PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

BOOKS.

"Our Street." By M. A. Tilmarsh. Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the years 1845 and 1846. Con- taining a Narrative of Personal Adventures during a Tour of nine months through the Desert, amongst the Touaricks and other Tribes of Saharan people; including a Description of the Oases and Cities of Ghat, Ghadames, and Mourzuk. By James Richardson. In two volumes.

Memoir of the Life of Elizabeth Fry; with Extracts from her Letters and Journal. Edited by two of her Daughters. In two volumes. Volume IL The Princess; a Medley. By Alfred Tennyson.

The Planet Neptune; an Exposition and History. By J. P. Nichol, LLD. Professor of Astronomy in the University of Glasgow. [The basis of this essay was a lecture delivered before the Edinburgh Philo- sophical Institution, in which Dr. Nichol aimed at combining the scientific and the popular; a difficulty he has successfully overcome. The strict subject was an account of the discovery of the new planet Neptune—the profoundly saga- cious speculation and unwearied calculation by which the existence of an unseen body moving in the depths of space was inferred and its place determined. To render this story clear, Dr. Nichol first presents a view of our solar system, with an exposition of the law of gravitation, as it not only acts directly from the sun on any particular planet, but as one planet is influenced by all the rest; the nice investigation of which principle and some subordinate laws of out sys- tem, enabled the existence and position Of Neptune to be fixed before it was seen. A closing section is devoted to a discussion of the respective claims of Leverrier and Adams; in which, but for Dr. Nichol's genial nature, we might suspect some- thing like temper. The merits of both discoverers may be equal, but the French- man's right is clear: publication to the world is the only test: not even Arago's French vaunting can change the fact that Leverrier published his hypothesis before Adams.

This essay, though more limited in its extent than the previous publications of Dr. Nichol, exhibits his characteristic merit—scientific knowledge combined with popular exposition. When the nature of the subject is considered, The Planet Nep- tune probably displays the author's power of making abstruse principles plain, to any mind that is at all competent to apprehend them more distinctly than any other of his works. The exposition of the disturbing effects of the planets on the gravitation-power of the sun is a very beautiful example of a rare power • the drift of the whole being, we think, comprehensible, even when particular diagrams may not be apprehended. The disturbances caused to Uranus by Neptune while un- known, with the story of the discovery, is all but equal to the disquisition on gravitation: perhaps the merit is the same, but the subject more limited.] The Stellar Universe: Views of its Arrangements, Motions,-auctEvolatiate. By J. P. Nichol, LL.D., Professor of Astronomy in the University of Glas- gow. [This volume contains in some degree the more striking portions of the author's previous works, rewritten in a less ornate style, and designed for a younger class of readers; though Dr. Nichol himself doubts whether the juvenile mind is able to acquire a relishing knowledge of astronomical subjects from books—it demands oral teaching adapted to each individual capacity. However this may be, The Stellar Universe embraces an account of our own system, the Milky Way, and the regions beyond it, together with minor matters—as the Telescope; and if the young is cannot as yet master it, the book will keep. The Nebular Hypo- thesis s dropped.]

Thoughts on some important Points relating to the System of the World. By J. P. Nichol, LL.D., Professor of Astronomy in the University of Glasgow. [This new edition of a publication that we noticed on its first appearance, in the lantana of 1846, is enriched by "hints," and something more, derived from Sir John Herschel's work on the Southern Heavens, as well as from other sources. In the first edition the Nebular Hypothesis was considered to be overthrown; and now Laplace's system is abandoned, except as a mere speculation throughout.]

Leonora; a Love Story. In three volumes.

[The Leonora of this "love story" is the sister of Alphonse D'Este, to whom it is said that Tasso was attached, and for which presumption he was placed in con- finement, under the plea of madness: of the latter fact there is little doubt, be the cause what it might. In the novel there is a reciprocal affection between the poet and the princess; which pats her cousin Count Maddolo, the rival and villain of the piece, into a passion of revenge and jealousy. Failing to assassinate Tease, he denounces the lovers to Alphonse; procures Tasso's arrest; and produces the death of Leonora, which takes place before the poet's release from prison. Daring his long confinement and subsequent wanderings, Tasso is faithfully attended by Angio/etta a young maiden whose father's life he had saved, and who follows him with disinterested and hopeless affection. Literature and art being in their essence purely intellectual actions, are not well fitted for fiction, because adventures and mental creation are incompatible; and English writers, as we observed last week, do not treat such subjects in the only way to make them effective. They are always thinking of the worldly in action and of the worldly in reward, instead of the inward struggles, fears, and hopes of the aspirant. The mixture of reality and fiction in Tames life, at least in the volumes before us, further unfits it for a novel; and the writer, though not igno- rant of the subject, is deficient in the imagination and dramatic power necessary to revive Italian life of the sixteenth century. The structure is inartificial, the dialogue literal and tame; but there is a sort of interest in the story. The quality of the writing, however, is better adapted to the short tale than to the novel.]

