CURRENT LITERATURE.

Tie Victorious Life. By Henry T. Edwards, B.A., Oxon., Vicar of Aberdare. (Smith, Elder, and Co.)—This volume, with its attractive title, is not a novel, but consists of twenty sermons, which were delivered in St. Elvan'a Church, Aberdare. The discourses which Mr. Edwards has given to the •world are net all of equal merit. But they are all interesting, and some of them are characterized by decided originality and effective pulpit eloquence. We suspect that we should have to express our dissent from the way in which Mr. Edwards handles certain rather important theological and anthropological theses; but we have only the most cordial commendations to bestow on such sermons as those on "Victory over the Power of Death," " The AllImportant Present," "The 3Ioral Obligation taught by the Cross," and, perhaps, the ablest of all, "The Condition of Divine Manifestation." In the discourse on " The All-Importa nt Present," based on the words, " Take ye therefore no thought for the morrow," Mr. Edwards is careful to inform his audience that it is not intellectual providence, but inactive and despairing emotion, against which Christ would protect us. It is not foresight, but fearfulness, which is interdicted. But, indeed, at the time the so-called Authorized Version was published, the word " thought" possessed very largely the significance of "anxiety," or brooding care. We all know the phrase •` sicklicd over with the pale east of ihouyht,"

and we can read in old books of those who " died of thought," which clearly was not death from intellectual effort. The teaching throughout this sermon is all excellent, but perhaps the reverend gentleman will one day learn to add to his exhortations touching the earnestness of daily life the consideration of the utter impossibility of complying with the spirit of Christ's commandment so long as the great future "tomorrow " holds its present place as a motive in our theology. We regret that our space will not allow us to give more than one extract, but that we trust will be sufficient to indicate to our readers the style and quality of these discourses. It is from that on "Victory over the Power of Death." "When we realize that He who could have summoned twelve legions of angels to ward off the onset of the angel of death did not do so, but chose rather to die for us ; then we learn that notwith

standing the gloom and the mystery and the pangs of physical agony, it was part of the Divine-Human career to die. In the strength inspired by that lesson we shake off the chains of fear, and we follow the Captain of our Salvation into the depth of the dark valley, assured that there are everlasting heights, and green pastures, and living fountains beyond, and with humble but courageous trust that with dying lips we shall murmur into the ears of tho Eternal Love that confident watchword which He died to teach us, Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.' " Romantic Episodes of Chivalric and Medieval France, done into English by Alexander Vance. (Moffatt, Dublin ; Hamilton, Adams, and Co.) —Mr. Vance translates with uncommon spirit and power selections from French romances and memoirs. He has formed his style on Elizabethan models, and has achieved a success which may without exaggeration be compared to that which Mr. Thackeray achieved when ho wrote Esmond. " Tho Death of Henry IV.," from the 11emoires de Sully, and the chapters from Philippe de amines, which tell the story of the last days of Louis XL, strike us as being particularly admirable. We may, perhaps, be allowed to suggest that the book would have been more generally acceptable if one or two of the less edifying "episodes " had been omitted.

The Agricola and Germania of Tacitus. By A. J. Church and W. J. Brodribb. (Macmillan and Co.)—Messrs. Church and Brodribb have, by the exercise of a careful discretion, collected a valuable body of information in the small compass of this volume, a companion to their recently published translation of the Agricola and Germania. Besides the special introductions to these works, they have found room for some remarks on the life and writings of Tacitus generally, including a warning against disparagement of his Latinity, likely to be useful to those who aro entering on the study of it. The notes are useful and to the point. The exact moaning of words liable to misapprehension, whether generally or with special reference to Tacitean usage, is judiciously indicated. (See, for instance, the remarks on "ambitiosus," " intellectus,""circa," in its post-Augustan sense). Explanations, where needed, are given briefly but sufficiently. The comments on the more difficult places are clear and thoroughly worked out, and where a choice has to be made between different renderings,care is taken to show the reasons for the editors'preference. Wo may cite as examples the notes on "Altorius succesaoris curam famamquo obruisset,"Agr. 17; " NAN%) prima," cap. 24. On cap. 22 of the Germania, the striking contrast implied by Tacitus's description between Roman and German habits is well brought out by an introductory note. Sometimes the editors have improved on their former translation, as in Ger. 7, where they now avoid the anti-climax "to reprimand, to imprison, oven to flog," by taking aniniadvortere," with Ruperti, in the special sense of "to punish with death." Occasionally, but rarely, we find a note somewhat too condensed for school uso; the fault, however, if any, is on the right side. The convenience of the book is increased by maps, indices, and tables of tho variants from Orelli's text. Altogether, it is a welcome specimen of the improvement to bo expected in class-books when real scholarship is brought to boar on their production.

