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Leader (1850-1860), 18th August 1860, Edition 1 of 2, Page 739

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      Untitled Article

      MISCELLANEOUS WORKS * This little work contains a vast mass of condensed information , which w- 'U be verv useful to thoae interested in the subject ol local botany on . which " it treats . It enumerates all the plants and ferns alluded to , and gives , -their habitats and principal stations . Tlie " Handbook " before us is well illustrated with maps , plans , and views . The two former comprehensive and accurate , the latter graphic and appropriate . The quantity and quality of the matter may bo inferred from the fact that the book contains no less than 536 closely printed , ' but very readable pages of lucidly arranged and valuable information for travellers , and an index of 43 pages , in which every place that can well be wanted will be found . Astronomy , the first of the exact sciences to be discovered and perfectedbecause the objects of it are those which most prominently

      , strike the most active of the senses—sight ; and the methods oi elaborating it—mathematics—dealing as they do with numbers and magnitudes , were the earliest branches of knowledge which experience and observation taught to mail by the pressure of circumstances , just as they are now systematically taught by elementary instruction in schools . —Astronomy , which considered not merely as a dry collection of facts , but as a key to the mysteries of cosmogony , still presents fields of investigation to the student of nature more vast and sublime , if not more intricate and utilitarian , than any other subject of inquiry . On this most interesting subject the work we are noticing contains all the most recent discoveries , incorporated with a well-arranged summary of astronomical science . ' ¦ ¦

      The subject of this biography was the founder of the National Institution for the education of the deaf and dumb , at Charlemont , near Dublin , and for some years chaplain of the first church of the established religion of England and Ireland , in Colesbery , South Africa . The authoress rests her claim to attention on the ground that " benevolence and a determined purpose of benefiting the human race must for ever be valuable * and that these distinguished Dr . Orphen . His energy and zeal were early directed to the , improvement of the condition of the most afflicted and neglected of his country iki—for he was the first to advocate the cause of the deaf and dumb | ) OLr of Ireland . " If " the Gallery in . which the reporters sit has now become a fourth estate of the realm , " as Macaulay says it has , and as we suppose nobody doubts . this little work must be ¦ considered oneof .-. the most interesting The

      that can be taken up to occupy an hour or two On a leisure day . eifect produced by the absence of reporters from the " Gallery , " is well described in a passage cited in the present work from Mr . James Grant . " Such absence , " says &r . Grant , " had a most sorrowful effect pn-their ( the members' ) eloquence . There was no animation in their manner ; scarcely any attempt at that wit and sarcasm at each other ' s expense , so olten made on other occasions . Their speeches were dull in tbe highest degree , and for the first time within my recollection , they kept their word when , on commencing their orations , they promised not to trespass at any length on the patience of the House . Their speeches had certainly the merit ? of being short , I cannot say they wei-e sweet . The secret of all this was , they knew their eloquenco would not grace the newspaper the following morning . " [ From " Grant ' s Random Recollectionsof the House of Commons . " Smith ,

      Elder , and Go . ] Colonel Thompson once moved for a committee to inquire into the propriety of putting the motion for the exclusion ^ of strangers on the same level as other motions , namely , that it should be made and seconded , and then the question put to the House ; but though favourably viewed by the Government , the motion was withdrawnthrough press-of other business . But the rigid of the public to W . pwMnnt ny S ta h « established as matter of principle , and rigidly enforced in practice . To sit with closed doors is oftlie very essence pi despotism . The Times wrote on the 19 th June , 1849—" Any member , by an insane freak , may exclude the public from the knowledge of _ a debate with which it is most important they should be acquainted . We do not say , if the contest were fairly tried out , and "the privilege maintained , but that ways and means might be found to transfer the reporter from the gallery to the body of the House , and blow this puerility to tho four winds . "