The Heroic Life and Exploits of Siegfried the Dragon-Slayer • an old Ger- man Story. With eight Illustrations designed by William lilulbach.

[A handsome table-book, with a many-coloured ornamental cover, a variety of illustrations in the modern style of olden art, and typographical appearance to correspond. We opine the "old German story possesses something of this mo- dern antique character also; or, if it had any • anld warld" existence, there have

been pretty free modifications in the translation. We see several London phrasal of the iiineteenth century in the narrative; and the adventures are somewhat literal, yet exaggerated; seeming to want the consistency which was given to giants, dwarfs, dragons, and other monsters, by the faith of the middle ages. But there is no lack of the various and the wonderful; encounters with giants, dwarfs and dragons, following each other in constant motion, till the princess is released and the hero married. The Exploits of Siegfried the Dragon-slayer may worthily supersede the Seven Champions of Christendom.] The Emigrants of Ahadarra; a Tale of Irish Life. By William Carleton, Esq., Author of Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry," &c. (Parlour Library.) [The proprietors of the Parlour Library present a New Year's gift to their read- ers, in the shape of an original fiction by Carleton, without any increase " in the usual charge of one shilling." The subject of The Emigrants of Ahadarra is Irish disturbances and Irish distress, with some indirect reference to passing events. The object of Mr. Carleton is to show that the best of " the bold pea- santry" of Ireland are leaving it; driven away by selfish and exacting landlords, tyrannous agents, and all the other producers of Irish misery, of whom so much has been said in speeches, travels, and fictions. This view of matters is pretty well worn, and just now not very popular or acceptable, from the contradiction given to it by deeds. The general views of Mr. Carleton are, that Irish misery is owing to the stimulus applied to population under the forty-shilling freehold system; he upholds the necessity of fixed tenure; and concludes with the hap- piness that can be produced by a landlord doing his duty to his tenantry,-4 position over which the cases of Major Mahon and others may throw some doubt.] The Three Paths; a Story for Young People. By Julia Kavanagh. With

Illustrations by Andrew Maclure.

[The title of The Three Paths is incidental, and intended to illustrate the ad- vantage of following the difficult but straight way. The actual story chiefly con- cerns the career of a French foundling, Louis Mathtuin; who acquires knowledge under great difficulties, and always takes the straight path. The principal event is a journey that Louis makes with two runaway youths, one the son of a noble, the other of a physician: the adventures they undergo, and the superiority. of Louis, form the main subject. The story is adapted to answer the end of the writer, and is not devoid ot interest. The facts of French life are preserved; but French character has rather evaporated. This is not the case with Mr. Maclure's illustrations: his figures are generally French.] Popular Natural History; or the Characteristics of Animals portrayed in a series of Illustrative Anecdotes. By Captain Thomas Brown, F.L.S., &c. Volume L [This is the first volume of a new work on natural history, which recurs to the more attractive if less scientific mode of Goldsmith. A horse is called a horse, without vocabularies of genera and species; while his anatomical structure, &c. is left for the experience or imagination of the reader to body forth. In more general description, the utility, the character, the mental qualities or disposition, are ex- hibited, as well as what Captain Brown, speaking a the tiger, calls "his domestic relations." When these matters, together with the natural or habituated climate of the animal, are dismissed, the illustrative anecdotes follow; and they consist of stories drawn from all kinds of repositories, with additions by Captain Brown and his friends. It will be seen at once that there is nothing very instructive in the plan or execution of this work; but it has a great quantity of amusing reading. The text is illustrated by coloured plates, which resemble those formerly published in the "Naturalist's Library."] Rudiments of the Latin Language; for the Use of the High School of Edin- burgh. By William M. Gunn. [This little elementary treatise is based on the well-known "Rudiments" of Tho- mas Raddiman, a work which for the greater part of a century has been used as the class-book for beginners in every school in Scotland where Latin is taught. But Mr. Gann's Rudiments is substantially a new work: for, while the clear and comprehensive method of the old Scottish grammarian has been adopted, and the most important of his rules have been preserved in his own words, Mr. Gunn Ints not only rendered the rules themselves more complete, and more accurate in expression, but has given more detailed and satisfactory explanations of their ap- plication, illustrated by a greater varietrof examples. As in Raddiman the rules and examples to be committed to memory by beginners are separated by difference of type from those elucidations of the principles of grammar which are to be studied by more advanced pupils. One most judicious novelty is, that ex- ercises in translation and parsing are introduced from the very commencement. As soon as the scholar has learned the first declension of the noun, being simply told that est means "is," and aunt "are," he is exercised in translating little Latin phrases, or in turning into Latin little English phrases, made up of the nouns he has been declining and those copulative words. At every step those exercises are extended; and the schoolboy is pleased and interested to find that he is getting some practical knowledge of the language from the very outset. Mr. Gunn ap- pears to have made a good use of the labours of the best German and English grammarians; and his book is in every respect admirably adapted to its purpose.]

