PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

BOOKS.

Sadness and Gladness; a Story of the Present Day. By the Honourable Adele Sidney, Author of "Home and its Influence." In three volumes.

The Voyage and Shipwreck of SL Paul; with Dissertations on the Sources of the Writings of St. Luke, and the Ships and Navigation of the Ancients. By James Smith, Esq., of Jordanhill, F.R.S., &c. [Although but two islands are considered possible for Paul to have been wrecked upon in his voyage to Rome,—namely, Malta and Melita in the Adriatic,—yet the true place has been a subject of controversy among the learned; and, not- withstanding the high authority of Rennell and others in favour of Malta modern opinion has perhaps rather inclined to Melita. Mr. Sesith dissents from this view, and comes forward to dispute it, not only versed in the pros and cons of

previous controvertists, but ing, as he thinks, some advantages over them. He is a geologist, and ca e of allowing for the action of time upon sea-beaches;

though not a professional, seaman, he is a yachter of more than thirty years' standing, with all the zeal of the most zealous amateur; he is practically ac- quainted with Malta and its adjacent seas; he has had the advantage of con- versing with officers familiar with the Levant and its navigation; • he has studied the geography of the region, especially of St. Paul's Bay, which tradition assigns as the place of the wreck; he has perused the sailing-directions for the seas through which Paul must have sailed, and collected passages from modern navigators that throw some light upon. the special circumstances of the voyage, or are illustrative of the predicament in which the vessel was placed. To these practical advantages he has added a perusal of the most modern scholars on the construction, &c. of ancient vessels, and a special study of such parts of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles as in any way relate to adventures by water.

Thus prepared, Mr. Smith comes forward to argue in favour of Malta, tradi- tion, and Paul's Bay. Carefully examining the text of the Aets, he pronounces that Luke was well acquainted with the sea, but not a professional seaman; giv- ing instances in support from modern writers in a similar position, and comparing their descriptions with those of nautical narrators; the main argument being that the non-professional merely describes a thing, the seaman adds the reason for its being done. Mr. Smith next subjects the whole narrative of the voyage in the Acts to a minute examination, somewhat similar to that which the writings of Paul him- self were submitted to in the Horns Pauline, and bears testimony to the accurate thoagh non-professional observation of Luke. He then from this narrative works out the voyage step by step, tracing the course to the South of Crete, and the ab- solute necessity, with the particular wind, of running to Malta and Paul's Bay; the local circumstances of which answer to the description in St. Lake, both as to depth of water and the uncertain indication of land; Mr. Smith illustrating the latter point from the evidence of the court-martial held on the loss of the Lively

te, wrecked in this identical spot.

ow far our author has succeeded in establishing his case, requires more nauti- cal knowledge than we possess, to distinguish between what is solid and what is specious. It looks reasonable, and hangs together, though occasionally the writer seems to prove somewhat too mach. There can be no doubt, however, that this course of investigation is much more rational than arguments on vague or uncer- tain premises, and which, when they relate to nautical geography, modern surveys show to be untrue.

Besides the treatise on the voyage of St. Paul, the book contains various essays on subjects connected with its necessary research,—on the wind Euroclydon, the island of Melita, the ships of the ancients, and the sources of St. Luke's writings. It is well illustrated by maps, &c.]

Home among Strangers; a Tale. By Maria Hutchins Callcott. In two volumes. [A pleasantly-written and interesting story, well varied in its incidents and characters, without so much of the stiff scholastic idea of "propriety " as is generally found in juvenile tales. The object of Home among Strangers is to inculcate the necessity of religion to all, but more especially. to governesses: and this idea is enforced by showing us the innate comfort it brings to the heroine, Lucy Latimer, in subduing her native pride and sensibility, as well as the influ- ence it pincures' for her over her pupils and their family, together with "contin- gent advantages." There are touches in the narrative which indicate truth and nature; but we think Lucy, the pattern governess, too excellent in herself, and too fortunate in the circumstances in which she is placed, to serve as a general illustration. Goodness and good luck will win in the long run even in this world.] Chronicles of the Crusades; being Contemporary Narratives of the Crusade of Richard Cceor de Lion, by Richard of Devizes and Geoffrey de Vinsauf; and of the Crusade of Saint Louis, by Lord John de Joinville. With illustrative Notes and an Index. (Bohn's Antiquarian Library.) The Prose Works of John Milton. Volume L With a Preface, Prelimi- nary Remarks, and Notes. By J. A. St. John. (Bohn's Standard Library...) [The remark which we made last week upon two other of Mr. Bohn's publi- cations may be applied to the Chronicles of tlu Crusades: the works were neither cheap nor common singly, and we believe not to be procured in a collected form; while Geoffrey's account of Richard's expedition to the Holy Land has been ex- pressly translated for this edition. Milton's Prose Works are readily procurabl., both in collected and separate shapes: this edition, however, will be cheaper and more convenient for reading, as well as possessing the advantage of Mr. St. John'a editorship.] History of Europe from the Commencement of the French Revolution in 1789 to the Restoration of the Bourbons in 1815. By Archibald Alison, F.R.S., Advocate. Volume the twentieth.

