praises A., through all the moods and tenses; or, perhaps, A. and B. will both occupy themselves in proving how much the world is indebted to some mining or manufacturing company, some quack doctor, or some merchant who has become a millionaire. If, upon the other hand, any living person is noticed in the Encyclopædia Americana, he must be one whose genius the world has recognized. Even then he is spoken of not as a model of perfection; not as a Homer, Thucydides, Virgil, Tacitus, or Shakespeare, &c., &c., but according to his merits, and in the language of moderation and common sense. The question is, whether a duodecimo written in this style is not more valuable than a quarto written in the opposite style. The former we can use as a work of reference and quote as an anthority; whereas, were we guided by the latter, we should believe that there are more geniuses in one State of the Republic, nay, in one city, than the whole ancient world could boast. It is too often forgotten that a book must not be valued like a diamond, in proportion to its size. The Essay of Longinus, on the Sublime, is contained in a dozen octavo pages; but it is worth folios on the same subject. Sapho has left us but a small fragment or two of her poetry; but these are the delight of all ages. Upon the other hand, Wickliffe, for example, has written works enough to make quite a library by themselves. We are told that Lubinio Lepus, Bishop of Prague, burned about two hundred. There are still a large number left; but who reads one of them? "Invention," says D'Israeli, "depends on patience. Contemplate your subject long; it will gradually unfold, till a sort of electric spark convulses, for a moment, the brain, and spreads down to the very heart a glow of irritation. Then come the luxuries of genius-the true hour for production and composition; hours so delightful, that I have spent twelve and fourteen hours, successively, at my writing desk, and still been in a state of pleasure." The compilers of the work before us had, evidently, these facts in their minds; they evidently understood, too, that it is not always the best authors that are most praised; but, indeed, on the contrary, they are the most likely to be abused. The most careful and devoted student of Shakespeare can find but few encomiums on the author of Hamlet in the writings of his cotemporaries-scareely any but those of his personal friend, Ben Jonson. Molière, too, was much more abused than praised; and Socrates was so much hated because he gave his honest opinions freely, of all shams, that he was put to death. "On my entering into life," says the witty and amiable Montesquieu, "I was spoken of as a man of talents; and people of condition gave me a favorable reception; but when the success of my Persian Letters proved, perhaps, that I was not unworthy of my reputation, and the public began to esteem me, my reception with the great was discouraging, and I experienced innumerable mortifications." We have made these observations in reference to the Encyclopædia Americana be cause, satisfied that it is a reliable work, we think we consult the interests of literature by calling attention to its intrinsic merits, as contrasted with the noisy and vulgar pretentiousness of shams. The Supplemental Volume, edited by Henry Vethake, LL. D., contains several elaborate and valuable articles. Those on France, Germany, the United States, Great Britain, China, Magnetism, &c., &c., would be worthy of a place in the best similar works of Europe. NEW PUBLICATIONS, NOT NOTICED IN THE REVIEW, WHICH MAY BE RECOMMENDED FOR PERUSAL AND STUDY. The Works of the late Horace Hayman Wilson, M. A., F. R. S., &c. Vol. 1. London: Trübner & Co. 1862. Zur Geschichte des Eigenthums in den Deutschen Städten. Von Dr. W. Arnold, Ord. Professor der Rechte zu Basel. Basel: H. Georg. 1861. The Wild Sports of India. By Major Henry Shakspear, late Commandant of Nagpore Irregular Force. London: Smith, Elder & Co. Reise der Oesterreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857-8-9, unter Befehlen des Commodore B. Von Wullerstorf Urbair. Wien. Histoire des Mussulmans d'Espagne jusqu'à la conquête de l'Andalousie par par les Almorairdes 711-1110. Par R. Dozy. 4 vols. London: Williams & Norgate. Beauties selected from the Writings of Thomas De Quincey, author of Confessions of an English Opium Eater, &c. 12mo. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. 1862. Two Lectures on Trades Unions, delivered to the University of Oxford, in the year 1861. By Charles Neale, A. M., Fellow of Oriel College, &c. London: Parker. 1862. Etudes sur les Infusoires et les Rhizopodes. Par Edouard Claparède et Johannes Lachmann. The Laws which Regulate the Deposition of Lead Ore in Veins, illustrated by an Examination of the Geological Structure of the Mining Districts of Alston Moor. By William Wallace. 