Chronology of the Times of Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, Considered;

with the view of correcting an error of 33 years in the received chronology

between the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the birth of Christ; thereby leading to the solution of a problem which has perplexed the world for eighteen centuries, viz. the Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks; also to the recovery of the Lost /Era of the Jubilee, and to the correction of several important dates in Scripture chronology. By James Whatman Bosanquet, Esq. Part L

[This volume is a species of continuation or revival of a book on Scripture chro- nology, which Mr. Basanquet published unsuccessfully in 1836. He has since "applied to that Source from which alone all strength and wisdom flows;• and it was not long before the mists which intercepted his view gradually dispersed: the mass of confused materials which had been collected appeared to arrange themselves in order; and the truth, as lie now sincerely and firmly believes, shone forth with fall conviction on his mind." The main object of Mr. Bosanquet's volume and of another which is to follow it, is to change the date of the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, from the year 588 B. C. to 555, and the rebuildik of the city and temple from 520 to 485. There are useful chronological tables in the volume; and some of the arguments are sounder than might be expected.] Railway Engineering; or Field-work preparatory to the Construction of Railways, &c. A General Table for the Calculation of Earth-works of Railways, Canals, &c.; with two Auxiliary Tables; also Tunnelling and Investigation of the Exterior Rail in Curves. By T. Baker, C.E., &c.

[A part of this volume has been before the world for years, and has been found so useful that some writers on the subject have made free with it. • Mr. Baker has added extensively to his previous matter, and reclaimed his own invention. The subject is too technical for our columns.]

Lyrics of Sea and Shore. By Colin Rae Brown. [In this volume of miscellaneous poems Mr. Rae Brown has perhaps allowed tea much play to a mistaken idea. Although senseshould not be sacrificed to sound, sound is an essential part of poetry. No doubt, verse and rhyme are in one point of view only difficulties overcome; but art, however mechanical, is altogether an overcoming of difficulties.] Laysfor the Thoughtful and the Solitary. By Mrs. Charles Tinsley, Author of "The Priest of the Nile," &c. [The greater portion of these Lays have already appeared in various periodicals. be subjects are occasional, or founded on some historical incident, but well chosen. Mrs. Tinsley is of the school of Mrs. He..mans.] Shakspeare for Schools; being Passages from his Works to be committed to Memory. With Notes, original and selected. By a Clergyman of the Church of England. [A selection from Dothrs Beauties, with a regard to the moral and religions cha- racter of the passages taken. The notes are illustrative, brief, and mostly to the point) New System of Short-Band, or Stenography, more easy of attainment and transcription, and one-third briefer than the most popular system extant.

By J. Best Davidson, principal Reporter to the "Leeds Mercury."

ALMANACKS.

Rees' Improved Diary and A ltnanack, for 1848. The Post Magazine Alnzanack, and Court and Parliamentary Register,

1848.

The Ombrological Alntanack, for 1848. By Peter Legb, Esq., A.M.