      A Bjijtlajjb

      CasselVs Illustrated History of England . Part 7 . New series * London : Cassell and Co . —The opening illustration is " The Siege of Gibraltar by the Allied Forces of France and Spain ; " " John . Adams , Fi"st American Am bassador to the English Court , presented to George III ., " is a memorable incident in history , which forms the subject of another graphic illustration . There is also a likt ness , of the famous Lord Erskine , who , as , an advocate , did so much for English liberty and the rights of juries to return general verdicts ; and another of "Warren Hastings . In one page England ' s prowess is typified in " The Great-Mogul delivering to Lord Glive the right of Dominion over Bengal , Orissa , and Bahar ; " in another her reverses are represented in " The Troops of Tippoo Saib pillaging Madras , "—an European mother flying

      with her child from ferocious swarthy pursuers , sword in hand , bringing forcibly to mind the recent Indian massacres . The period chronicled is one of the most important in the long reign of George 111 . The Ladies' Treasury . Vol . 6 . No . 42 . London : Cassell and Co .- — This serial contains 22 articles of the usual varied and excellent quality , near half of which are very elegantly illustrated ; not forgetting " The Fashions . " "Hints to Pianoforte Players , " and " Italian Lessons , " deserve mention as important items of elementary instruction . " Costume in all Ages " ( illustrated ) , is a subject suggestive of curious reflections on the mutability of human taste , or caprice , or what you will . " Fancy Work for Ladies" ( illustrated ) , will attract the attention of those for whom it is intended . It should be in every boudoir , as it contains reading for all times and all tastes .

      CasselVs Popular Natural History . Part 17 . —London : Cassell and Co . —This part opens with a most exciting incident , where a man , within a few feet of the open jaws of a tiger , and an alligator rushing upon him on opposite sides , was saved , by his would-be devdurers destroying each other . The cuts are dramatic , so to speak , such as a " tiger hunt , " &c . There is a graphic representation of a jaguar crushed to death in the folds of a boa constrictor , and others illustrative of the habits of carnivorous animals , which form the subject of the part before us . It is a very cheap and interesting work .

      The English Cyclopaedia of the Arts and Sciences . Part 19 . London : Bradbury and Evans . —^ This elaborate and comprehensive work , one of the best , if not the best of the kind that has hitherto been presented to the public , proceeds with unabating excellence of compilation . The present part begins with "M asquerade , " and the article on " The Law of Mortality" ( to be finished in the next part ) , concludes it . The 253 quarto pages of good readable , and not too large type , with space i n margin , &c . j well economized , contain a vast , well-digested mas 3 of important information .

      Plain or . Mingleis \ Parts 12 and 13 . London : Bradbury and Evans . —This clever , sketchy , humorous , witty , sarcastic production , which carries considerable typographical drollery in the very printing of its title , progresses in interest and smartness . The odd combination of meanness and stinginess with—reckless " waste and extravagance , so often met with in real life , is well hit off in chapter xxi , on " The Ducal Difficulties . " " The duke was a great economist up to a sovereign . This sum exceeded , lie went right over head hi extravagance . He would criticise the board at a toll-bar from top to bottom , to be sure he

      wasn ' t defrauded of a halfpenny , while he would think nothing of ordering a couple of hundred pounds worth of cut flowers for an evening party " . ' Flat , ' said his Grace to Mr . Hydrangea , the Bayswater florist , as he accompanied that genius on a tour of inspection of the reception rooms , on the evening of a great London , ball ; ' Fiat , ' . repeated he , as they got into tlie drawing-room , ' Don ' t know , your Grace , ' replied Mr . Hydrangea , ' there are £ 200 worth of exotics there . ' ' Then put £ 200 worth more , ' replied the Duke , without . a moment ' s ~ -hW . fl . tinn LHojy . mnnli ? _ l _ exclaima-he . cantering up to Purbeck bar ,

      on his way homo from half a day ' s huntingat Sand forth Heath . ' Tuppence , ' replied old deaf Turner , the toll-keeper , holding out his" hund 'for the money . ' Tuppence ! it is but three halfpence , surely ! ' replied the Duke , pulling up ^ , and going attentively through the- list on the board—broad-wheels , narrow-wheels , exemptions , and all . 'Ah , well ; tuppence it is , ' at length replied he , coming to the horso department . ' There ' s your money ! ' adding , as he cantered away , ' The man who " would rob me of a single halfpenny would rob mo of all I ' m worth in the world ; ' ' He who is faithful in little is faithful in much , ' &c . " Routledge ' s Illustrated Natural History . London and Now York : Routledge , Warne , and Routkdge . Part 18 . —Thia admirably compiled and profusely illustrated work in c reases its claims o n popular patronage in every number . The present one is occupied entirely with birds , commencing with the rcd-throatcd falcon , and ending with the snowy owl . Tho book ought to bo in every library . number with