8vo. London, 1862. Lockhart's Life of Sir Walter Scott. Illustrated edition. Vols. 5, 6. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. 1862. The Turkish Empire in its Relations with Christianity and Civilization. By Richard Robert Madden. London: Newby. 1861. Considerations on Representative Government. By John Stuart Mill, author of "A System of Logic," &c. New York: Harper & Brothers. Cortez and Pizarro, &c. By William Dalton. With illustrations. London Grifin, Bohn & Co. 1862. Coppet et Weimer, Madame de Staël et la Grande Duchesse Louise. Par l'auteur des Souvenirs de Mme. Récamier. London: Williams & Norgate. A Manual of Psycological Medicine, containing the History, Nosology, Description, Statistics, Diagnosis, Pathology, and Treatment of Insanity, with an Appendix of Cases. By John Charles Bucknill, M. D., and Daniel Hack Tuke, M. D. Second Edition, revised and enlarged. 8vo. London: 1862. Agnes of Sorrento. By Harriet Beecher Stowe. 12mo. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. 1862. Memorable Women of the Puritan Times. By the Rev. James Anderson. The Correspondence of Leigh Hunt. Edited by his Eldest Son. With a Undercurrents; A Romance of Business. By Richard B. Kimball, author of "St. Leger," &c. Third edition. 12mo. New York: Putnam. 1862. Ten Years' Diggings in Celtic and Saxon Gravehills, in the counties of Derby, Stafford, and York, from 1848 to 1858, with notices of some former Discoveries hitherto unpublished, and Remarks on the Crania and Potteries from the Mounds. By Thomas Bateman, &c., &c. London: J. R. Smith. 1862. The True Story of the Barons of the South; or, The Rationale of the American Conflict. By E. W. Reynolds. 16mo. Boston: Walker, Wise & Co. 1862. The Iliad of Homer in English Hexameter Verse. By J. Henry Dart. London: Longman & Co. 1862. The Winter School; or, the Boys' Campaign against one of their worst Enemies. By Mrs. H. E. Brown. 24mo. American Tract Society, Boston. The Last of the Mortimers. A Story in Two Volumes. By the author of Margaret Maitland," &c., &c. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1862. Chemin Perdu, Ecce Homo, Renoncement, Une Larme de Dante. Par André Lemoyne. Paris: Firmin Didot. 1862. The Children's Picture Book of the Sagacity of Animals. Illustrated with Sixty Engravings. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1862. Essais Historiques et Littéraires. Par M. L. Vitét. Paris: Michel Lévy Frères. 1862. The Bible Reader; or, Scripture Reading Made Easy. Philadelphia: American Sunday School Union. Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum, described by Samuel Sharpe. London: John Russell Smith. 1862. The Three Barriers-Notes on Mr. Darwin's Origin of Species. Post 8vo. Edinburgh: 1862. General Outline of the Organization of the Animal Kingdom and Manual of Comparative Anatomy. By Thomas Rymer Jones, F. R. S., Professor of Comparative Anatomy in King's College, London, &c. London: 1862. Domestic Life in Palestine. By M. E. Rogers. London: Bell & Dady. 1862. The Massachusetts Register, 1862, containing a Record of the Government and Institutions of the State, together with a very complete account of the Massachusetts Volunteers. Serial number, ninety-four. Boston: Adams, Sampson & Co. Galileo Galilei sa vie et ses Contemporaines. D'après les Documents originaires. Avec un Portrait. Par Philarète Chasles. Paris: 1862. CONTENTS OF No. X. 1. T. Lucretii Cari De Rerum Natura, libri sex, ex editione Gilberti Wakefieldi, cum notis et interpretatione in Usum Delphini, Variis Lectionibus notis Variorum, Recensu edi- 2. The Nature of Things: A Didactic Poem. Translated from the Latin of Titus Lucretius Carus, accompanied by the Original Text and Illustrated with Notes, Philological and Explanatory. By JOHN MASON GOOD. 3. Lucretius on the Nature of Things. A Philosophical Poem, in six books, literally translated into English Prose. By the Rev. JOHN SELBY WATSON, M. A., Head Master of the Proprietary Grammar School, Stockwell. II. THE WORKS AND INFLUENCE OF GOETHE. 1. Briefwechsel zwischen Göthe und Zelter, in den Jahren 1796 bis 1832; herausgegeben von Dr. FRIEDRICH WILHELM RIEMER, Grossherzog. Sächs. Hofrathe und Bibliothekar. 2. Goethe's Correspondence with a Child. 3. Göthe's Werke. Vollständige Ausgabe letzter Hand (Goethe's Works. Completed, final Edition). 40 voll. 5. The Life and Works of Goethe, &c. By G. H. LEWIS. 6. Faustus, a Dramatic Mystery; the Bride of Corinth; the First Walpurgis Night; translated from the German of Goethe, and Illustrated with Notes. By JOHN ANSTER, LL. D. (of Trinity College, Dublin). 1. Histoire de Madame de Maintenon, et des Principaux Evénements du Regne de Louis XIV. Par M. LE DUO DE 2. Siècle de Louis XIV. Par VOLTAIRE. |