Essays on Daly, Ireland, and the United States of America. By J. W. Probyn. (Triibner.)—These essays are reprinted from the Revue des Deux Mondes and the 1Vestminster Review. They are scarcely up in point of literary merit to the highest standard of these reviews, and to a certain extent they suffer the disadvantage of having been made obsolete by the course of events. Most readers, wo imagine, will find most interest in the essay on " Italy and the War of 1866." This gives a very readable, lucid, and impartial description of the Austro-Italian campaign of which the battle of Custozza was the leading event, and of the naval engagement at Lissa.

The Human Hair. By Hermann Beige], M.D. (Renshaw.)—This is a popular treatise on the subject which reads as if it were a reprint of lectures. However this may be, it contains a number of more or less interesting facts. Those who are curious in the matter may learn what monstrous growths the human hair has sometimes shown itself capable of. Wearers of chignons will be reassured by learning that "all statements which have been made in respect to the dangers of the ' gregarines of the chignons' have been mere consequences of gross ignorance or imperfect observation." Those who are desirous of other colours in their hair than nature has given them should take to heart the remark that there is no geed hair-dye, none, that is, which will not injure either the hair or the health. All who have to encounter hairdressers will be fortified in their resistance to those insinuating offers

which are introduced by "Hair a little thin at the top, Sir !" when they learn that all the nostrums for making the hair grow are equally valueless.

Essays and Addresses. By Henry Alford, D.D. (Strahan.)—We noticed more than one of these papers when they first appeared. The most striking among them is the one with which wo most thoroughly disagree, " The Church of the Future," an essay in which the Dean predicts the speedy disestablishment of the English Church. It appeared in October, 1868 ; in the following month the elections were held, and not even the most advanced of Liberal candidates put the proposal into their programmes. On the other band, we fool a cordial sympathy with both the spirit and object of such papers as " The Union of Christendom considered in its Home Aspect," and " Charity the End of the Commandment," the latter of those being the Dean's speech at Cheshunt College. With Dr. Alford's views on the education of the clergy we find ourselves generally, though not always, in accord. We cannot agree, for instance, in the proposal that there should be a theological tripes, co-ordinate in point of time with the other B.A. examinations, through which all persons intending to take Orders should bo obliged to pass. No candidate for mathematical or classical honours could endure the extra weight which would thus bo put upon him. And it would be a grievous injury to the reputation of the clergy if they numbered among them no mon who could be placed in absolutely the first rank as classical scholars or mathematicians. Carefully trained parish priests are very useful persona, but it is a great thing, also, to know that in our country parsonages we have men whom for scholarship and scientific attainments few other communions can match. Dr. Alford feels the importance of general culture to the clergy so strongly, that we wonder he does not see the fatal character of his proposition.