      The Art Journal . No . 08 . London and New York : Virtue and Co . Paris : Staaain nnd Xavicr . Leipzig : Brpokhaug . —Rubens portrait of his wifo ( from the picture in the Eoyal collection ) , lurner a " Rain , Steam , and Speed" ( from the picture in Tho Nntibnai Gallery ) , and Ibbertson ' s " Going to Labour , " are engravings conspicuous in the present part of this ably conducted work , whioh is copiously illustrated with wood-cuts , and contains an excellent assortment of articles on Biibjcots conneoted with the fine arts . " The Eng lish Caricaturists and George Cmikflhank , " " Tlio Early Days of Wilkio , " and " Medircval Manners , " will be road with interest . . CasselVs Illustrated Family Paper . Part 32 . Vol . 6 . Now » e « ep . —The present part , contaiusun " extra number" in the shape of " lho Civil Sorvico ; a Guide to Situations under Government , &c . ; " containing valuablo information and a comploto and authoritative synopsis of the naturo of the examination and the qualifications required of candidates . Such another mass of materials for instruction and amusement could hardly'bo indicated . '

      .. __ .. _ . _„ . _ , „ ... , CasselVs Illustrated Family jRihte . Part 16 . London : Cnesell and Co . —Tho illustrations oro excellent . " TJ » o Judgment of Solomon , " " The Dedication of tho Temple , " " Zimri Destroying Himself in the Xin # ' fl _ l [ ausL 7 . L& e ^ 3 Y ^ the First Book of Kings to chapter xvii .

      The iJcteclic . August , I 860 . — The present opens Paper No . 2 , on "The Oxford School , " in which the doctrines of Dr . Chalmers , Dr . Buckland , Mr . Hugh -Miller , and the Rev . Mr . O . W . Goodwin , M . -A ., on tho Mosaic Cosmogony , arc discussed , and tho hitter sharply criticised for maintaining ihut tho reul difficulty is , " not thnt Uio circumstantial details ( of tlio emit ion ) aro omitted , which might reasonably be expected , but that what is told , ia told so ns to convoy to ordinary apprehensions an impression at variance with facts . " Mr . Goodwin says , " tho early speculator .... knew little of the earth 8 surface , or of its shape and place in tho univorso ; the infinite varieties of organized oxistenco which people it j the distinct floras and faunas of its dido rent continents were unknown to him . . . . For nges this simple view of crcntion satisfied the wnntfi of man . No ono contends that it can bo used ns a basis of astronomical or geological teaching (!) , and those who profess to seo in it in accordance with fanls . onlv do this sub modo , nnd by tho processes whioh despoil it

      of iFroorlMsTe ^ holding ilmt "tlio Mosaic account is tho , product of an una&sistea thinker" that tho Eclectic takes tlio writer to task in no gentle terms . For thono who interest themselves in what it must be admitted is tho most hileresting field of natural invcstmation , nnd which forms the subject of sunh vrorU ¦ n « -0 \ o «^ -. « * * 5 PowcJI ' b " Philosophy of Creation , " Mr . C . Darwin s " Or gin oi Species . " &c ., the present pnpor will not bo in some parts , » t Icwt j without attraction . A paper on the « Correlation ^ Mind ^ nd Bodj alao posbosbcs interest ibr the student of phyBiool so . ence . Prom the

      Untitled Article

      • A A'ew List of ttu-follt . iring Plants and Ferns growing wild in the Covniy or Devon , lly l'linnum !•' . JtimiiKliuw , JM . A , l . oiulon : lUmwortlj ana IlarrlHon , l «() 0 . Xehoit ' t Ilundbotik to Scotland for Tourists , 'liy ' tho llov ' . . Toljn M . Wilson . London i J . NolHon nnd Soiih , 18 (( 0 . Popular Astronomy . By O . M . MltchoU , I-L . l > . Rpvlscd by tho Kov . T-. ToihUhhoii . M . A , London : Jtoutlcilpco nnd Co ., 1800 . Life of the liev . C / iarhs Edward Herbert Orphen , M . D . RyMrs . Lo Ftinn . London i Wowtortun , 180 () . The Gallery ; a Sketch of the IIis ( ory of Parliament « r \) Reporting ana Reporter * , Bv Chiw , J . Giatton . London : ritnmnand Co ., 1800 .

      Untitled Article

      Aug . 18 , 1860 . 1 The Saturday Analyst and'Leader . 739

      Serials.

      snn ? . T at . s .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 18, 1860, page 739, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2361/page/11/