PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED,

From July 19th to July 25th.

BOOKS.

Commerce of the Prairies; or the Journal of a Santa Fe Trader, during eight expeditions across the Great Western Prairies, and a Residence of nearly nine years in Northern Mexico. Illustrated with Maps and En- gravings. By JosIAH GREGG. In two volumes.

Sermons. By SAMUEL WILBERFORCE, M.A., Chaplain to his Royal Highness Prince Albert, and Archdeacon of Surrey.

POEMS. By FRANCES ANNE BUTLER.

[The power of speaking in rhythm seems to have belonged to some of the elder branches of the KEMBLE family; or rather, perhaps, to have been acquired by the habit of constantly reciting blank-verse. Mrs. SIDDONS is said to have startled tradesmen by the solemnity of her appeals to be punctual ; and lines are preserved of JOHN KEMBLE'S extemporizing—as his remark to BANNISTER on giving something to a beggar-

" It is not vocal that I do these things; But when I do, I do them handsomely."

This family faculty has been inherited by Mrs. BUTLER, formerly Miss FANNY KEMBLE but the younger lady has been familiarized with poetry of more swelling sound than was the case with the elder branches. Hence, that prosaic character which distinguished the disjecta men, bra of her uncle and aunt is not visible in the poetry of the niece ; which generally possesses the full resound- ing line, however deficient it may be in the divine energy.

The poems in this collection are all occasional, and mostly on common stock subjects,—fragments, sonnets, incidents from daily life, and those sort of forms which serve to embody sentimental thoughts and feelings that at times arise in the minds of every one not dull or crabbed, but which are lost even to friends if the individual has not the gift of fluently throwing off ideas in verse. It is of poetry of this kind that the volume before us consists, varied in parts by traits of theatrical intenseness. The " Lines To Miss -- " (pp. 17, 18,) appear to us about the best. They are not devoid of the last-named fault; but the ideas are natural, and there is always something interesting, even if sad, in the memory of the past.] Walks in the Country. By Lord LEIGH. [A little volume of miscellaneous poems, on subjects which, if not always sug- gested by objects in the country, might naturally arise in a country-walk. They are all written in the style and with the taste of a well-educated gentleman, and are animated by well-intentioned feelings and an amiable spirit, though somewhat deficient in poetical vividavis and the curiosa felicitas of expression.] Evenings of a Working Man ; being the occupation of his scanty leisure. By Joan OVERS. With a Preface relative to the Author, by CHARLES DICKENS.

[Without any disposition to undervalue the ability of JOHN OVENS, we mast confess that the Preface of CHARLES DICKENS is to us the most attractive part of this little volume : it is so real, so natural, and so touching. JOHN ()VERB is a working carpenter, who amused himself with composition, and sent some songs to Mr. DICKENS; by whose recommendation they were published in Tait's Magazine. But, like a true friend, DICKENS remonstrated with the author on the folly of a person with his education, and in his circumstances, risking the harassing uncertainties of literature. "In answer to this dis- suasion of mine," says Mr. DICKENS, "he wrote me as manly and straight- forward, but withal as modest a letter, as ever I read in my life. He explained to me how limited his ambition was; soaring no higher than the establishment of his wife in some light business, and the better education of his children. He set before me the difference between his evening and holyday studies, such as they were, and the having no better resource than an alehouse or a skittle-ground. He told me how every small addition to his stock of know- ledge made his Sunday walks the pleasanter—the hedge-flowers sweeter— everything more full of interest and meaning to him. He assured me that his daily work was not neglected for his self-imposed pursuits, but was faith- fully and honestly performed : and so indeed it was. He hinted to me, that his greater self-respect was some inducement and reward, supposing every other to elude his grasp ; and showed me, how the fancy that he would turn this or that acquisition from his books to account, by-and-by, in writing, made him more fresh and eager to peruse and profit by them, when his long day's work was done." This was some few years ago. Since that time, Mr. DICKENS has assisted the studies of his humble friend by the loan of books, and with advice : but JOHN OVERS is, unhappily, now too ill to labour, being afflicted with a "severe and wasting disease of the lungs." The miscellaneous poems, tales, and sketches, of which this volume consists, were lying by him ; and they have been published, under the editorship of CHARLES DICKENS, in the hope of enabling JOHN &VERB to "make some temporary provision for his sick wife and very young family." Is any other recommendation of the volume required ? If there is, it may be given. It does not exhibit, as the editor observes, anything of the " pro- digy "; but its contents are various, and its tales, which, curiously enough, are laid in early English history, possess some of the spirit of genuine ro- mance, and, we think, are not more exact but better than his sketches of humble life, except perhaps " The Carpenter." Taken altogether, poetry, tales, and sketches, are as good as much of the Annual literature; and the volume is got-up in a very pretty style.] Atlas Prize Essay. National Distress, its Causes and Remedies. By SAMUEL LAING, Esq. junior, late Fellow of St John's College, Cam- bridge. [This volume is the successful essay on the Causes and Remedies of the Na- tional Distress, for which a prize was extensively advertised by a newspaper, advertising itself. It is not any ground of censure against Mr. LAING junior, that his plans are either not new or not practicable, beyond the general prac- ticability of hortatives to be good : for it was quite obvious that the leading legislative remedies for the country's ailments were well enough known ; the difficulty lay in bringing them into action against the powerful interests op- posed to them—the country wanted not words but deeds, not essays but acts. Some great genius may indeed have some panacea for our disorders; but the advent of the "coming man " is not likely to be hastened by an offer that be should take his chance of a " prize " among all the grey goose-quills of the community whose owners are possessed of leisure. In saying this, we do not mean to imply that Mr. LAING has not deserved his prize; quite the contrary. The essay is a very well-arranged and well- laboured production. The Parliamentary papers and official reports, with the documents published by societies or individuals, have been examined, and their most striking facts selected and well displayed, without being at all overdone. The well-known material causes of distress are expounded in a moderate and rational way; whilst safe-enough remedies, as we have already hinted, are named. But beyond the mode of presenting the coup &veil, there is nothing new in this part of the essay. The moral principles are less hacknied, but are not much newer. Mr. LAING'S position is, that moral evils are at the bottom of our difficulties—that the leading one is our Mammon-worship, and the in- difference to the wellbeing of others which intense competition excites. The remedy, however, for this social feeling, and vices of a more personal kind, is not with the Legislature, but with each man, who must reform himself.] The Odes of Horace, literally translated into English Verse. By HENRY GEORGE ROBINSON.

