288

INNES'S SCOTLAND IN THE MIDDLE AGES.

[July,

the public generally, have reason to be thankful for the materials, ample enough to constitute a memoir, which are furnished in this correspondence. His letters to Dr. Hall were so frequent, and so full of personal incident, as to leave very little to be supplied in the notes, and so intimate and confidential as to make us feel that they are the truest autobiography possible. They present him to us as pre-eminently a Christian man of the world, taking cognizance of all aspects of life, thought, and literature within his reach, throwing out his beneficent activity in every direction, and, while rigidly observant of the highest moralities of his profession, heedless of its mere traditional conventionalities. There are some things in these letters which the editor's good taste should have led him to omit, such as personalities of a kind entirely lawful between friend and friend, but wounding at once the writer's reputation and the sensibilities of their subjects when made public.

36.- Scotland in the Middle Ages: Sketches of Early Scotch History and Social Progress. By CosMO INNES, Professor of History in the University of Edinburgh. Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas. 1860. 8vo. pp. xliv. and 368.

THE history of Scotland in the Middle Age is the history of a rude and illiterate nation, with fierce manners and barbarous laws. Yet it is not without interest, both on account of the contrast presented by the Scotch of that period to their industrious, thrifty, and educated descendants, who have since achieved so honorable a place among the subjects of the British crown, and also as a significant illustration of the general progress of society in the last two or three centuries. This contrast and progress are well exhibited in the volume before us, which comprises the substance of a course of academical lectures delivered in the University of Edinburgh, together with much additional matter, in further elucidation of the subject. Mr. Innes does not, indeed, claim to have made any profound or original researches, and he admits that he is "quite ignorant of the Celtic languages." Nor is his style always lucid and harmonious; occasional obscurities of expression perplex the reader, and inelegant words and phrases disfigure the page. But his plan is well conceived and faithfully executed; and his volume brings together in a moderate compass much curious information which is nowhere else so easily accessible. We welcome it as a creditable contribution to general historical literature, apart from the special interest which it must possess for the students of Scotch history.

The book is divided into ten chapters, of which the first two are

merely introductory, and present a rapid survey of the state of Europe
in the age of Charlemagne, together with a very judicious estimate of
the character of that monarch, and a comprehensive view of the early
history of England, including an account of the various races by which
it was inhabited, and their laws, customs, and religious beliefs. Fol-
lowing this is a similar but more thorough and elaborate examination
of the early history of Scotland, designed to prepare the way for the
minute discussion of the subject which fills the remaining seven chap-
ters. In them Mr. Innes treats at length, and with great thoroughness
of investigation and copiousness of illustration, of the condition of Scot-
land in the time of David I.; of the municipal institutions, with notices
of some of the principal burghs or towns; of the laws affecting prop-
erty and life, and the customs prevalent in different parts of the coun-
try; of the ancient constitution of the realm; of the early dress and
manners of the Scotch; of their language and literature; and of their
dwellings, architecture, and the cognate topics. To the body of his
work he has added an Appendix containing some interesting historical
documents and memoranda, a Glossary, and a very full Index; and its
usefulness is also enhanced by the insertion of three maps,-
one repre-
senting Scotland as it was in the tenth century, and the other two
showing the civil and ecclesiastical divisions which existed in the thir-
teenth century.

Mr. Innes has collected many curious and interesting details in illustration of the various topics discussed in his pages; but none of his chapters will be read with greater interest than those which relate to the social condition of Scotland in the time of David I., and to the manners, trade, manufactures, and mechanical arts of the Scotch during the period included within his plan. His extracts from the ledger kept by Andrew Haliburton between 1493 and 1503 are especially noteworthy, as showing the value of different commodities in Scotland at that time, and as affording some indication of the extent of her foreign and domestic trade.

37.- The Mount Vernon Papers. By EDWARD EVERETT. New York: D. Appleton & Co. 1860. 12mo. pp. xxi. and 491.

THE circumstances which led to the preparation of these papers are too well known to need restatement here; but they must always lend additional interest to a collection of miscellanies which has probably been read by a greater number of persons than any similar collection in our language. Written at stated intervals, for a special purpose, VOL. XCI. - NO. 188.

25

1

and addressed to a very different class of readers from that to which Mr. Everett's writings are most familiar, these papers include a wide range of topics, and exhibit a corresponding difference in the treatment of the several subjects; but they are always elevated in character and polished in style, and in nearly all there are passages marked by that rare beauty and fitness of expression which characterize Mr. Everett's more elaborate oratorical productions. Among the most attractive of them are the autobiographical recollections of an "Incursion into the Empire State," the notes of his travels in Europe many years ago, and the brief notices of Hallam, Prescott, Humboldt, and others. Though dealing often with familiar topics, Mr. Everett has managed to clothe them all with a fresh and living interest by the perennial charms of his graceful style and the appropriateness of his illustrations, the ripened fruits of a rich and various culture; while in the essay on "The Financial Distress of 1857," and in some other papers of a similar character, the reader cannot fail to notice the same breadth of generalization and acuteness of remark which are shown in his best orations and speeches.

NOTE TO ART. II.

IN correction of a remark on p. 15, the writer wishes to say that, while there are only four genera and some twelve or fifteen species and varieties of Conifers indigenous to England, about one hundred and fifty-seven sorts have been introduced from other countries, and have been found sufficiently hardy for that climate. Fifteen or twenty more are half-hardy; that is, are injured only in winters of unusual severity. Besides these, there are half a dozen which require some movable structure or other covering to protect them from severe frost.

NEW PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

The Soul's Salvation through Faith in Christ. A Sermon preached at the Ordination of John C. Kimball, as Pastor of the First Parish, Beverly, Mass., Thursday, December 29, 1859. By Ezra S. Gannett. With the Charge, Right Hand of Fellowship, and Address to the People. Boston. 1860.