The Femall Glory. Edited by the Rev. Orby Shipley, M.A. (Longmans.)—The book which Mr. Shipley brings before the public is a poor sort of rhapsody. Anthony Stafford, the author, though one of the most extravagant of the party of Laud, could not pretend to vie with the Romanist writers about the Virgin, and his panegyric is naturally inferior to theirs. Mr. Shipley interests us more. He is quite equal to himself. His exegesis has never been happier than it is here. He quotes from the address of the Pan-Anglican Synod a warning "against the practical exaltation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mediator in the place of her Divine Son ; and by the addressing of prayers to her as intercessor between God and man ;" and he comments thus : —" By the limiting of her office of Mediator and Intercessor by the words we have marked in the place of her Divine Son,' the Council implicitly acknowledges her mediation and intercession in an inferior degree." Again, he says of the "Femall Glory," that "it commanded the approval of such prelates as Laud and Juxon," We cannot discover a shadow of authority for such a statement except that the author dedicated his defence to them, and that the original book was licensed by Bishop Juxon. We presume that the prelates are not to be held responsible for all that is thus connected with their names. But Mr. Shipley is still more courageous when he assumes that an approval of Stafford's views would imply an approval of his own. Stafford expressly disavows the practice of Invocation, whereas Mr. Shipley publishes a manual of the practice. We venture to think that some even of his own party will be surprised when he accepts the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. What, we should like to know, does he think of the personal infallibility of the Popo ? We hope that some way will be discovered of giving the benefit of his wisdom to the General Council. His views on " development " are of a most satisfactory kind.

TRANSLATIONS.—Wo are always anxious to say as much as we can for books which are inspired by a disinterested love of letters, but our benevolence is sorely tried by some of these translations. Mr. T. B. Rose publishes the Satires, Epistles, and Odes of Q. Horatius Flaccus translated. (Dorrell.)—Some little of the doggrel, or shall we say colloquial verse ? into which the Satires and Epistles are rendered is tolerable, that is, we come on an easy couplet now and then, but there is no sort of attempt at exact translation. A great deal is not tolerable in anywise ; these two lines, for instance, about the guests at Nasidienus's supper : " At last we grew &wearied and we cat.

We could not stand it, and so up we shot:'

The versions of the Odes generally belong to the intolerable portion. Mr. Rose, indeed, attempts what would task any powers to the utmost ; he seeks to combine the attractions of rhyme with an imitation of the Latin metres. This is what he makes of the second and third stanzas of the "Jam satis terris " :—

" Frightening the people, lest again the deluge And age of Pyrrha, monsters of the desp huge, Brood now unknown of Proteus, should seek refuge,

Grazing our mountains.

Then through the elm-grove dolphins chose to wander Where in atoretime turtle used to ponder, And fearful does would swim above and maunder On deluge waters."

--.—Mr. Edward Yardley's Four Books of Horace's Odes translated into English Verse (Longmans) show, at least, fair taste and a knowledge of versification. But they are not in any real sense translations. What is most characteristic in the original disappears as often as not. So i. .5, the•laat stanza :—

"Me tabula saver Votive Nees indicat aside Suspendisso potent' Vcstimenta marie Deo,"

appears in the two very colourless lines, '• Long ago I quitted then,

And gave thanks for being free."

"Tiburni him et uda Mobilibus pomaria rivis" is " Tibur's groves and orchards," Teucer's "uda Lyaeo tempera" is "Teueer'e drunken head." In x.11 the "quae nune oppositis dobilitat pumicibus mare Tyrrhenum " wholly disappears. We might multiply those criticisms indefinitely, but we prefer to give a specimen in which Mr. Yardley is fairly successful. Take i. 23 :—

"Thou art needlessly afraid, Like a fawn that, having strayed, Starts at dangers fear has made, "Trembling when green lizards mato Noise of rustling in the brake, Or when winds the branches shake.

"But no harm is really nigh; No (laetuliau lion I, No fierce tiger—wherefore cry?

" Childhood, Chloe, now is brown ; Leave thy mother; though art grown Old enough to go alone."

