely essential. Of course, skill in diagnosis, and in the practical application of these principles in the treatment of the countless ills of human flesh, can be acquired only by long and patient training and study. I do not expect, for I know it would be quite impossible in the nature of things, to turn every good-natured person, who may do me the kindness to peruse these chapters, into a good doctor. I should be entirely satisfied-the height of my ambition would be reached-could I but prevent a few hundreds of my Christian fellow-men and women from making bad doctors of themselves.

"I have not endeavored to shake my reader's faith in the wise, prudent, conscientions, and learned physician. No one honors him more than does the writer. Blessed, say I, is the man or woman who has a good doctor, but more blessed he who can do without him! To enable my reader so to do, has been my main aim in the preparation of this manual."

To this we need hardly add, that, let the "movement-cure" be right, or wrong, the book is worth reading. It is copiously illustrated, and has the additional advantage of a full alphabetical index.

The Dean of Lismore's Book; A Selection of Ancient Gaelic Poetry from a Manuscript Collection made by Sir James McGregor, Dean of Lismore, in the beginning of the Sixteenth Century. Edited, with a Translation and Notes, by the Rev. THOMAS MCLAUGHLAN, and an Introduction and Additional Notes by W. F. Skene. Edinburgh; Edmonstone & Douglas. 1862.

The Dean of Lismore was one of the most learned men of his time; at any time there have been few better linguists. It would be easy to meet with one that had studied more languages; for it does not seem that he studied any save the Greek and Latin and the Gaelic; but with these he was well acquainted. There is reason to believe that his chief object in studying the classics was, to qualify himself for a more effectual prosecution of his Celtic researches. Be this as it may, he collected many valuable Celtic manuscripts, most of which he transcribed with his own hand. During the greater part of the Ossianic controversy these were not to be found; but as soon as they were brought to light the genuineness of several of the Ossianic poems was acknowl

edged by those who had hitherto been most zealous in maintaining that they were worthless fabrications. In short, the Dean of Lismore's book is now the only authority of any weight to which the friends of Macpherson can refer, to show that he translated in good faith from the Gaelic.

The conclusion to which the learned editors come is, that the first publication of Macpherson, that entitled "Fragments of Ancient Poetry collected in the Highlands of Scotland," was a genuine work. On this they pledge their reputation as critics and scholars; but of the epics of Fingal and Temora they are not so sure. They believe, however, that even of these Macpherson was not the sole author; what they deem most probable is, that he found each in miniature in the form of a legend, and that he fabricated the rest. The editors do not content themselves with mere assertions, as too many have done, in regard to the same case. They give their reasons at length, and in doing so show that they have fully investigated the subject. Viewed in any light, the book is curious and valuable. To Celtic scholars it particularly recommends itself; but no ethnologist, indeed no student of history, let his conviction be what it may, can examine its pages without meeting with facts and suggestions worth remembering.

A Grammar of the Latin Language, for the Use of Schools and Colleges. By E. A. ANDREWS and S. STODDARD. The Sixty-fifth Edition, revised, with Corrections and Additions. By E. A. Andrews, LL. D. Boston: Crocker & Brewster.

It has been our duty and our privilege to examine many text-books for the study of the Latin language, on both sides of the Atlantic, and we can truly say that one combining so many excellencies as the more recent editions of that now before us, we have never seen. No other grammar has contributed so much to render the language of Virgil and Cicero an attractive study. Indeed, it may be doubted whether it is possible to simplify its principles more than Prof. Andrews has done. Those that have been most successful in the compilation of other grammars are those who have most closely imitated him-especially in his mode of arranging the paradigms of verbs, the declensions of nouns, the primary and secondary rules, notes, &c.

For five years past neither teacher nor student has asked our opinion of the relative merits of different grammars without our recommending Andrews and Stoddard's in the strongest terms, though it was only by accident it first fell into our hands. Most persons naturally regard the form of grammar they have studied themselves as the best, but none could be more different from that now before us than the one which was most popular with teachers, if not with pupils, in our time-we mean Jacobs' Grammar-most of the rules and explanations of which were in Latin. The illustrative extracts were in the same language, so that, to be

able to get one's lesson in any intelligible way, it was necessary to be already somewhat of a Latinist. It is admitted by Europeans that Americans are much more successful than themselves in the compilation of text-books for schools; but they seek to lessen the compliment by the explanation that we want to learn everything so fast, and are so impatient of long studies, that, in order to encourage us, it is necessary that our text-books should be more lucid and simple, more systematically arranged, in a word, more easily mastered, than those of any other country. This is intended as a censure on the national aversion to hard study, but it is more than a tacit acknowledgment of the superior skill and judgment of our compilers. Fortunately, the sixty-fifth edition received the most careful revision from the author, only a few weeks before his death, and it also received as additions all that was valuable in the results of the most profound German research and scholarship.

BELLES-LETTRES.

Leisure Hours in Town. By the author of "The Recreations of a
Country Parson." Boston: Ticknor & Fields, 1862.

The more we see of the Parson, the more we like him. Not that he is always entertaining, or instructive, though generally both, and to a high degree. There is scarcely one of his essays in which he does not treat us to a piece of egotism, which shows that, let his talents and acquirements be what they may, he is fully conscious of them. But Goldsmith had the same foible; so had Lamb. Nay, who had not? Scarcely half a dozen of the world's greatest minds. If, when we reflect on this, we do not forgive the Parson, he is sure to tell us something good in so happy a way, that we are forced to do so. Our author is not merely an essayist; he is a keen and manly critic-one who is not afraid to speak out what he thinks and feels. In proof of this, we need only refer to his Essay "Concerning a Great Scotch Preacher "-the preacher alluded to being the Rev. John Caird, whom her Majesty Queen Victoria honored with a command to publish a sermon which he delivered before her at Balmoral, some two years since, on Religion in Common Life. The criticisms at pages 350-1 are sharp and truthful. What if the critic is sometimes open to criticism himself-so was Aristotle; so was Jeffries. We all improve by pointing out each other's faults. Sometimes the Parson does the work admirably; instance the paper entitled "Some Talk About Scotch Peculiarities," which certainly contains some capital hits; and they are given in such a sly, funny way that even those who receive the severest of them can hardly take offence. Our author "takes off" the characteristic, thrifty habits of the Scotch most truthfully; illustrating