The Immediate Vision of God. A Sermon preached in the West Church, by C. A. Bartol. Boston: Walker, Wise, & Co. 1860.

The Christian Trinity. The Doctrine of God, the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. A Discourse preached in Harvard Church, Charlestown, February 5, 1860. By George E. Ellis. Charlestown: Abram E. Cutter. 1860.

The Unity of Christ's Church. A Discourse delivered in Harvard Church, Charlestown, March 4, 1860. By George E. Ellis. Charlestown: Abram E. Cutter. 1860.

Sermon from the Capitol: On the Imperishable and Loving Words of Christ. Delivered in the Hall of the House of Representatives, on Sabbath Morning, March 18, 1860. .By T. H. Stockton, Chaplain, H. R. Washington. 1860. A Discourse on the Life and Character of John Barker, D. D. By Samuel P. Bates. Lancaster. 1860.

Sermons by the Rev. T. L. Harris, preached in the Mechanics' Institution, David Street, Manchester. No. 1. Love. - No. 2. The Divine Charity. — No. 3. The Philosophy of Decay. No. 4. The Recognition of Friends in Heaven. No. 5. The Last Words of Jesus. No. 6. The Ideal and the Actual.— No. 7. The Christian Pilgrim's Progress.- No. 8. Peril and Safety in the Path of Life. - No. 9. The Relation of Faith and Charity. Our Future. London: W. White. 1859.

No. 10.

Sermons by the Rev. T. L. Harris, preached at the Marylebone Institute, Edwards Street, Portman Square. London Series. No. 1. Modern Spiritualism.No. 2. Heart Wants of London. - No. 3. Christ Incarnate. - No. 4. Liberty and Progress. London: W. White. 1860. The Millennial Age. Sermons by the Rev. T. L. Harris, preached in the Marylebone Institute, Edwards Street, Portman Square, London. No. 1. The Expectation of the Creature. - No. 2. The Response of the Creator. No. 3. Millennial Religion. - No. 4. Millennial Society. London: W. White.

1860.

The New Church: its Spirit, Scope, and Mission. A Lecture delivered in ths Cairo Street School-room, Warrington, November 9, 1859. By the Rev. Thomas L. Harris, New York, U. S. A. Manchester: Johnson and Raw1860.

son.

Centennial Anniversary of the Foundation of Germantown Academy, April 21, 1860. Oration by Sidney George Fisher. Philadelphia. 1860.

An Address, introductory to a Course of Lectures on the Theory and Practice of Medicine, in the Medical Department of Bowdoin College. By William Sweetser, M. D. Brunswick. 1860.

Importance and Claims of the Lawrence University of Wisconsin, Founded in 1848 by Hon. A. A. Lawrence and the late Samuel Appleton, being the Substance of a Lecture delivered at New Haven, Conn., and other places, in which the Present Condition and Wants of the Institution are clearly presented and considered. By Rev. Reeder Smith, Endowment Agent. With a correct Map of Wisconsin, and a Table of Distances to the most Important Places in the State. Boston: John P. Jewett & Co. 1860.

An Address before the New England Historic-Genealogical Society, in the Hall of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts, Tuesday, September 13, 1859, the Hundredth Anniversary of the Death of Major-General James Wolfe, with Passages omitted in the Delivery, and Illustrative Notes and Documents. By Lorenzo Sabine. Boston: A. Williams & Co. 1859. pp. 100. A Semi-Centennial Address, delivered in the Universalist Church, Salem, Mass., on the Occasion of Celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Dedication of the Church, and the Installation of Rev. Edward Turner, both of which took place June 22, 1809. By Rev. Lemuel Willis, of Warner, N. H. With an Appendix. Salem. 1859.

The American Board and American Slavery. Speech of Theodore Tilton, in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, January 25, 1860. Third Edition. New York.

1860.

The Pulpit and Rostrum. Sermons, Orations, Popular Lectures, &c., phonographically reported by Andrew J. Graham and Charles B. Collar. No 13. Italian Independence; Addresses by Rev. Jos. P. Thompson, D. D., Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Rev. Henry W. Bellows, D. D., Prof. O. M. Mitchell. Letters by Prof. Benjamin Silliman, Hon. George S. Hillard, Hon. Charles Sumner. At the City Assembly Rooms, New York, February 17, 1860. New York: H. H. Lloyd & Co. 1860.

Chambers's Encyclopædia. A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge for the People. On the Basis of the Latest Edition of the German ConversationsLexicon. Illustrated with Wood Engravings and Maps. Parts 12, 13. New York: D. Appleton & Co. pp. 705-824.

Tom Brown at Oxford: a Sequel to School Days at Rugby. By Thomas Hughes, Author of " School Days at Rugby," "Scouring of the White Horse," Parts V., VI. Boston: Ticknor and Fields. 1859. pp. 185-304. Leaves of Grass. Boston: Thayer and Eldridge. 1860-61. 12mo. pp. 456.

etc.

Leaves of Grass Imprints. Boston: Thayer and Eldridge. 1860. Major-General Putnam. A Correspondence, on this Subject, with the Editor of "The Hartford Daily Post," by "Selah," of that City, and Henry B. Dawson, of White Plains, N. Y. Morrisiana. 1860. 8vo. pp. 169.

Mrs. Ellis's Housekeeping Made Easy; or Complete Instructor in all Branches of Cookery and Domestic Economy, containing the most Useful and Approved Receipts of Daily Service in all Families. Edited by Mrs. Mowatt. New York: W A. Townsend & Co. 1860. pp. 120.