This is scarcely a good translation, but it is a fair sot of verses.—.1 Nearly Literal Translation of Homer's Odyssey into Accentuated Blank Verse, by the Rev. Lovelace Bigge-Wither, M.A. (James Parker), is iu part what it professes to be. It is "nearly lit,iral," is, in fact, a careful and generally correct rendering of the original, though the forty years during which the author tells us ho left his Homer unopened have perhaps somewhat diminished the exactitude of his scholarship. We might take some exceptions to his renderings. Ali; Javan!, -7.-aptiuba, in the mouth of Achilles, for instance, dues not mean Muck not at death," but "Make not light of death," or perhaps better, "Miscall not death." Ulysses had not boon mocking at but glorifying the estate of the dead. As a poetical version wo cannot but consider it a failure. The "accentuated blank verse" wo cannot recognize as being blank verse at all. The writer may find a model for every line which he gives us in the dramatists whom ho professes to imitate, but, as his poem is to ho road, not act.), wo do not see how this will help him. We are wholly unable in reading many of his lines to discover in them any sort of rhythm ; and wo do not find ourselves assisted by the hyphens with which ho joins his words together. We take these lines of Helen walking round the wooden horse :—

" Thrice walking maul and handling the hollow snare,

By name thou-didst-name-out each of the Dauaau chieftains, Likening thy voice to-the-voice of their-several wives."

Or these—

"You maidens,-who-haunt the high crowns of the hills, And-the-fountains-of rivers, and the grassy meadows!"

We give "Calypso's Cave," which is as good as anything that wo can find:—

" A blooming grove bad sprung-up round the cave; The alder,-and poplar, and sweet-smelling cypress. There birds of outstretched wing were building nests, Screech-owls and falcons and loud-clanging sea-mews, ' Who occupy their business in the waters.'

There stretched her tendrils round the opening cave A youthful vine, with blooming clusters wreathed; A star of fountains four ran sparkling water, Knigh each other-winding this way-and-that. Soft meads around with violet, and with parsley Were teeming," &c.

—Mr. G. W. Edgington publishes a first volume of The Odyssey of Romer Translated into Blank Verse. (Longmans.)—The version does not offend, but it wants spirit and colour. This mediocre blank verse is really of no use at all ; of all poets in the world, Homer is the one whom it most entirely fails to represent. Who would recognize the famous answer of Achilles to Ulysses in the Necyia when he reads ?—

" Ulysses! do not comfort death to me! I'd rather as a rustic serve for hire,

A poor man, wanting the good things of life, Than govern these on earth once, but now here."

Mr. Edgington might, we cannot but say, improve with advantage his knowledge both of English and of Greek. He speaks, for instance, of "laying side by side," and translates ).UHF 7txPthY/0 t•iil'nv, by "his zone unclasp'."

NewEDIVIOSS.—Mr. Ninituo is publishing a complete edition of the works of Hugh Miller. The issue was commenced in the March of this year, and will bo completed in twelve monthly Telltales. First on the list we have the author's most characteristic and, as a genuine authentic study of life, most valuable work, My Schools and Schoolmasters ; next to this comes The Testimony of the Rocks, and The Cruise of the Betsy is the third. These are all too well known to call for any comment, but many admirers of une of the most graphic writers that our literature can boast will be glad to know of this edition.—The Lcssons of Middle Aye (Longmaus), by the Author of The Recreations of a Country Parson, and Mr. Kingsley's Town and Country Sermons (Macmillan) appear in new editions.—We have also to acknowledge a second edition of Dr. W. J. Irons' The Bib.'e and its Interpreters; its Miracles and Prophecies (Hayes).—.lniong republications may be reckoned The Great Prophecy, by the Rev. W. T. II. Ealss (Seeleys), which is an abridgment of Mr. Elliott's florae Apocalypticac.-31r. J. G. Wood, the well-known writer on natural history, edits, with largo additions, Rennie's Insect .Architecture (Boll and Daldy).—Wo have also the Shamrock EditUm of Moore's Poetical Works, one of the single volumes of which held what ton years ago was put into ton.—The Science of Arithmetic, by Messrs. Cornwell and Fitch (Simpkin, Marshall, and Co.), has reached a twelfth edition.