[This completes Mr. Alison's magnum opus, in its new, handsome, and very con- venient form. An elaborate index occupies nearly three-fourths of the volume. The remainder consists of the advance upon Paris (after Waterloo); the occu- pation of France by the Allied armies; the settlement of Europe; and the author's summary review of the whole.] Change of Air: Fallacies regarding it. By John Charles Atkinson, Esq. Member of the Royal College of Surgeons.

[The chief "fallacies" pointed out by Mr. Atkinson, regarding "change of air," are the notion that it will cure incurable disease, and that it ought to be tried_ under improper circumstances of time, place, and condition. The best remarks in the little book are on the power of habit in modifying the constitution; so that the open air, or thorough ventilation, is really noxious to a person accustomed to confinement.]

Tales, Essays, and Poems. By Joseph Gostick, Author of the " Spirit of German Poetry," &c.

[These "tales, essays, and poems," were originally written for a new serial, that did not come out. Some of them have appeared in periodicals, for which they are better adapted than for collected publication. They have too much of a ma-

The Natant) History of the "Hawk" Tribe. By J. W. Carleton. MSS- gazine character.

trated by A. Henning.

[Mr. Carleton ranks the rogues of society as hawks, and gives an account of four varieties--attornies, discounters, legs, and Greeks. A general introduction to each class is followed by an illustrative sketch or tale, smart, but exagges rated.] Olivia; a Tale for an Hour of Idleness. (Parlour Library.) [An original novel for a shilling.]

Phrenology, in relation to the Novel, Criticism., and the Drama.

SERIALS.

Politics for the People. Part HI. August 1848. [The varied and genial hebdomadal pennyworth entitled Politics for the Poop$ closes with its third monthly part, from want of sufficient sale to repay the ex- penses; although writers and publishers gave theirservices disinterestedly. Be. sides the low price, various reasons for this result are incidentally suggested,—flig want of party bias, its uncompromising, truth-telling, religious spirit, and the like; brit the writers seem more inclined to take the cause upon themselves. All the reasons suggested perhaps had their effect. A journal which appeals to party has willing auditors; and there are numbers, probably large masses, who will bear any truths more willingly than truths upon religion, especially when their narrow prejudices are interfered with. But these obstacles might have been conquered had there been more of writer's tact and management. The prose was a mixture of the newspaper " leader " and the periodical article; for both of which, aptness in time goes as far as treatment; and this cannot well be attained by amateurs writing for a weekly journal: a short paper loses half its effect if too soon or too lute. The handling was probably a shade too abstract: it was the style of a book in the form of a paper. The writing, moreover, was too individual—too much of the par- ticular signature: it was often in subjects alone "politics for the people." This should not seem to be a fault; but it is in periodicals, where there should be similarity of breadth and tone, however the styles may differ. Without this similarity, the periodical will want character. However, Politics for the People was a well-intended labour, of more consequence for the frank catholic spirit it displays among some of our most distinguished scholars and divines, than for• what it actually did. This possibly has been more than appears: there are letters from working men in the last part that would indicate as much. The bread. has been cast upon the waters; it may be found after many days.] The French Revolutions from 1789 to 1848. By T. W. Redhead. Part L

[This publication, fo • one of Chambers's "Books for the People," sets out

with high professions of phy and original research, and supports them far better than might be expected from a speculation that gives 160 pages of original writing for a shilling. Mr. Redhead seems to have consulted the original au or- ities on the first Revolution, and to have extracted their pith, without allowing himself to be encumbered by matter good in itself but unavailable for his purpose. He also takes a fair view of his subject in the main, though perhaps allowing too little for circumstances and national character in some of the Mountain party. The writing is close; and the work seems likely to form a very useful book at a very cheap rate.]

ILLUSTRATED WORK.

Roberts's Sketches in Egypt and Nubia. With Historical Descriptions, by William Brockedon, F.R.S. Lithographed by Louis Haghe. hut XL