[We suspect there are but two modes of translation,—a literal rendering ; or as good a translation as you can produce. Any intermediate attempt will be both stiff and inexact, without the freedom of translation or the precision of construing. Mr. ROBY NSON'S translation of the Odes rtf. Horace does not shake this opinion; for its general character is prosaic, and be only occasion- ally attains a happy rendering of particular words and phrases.] A Grammatical and Etymological Spelling-book ; containing the Mono- syllabic Roots of the English Language. By J. HEARD, Author of "A Practical Grammar of the Russian Language," &c.

[A vocabulary of words of one syllable that form the root of compound words, arranged under the heads of substantives, adjectives, and verbs; followed by some examples of compounds. The little book would be improved by greater simplicity and clearness in the definitions of the vocabulary.] The Scientific Phenomena of Domestic Life, as they are presented CHARLES FOOTEhouse, or in a walk in the fields, familiarly explained. By CDat FOOTE GOWER, Esq. [A neat and explicit explanation of the causes of some of the ordinary phmno- 'Dena of every-day-occurrence ; calculated to promote habits of observation and reflection. The subject, far from being exhausted, is only just entered upon in this little tract. The author would do well to extend his rationale of familiar phienomena.] The Lacon of Liberty; a Text-book for all classes of Reformers. Con- taining selections from the best authors, ancient and modern, in behalf of the great principles of Civil and Religious Freedom.

[ Short sayings on political and social topics, taken out of various authors, from ARISTOTLE and BACON SO CARLYLE and CHANNING, and arranged under dif- ferent heads. The selection is neither so rich nor so choice as might be ex- pected from the wide range taken.]

SERIALS.

History of the French Revolution, its Causes and Consequences. By FREDERICA MACLEAN ROWAN. (Parker's Collections in Popular Li- terature.) Chronicles of the Seasons, or the Progress of the Year. Being a course of Daily Instruction and Amusement, selected from the popular details of the Natural History, Science, Art, Antiquities, and Biography of our Fatherland. Book the Third—containing the Months of July, Au- gust, and September. (Parker's Collections in Popular Literature.) [This History of the French Revolution narrates the leading events which pre- ceded and accompanied that frightful convulsion, in a clear and succinct style, and with general fairness ; but it can hardly be said to explain fully the causes or consequences of the Revolution : the sources of popular discontent are not indicated ; nor is the moral and physical condition of the mass of the people, just before and during the struggle for power, sufficiently described. Hence, the reader who has no other acquaintance with this passage of history will be at a loss to account for many things that are assignable to definite causes : the undiscriminating and deadly animosity of the common people to the nobles, for example, is not traced to a hatred of the exactions and feudal rights of the pri- vileged classes. The author, indeed, avows that in her little work " the faults of the people are more insisted upon than those of the rulers, because it is

written for the former, not for the latter." This is the very reason why nothing should have been extenuated; for it is dangerous as well as untrue to exhibit a people maddened to commit such horrible atrocities with inadequate motives. The suppressio seri is not only unwise but impolitic—it defeats its object. The third book of the Chronicles of the Seasons contains a variety of useful information on subjects connected with natural history, appropriate to the summer and autumn months, interspersed with biographical and miscellaneous notices and moral reflections: the Saturday Magazine being laid under con- tribution, as in the former volumes.] The Textile Manufactures of Great Britain. By. G. DODD. (Knight's Weekly Volume.) [There is nothing new in the facts or descriptions of this little book. Popular accounts of the cotton, woollen, linen, flax, silk, and lace manufactures, have often been published. The feature in The Textile Manufactures of Great Britain is the comprising them all in one small and very cheap volume, as well as the effective manner in which the statistical facts are brought out, and the clearness of the descriptions.] Chambers's Cyclopedia of English Literature, Parts XX. and XXI. [Complete this very useful compilation. The last part contains titlepages, index, &c.; and both parts are occupied with contemporary writers,—unless HANNAH MORE, who leads off, should be deemed of the past.]

Memoranda of Irish Matters, by Obscure Men of good intention. Part 1.

ILLUSTRATED WORKS AND PRINTS.

The Monastic Ruins of Yorkshire, illustrated by a series of general Views, Plans, Sections, and Details, from Drawings made expressly for this work, by WILLIAM RICHARDSON, Architect. With an Introduction, and Historical and Descriptive Notices of each Ruin, by the Reverend ED- WARD CROUTON, M.A. Lithographed by GEORGE HAWKINS. Part I.