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The Poets of America: illustrated by one of her PaintEdited by John Keese. New York: S. Colman. 12mo. pp. 284. This is a volume of specimens of American Poets, remarkable for the great beauty of type, paper, and illustrations, and intended, we suppose, as a sort of annual. We do not mean to imply in this that the literary part of the undertaking is not sufficiently well executed. The editor appears to have been competent to his task. The selections are not, indeed, in every instance to our liking. But when the choice ranges through so wide a field, no single selection could be made, perhaps, that should suit every taste. Still, as we judge, Mr. Keese has shown himself too "wide a liker." If the work is to be continued, as is partly promised, we should say that a little more exclusiveness in his principles of choice, a little less good-natured indulgence to the claims of " new men". - there are more than twenty names in the table of contents we never before heard of in our Parnassus would present volumes of a more permanent value, well worthy a place in any library, and moreover, offering subjects more worthy the great talent of the artist who illustrates them. As it is, the present volume cannot fail to meet with a favorable reception on the part of the public. It is altogether one of the most attractive publications of the American Press. We are particularly pleased with it as another instance of the introduction of the fashion of pictorial illustration into our ornamental printing. This, we believe, is but the second example of it. There is a freedom, a grace, a wild beauty about it, which to us have charms beyond the formal print. The artist, too, rises nearer to a level with the poet upon whom he waits. His illustrations take the rank of a running commentary on the author, and, as happens elsewhere, the commentary sometimes surpasses in value and beauty the text, - the artist rises above the

poet and novelist. This is quite true, we think, of the little volume which led the way in this kind of printing, entitled "A Christmas Gift from Fairy Land," published about a year since. "The Painter" there showed himself a man of a most graceful and fertile genius, which, perhaps, the author did not, - and gave us a book of designs more creditable to American Art than any we remember to have seen. The illustrations of the volume of American Poets are from the same pencil, and though not equal to those of the Fairy Gift, the principal fault we have to find with them is, that they are too few. It is a sad disappointment to turn over so many leaves and not see their beauty

upon the broad margin. We hope that in another volume the publishers will be encouraged by the success of their first attempt to invite the artist to a more free and unrestrained indulgence of his fancy. A more acceptable offering could not be made to the lovers of beautiful books. We would suggest that in another volume the type should not be changed in the text. The effect is bad. Let the illustrations wander between the verses and around them, as the margin will allow,the verses, as the artist may desire, being occasionally thrown farther apart. We object, too, on the score of taste, to party-colored prints; except in the case of works for children. Black and white alone are classical.

Anatomical, Pathological, and Therapeutic Researches on the Yellow Fever of Gibraltar of 1828; by P. CH. A. LOUIS, Physician to the Hotel Dieu, &c. &c. Translated from the manuscript by G. C. SHATTUCK, jr. M. D. - The Memoirs of James Jackson, jr. first familiarized to us the name of M. Louis. Since the publication of that beautiful biography, translations of his principal works have been published in this country, and regarded by those best qualified to judge, as important accessions to medical science. We have read the treatise on Yellow Fever with much interest. Of its professional merits it falls not within our province, nor are we competent, to speak; but as a specimen of clear statement, sound reasoning, and the application of rigidly philosophical principles, to the department of science. which has been most loose and doubtful, it deserves to be carefully studied. The translator's introduction is on this point full of good sense. If medicine ever attain to the certainty which belongs to other branches of inquiry, it must be through the same exact and carefully recorded observations, which have been applied by astronomers to the planets, and by geologists to the earth. In this way only can each generation profit by the labors of those who have gone before. This is what M. Louis has been laboring to accomplish in his profession; and whatever may be the value of the particular results to which he may arrive, we cannot but regard this and his other works as laying the only true foundation for a series of observations, which, if carried out as they are begun, must eventually lead to a knowledge of disease, its causes, laws, preventives, and remedies, which will prove to be of the utmost importance to mankind. For this reason we rejoice in the circulation of his works; and it is particu larly a matter of congratulation, that the young men of the profession are entering with zeal into his mode of investigation, and 3D S. VOL. IX. NO. III.

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are willing to spend the time and labor necessary to carry out such researches. There is in the community, whether with or without reason, a growing dissatisfaction with medical practice; and it is only from seeing those, on whom we are so dependent in our weakness, earnestly engaged in the advancement of their science, that we can have the confidence so essential at once to our comfort and theirs.

The Lecturess; A Tale; by the author of "My Cousin Mary." Boston. 1839. We hold ourselves indebted, and the community with us, to any good writer, who in these days of theories and visions invites us back to the sober realities of life; who reminds us, when we are tempted to forget it, of the place in which Providence has set us, and helps us contentedly and faithfully to fulfil its duties. This is skilfully done by the writer of this little Tale, which she calls "The Lecturess," because her heroine prefers the hearing, still more the uttering, of lectures, and fulfilling her fancied destinies abroad, to conjugal affection and the blessings of home. The story is a sad one, but excellently well told; and should any of our fair readers find themselves tempted, by any misguided preferences of their own, to turn a mournful fiction into a more mournful fact, and forsake their own mercies by forsaking their own sphere, we affectionately commend it to their perusal.

A Letter to W. E. Channing, D. D., on the Subject of the Abuse of the Flag of the United States, in the Island af Cuba, and the Advantage taken of its Protection in Promoting the Slave Trade; by R. R. MADDEN. Boston: Ticknor. 1839. -The name of Mr. Trist has been frequently in the newspapers of late, with many disgraceful additions; but until we read this pamphlet of Dr. Madden we knew no sure ground of belief as to the justness of their application. This at least seems to be such. He brings against the Consul serious charges of misconduct, and substantiated by documentary evidence of apparently unquestionable authority. If it be true, as Dr. Madden states, - that American vessels have been suffered to proceed with stores for Africa, and even to return to the Island of Cuba with slaves under the Portuguese flag, with the full knowledge of the Consul of the United States, that fraudulent transfers of papers have constantly been made of vessels employed or destined for this trade, that slaves under fictitious titles described in fraudulent declaration, as free indented laborers, and duly attested by the Consul of the United States, have been exported from Havana to

Texas, that the slave trade from Cuba for the last two years has been carried on under the protection of the Portuguese and American flags, that the use and abuse of these flags was of necessity known to Mr. Trist, and connived at by him, if these things be true, then is all that has been said of this man more than justified, then is it true that he has violated the laws of his country, in aiding and abetting what those laws declare to be piracy, and that justice demands his recal and an arraignment at her bar to answer for his misdeeds. Beside these things, he seems, from the statements of Dr. Madden, to be a person, from the violence of his passions, wholly unfitted for the office which he fills. His usage of the British Commissioners, in his corre spondence with them, is more like that of a madman or a vulgar braggadocio, than a man representing a great country in so important a place. So is his language touching slavery, where he says, "that he entertains a deliberate and oft revolved doubt, whether, considered merely in itself, the slave trade be not a positive benefit to its supposed victims. Were the trade open and regulated in the way that emigrant vessels are, I should entertain no doubt on the subject ;" and " then he enters," says Dr. Madden, " into a long and labored defence of slavery and the slave trade." We have no room to do more than call attention by these few remarks to a pamphlet written by a philanthropist on a subject, in which the honor of our country and the cause of humanity are deeply concerned.

Buckminster's Works. Two volumes. 12mo. J. Munroe & Co. -The publishers of these volumes have conferred a great favor upon the public in the very neat edition they have lately issued of the writings of Mr. Buckminster. It has been prepared for the press under the editorial management of Prof. H. Ware, jr. Being of the duodecimo form, it is better adapted to Church and other libraries than the octavo editions which have preceded it, - and no library,— no religious library at least, -no library for the young should be without it. In another number we hope to take a more extended notice of one of the most valuable reprints of the day.

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Dewey's Discourses. -A new volume of discourses by Mr. Dewey has lately been published, "in explanation and defence of Unitarianism." We greet its appearance with great satisfaction, and from the preface offer the following extract stating the precise object of the work. "The author's purpose in this volume has been, in the first place, to offer a brief summary of the Unitarian belief;

in the next place, to lay down the essential principles of all religious faith; thirdly, to state and defend our construction, as it is generally held among us, of the Christian Doctrine; Fourthly, to illustrate by analogy our views of practical religion; and finally, in the two closing discourses, to discuss the true proportion and harmony of the Christian character." The following are the subjects of the separate discourses. Unitarian Belief; Nature of Religious Belief; On the Trinity; On the Atonement; On the five Points of Calvinism; On Future Punishment; Four discourses on the Analogy of Religion with other Subjects; a discourse on Liberality and Strictness; a discourse on Moderation.

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Pictures of early Life; or Sketches of Youth; by Mrs. EMMA C. EMBURY. Boston: Marsh, Capen, Lyon, and Webb. 1839. This is one of the juvenile series of works put out by the Board of Education. It contains eighteen stories. Some of them are simple, affecting, natural; as that of "Moss Roses; or Brother and Sister;" while others, such as "Cecilia," and "School Friendship," are too much like little novels. There is, indeed, always a moral tone, and a moral aim; but with all that, frequently too much of the Romantic. Is there nothing to be apprehended from this boundless flood of romance, in the shape of children's stories, which is pouring into our libraries and parlors? Do none experience a difficulty in persuading children now-a-days to read history and biography, accustomed as they are to this surfeit of so much more exciting nutriment? And if that be the case, is it not a sign of evil? Yet perhaps the objection lies rather against the character of the fiction than the fiction itself. There can no evil or danger result from the perusal of those little fictions, the Prodigal Son, or the Good Samaritan. If history be justly styled philosophy teaching by example, why may not some kinds of fiction be as justly styled relig ion teaching by example? But if so, it is only some kinds.

Rollo's Travels, and Rollo's Correspondence, are the titles of two more of this series of books for the young. We notice them not to commend, but to find fault, not with the matter of the volumes, for we have not read them, but with the prints, if prints they can be called. They are rather but the tracks of some poor tool upon some soft lead or softer wood. In the former volumes of the series the pictures have been tolerable; these are intolerable.