was fortunate in forming the acquaintance of Mr. Bartram, whose fine botanical garden was situated near his school house. To the assistance and sympathy of this gentleman, and the facilities his grounds afforded for studying the habits of the birds, which were attracted to them, the world owes probably the development of Wilson's taste, and the conception of the American Ornithology. Seven years were spent by this devoted and enthusiastic naturalist in unwearied and unrewarded toils, travels, and sacrifices in the execution of this noble work. His enthusiasm, firmness and perseverance, which formed the principal elements of his character, have been the theme of frequent admiration and praise. Were not the evidence incontrovertible, it would hardly be believed that "a single individual, without patron, fortune or recompense, accomplished in the space of seven years, as much as the combined body of European naturalists took a century to achieve." "But it is literally true," says Mr. Ord, "that we have as faithful, complete, and interesting an account of our birds, as the Europeans can at this moment boast of possessing of theirs." Wilson has figured and described in his work 278 species of birds, 56 of which had not been noticed by any preceding naturalist. The whole number of birds figured is 320. He died in Philadelphia of the dysentery on the 23d of August, 1813, aged 47.

Mr. Hillard's life of Capt. Smith is a well written, faithful history of one of the most chivalrous and daring spirits, that ever lived in the tide of times." The traditionary exploits of the "Father of Virginia," are as familiar as nursery tales. The romantic and magnanimous heroism of Pocahontas is in the mouth of every school-boy. With most of the facts in this life, we had already been made acquainted in Mr. Thatcher's interesting Lives of the Indians. The story however will bear repeating in a new form, and Mr. Hillard deserves the credit of telling it well.

For thrilling incident and chivalrous adventure, the life of Smith will not suffer in comparison with that of any other man. Those who love to read

"of most disastrous chances,

Of moving accidents by flood and field,

Of hair-breadth 'scapes i' the imminent deadly breach,"

may here be abundantly gratified.

11.-Comprehensive Commentary. Vol. I. .

We have looked over the first volume of this long expected publication with much satisfaction. It comprises the four gospels, and is contained in about 900 royal 8vo. pages.

The text is

printed in large type in a column on the left side of the page. Underneath is a considerable number of marginal references. Henry's Commentary, somewhat abridged, but unaltered in respect to sentiment or style, occupies in general from one half to two thirds of the remainder of the page. Then follow notes critical, explanatory, &c. from Scott, Doddridge, Bloomfield, Rosenmueller, Stuart, Josephus, Vitringa, Adam Clarke, the editor, &c. Practical observations from Doddridge and others are found at the close of the chapters. What will give this Bible great value is the incorporation with it of Henry's Commentary. We are well satisfied that it has been done judiciously and faithfully. Henry is permitted to speak his own sentiments, in his own quaint and admirable manner. So far as we have examined, the remaining notes are selected with taste and judgment. The paper, printing, and whole mechanical execution are very good. The next volume will contain the first portion of the Old Testament.

12.-Memoir of George Dana Boardman, late missionary to Birmah, by the Rev. Alonzo King, Northborough, Mass. Boston Lincoln, Edmands, & Co. 1834. pp. 320.

THIS is a memoir of an excellent missionary of the cross, sent out by the American Baptist Board of Missions to Birmah. He was born Feb. 8, 1801, graduated at Waterville College, Maine, in 1822, discharged the duties of tutor in the same institution for nearly a year, spent some time in theological studies in Andover, on the 16th of July, 1825, sailed from Philadelphia for India, arrived in Calcutta on the 2d of December, where, on account of the war in Birmah, he remained till March, 1827. From April, 1827, he labored in the mission at Birmah, with great ardor and success till Feb. 11, 1831, when he was called to his eternal reward. A church was gathered by his labors of more than seventy members. The biographer's labors seem to have been performed judiciously. We take pleasure in commending the volume to all with whom our opinion may have any influence.

13.-Life of Rev. Joseph Emerson, pastor of the third congregational church in Beverly, Mass., and subsequently principal of a female seminary. By Rev. Ralph Emerson, professor of Ecclesiastical History, in the Andover Theol. Sem. Boston: Crocker & Brewster. 1834. pp. 454.

MR. EMERSON is undoubtedly to be numbered among the most useful men who have lived in our country, particularly on account of his efforts in the cause of female education. He communicated an ardor, a high wrought enthusiasm, into the

bosoms of thousands. Just such a man was needed to arouse the community to a much neglected but most important subject. The good which he accomplished was not so much owing to the excellence of his system of instruction, for he often changed his plans, but to the strong feeling in behalf of it, which he every where diffused. His claims to the gratitude of future generations will rest, principally, we think, on this fact. Our readers will peruse the memoir with great satisfaction. The editor has manifested good judgment, and remarkable honesty and candor, in detailing the character of his brother. We are certain that a faithful portraiture is given. There are many collateral facts and circumstances respecting the state of society in New England, for the last thirty years, which give additional value to the volume. We advise the reader to commence with the appendix.

14.-Book for Parents. The Genius and Design of the Domestic Constitution, with its Untransferable Obligations and Peculiar Advantages. By Christopher Anderson. Boston: Perkins, Marvin, & Co. 1834. PP. 420.

MR. JAMES, of Birmingham, in the preface to his Family Monitor, has the following remark. "In the ensuing pages,

there will be found numerous and long extracts from an incomparably excellent work, by the Rev. Christopher Anderson, of Edinburgh, entitled The Domestic Constitution.' Of that volume, the author feels that his own is not worthy, in any instance, to be the harbinger; but should he find that he has introduced any families to an acquaintance with a treatise so well worthy of their most serious attention, he will be thankful for that measure of benefit, and rejoice that he has not labored in vain." From this high commendation, the intelligent reader will not wish to subtract any thing. The book differs from almost every treatise on the subject which we have seen, inasmuch as it goes fundamentally into the most important questions connected with parental duty. It would argue little for the intelligence and piety of the community, if the volume should not become, in the best sense, popular. The principles are illustrated with new and very striking historical allusions.

15.-Familiar Letters on Public Characters, and Public Events; from the peace of 1783, to the peace of 1815. Boston: Russell, Odiorne, and Metcalf. 1834. pp. 468.

THERE is a power in names to consecrate or condemn. The quaker who from conscientious scruples dismissed a dog that had offended him with the significant address, "Friend, I will not kill thee, but I will give thee a bad name," and immediately

shouted, "a mad dog!" though he might have been a very poor Christian, was no mean philosopher.

It is often said indeed that the name must find an archetype in the nature of its subject, or it cannot fasten; that there must be a correspondence between the word and the thing; that words derive all their significance from their relation to things; in fine that "words are things." This is partly true, and partly false. If the subject be known, independently of its name, it is true. "No tint of words" can color with false hues the known attributes of a familiar subject. If the subject be not known, but by its name, it is not true. The name corresponds not to the thing, but to a false ideal in the mind. It becomes one of Bacon's "idola fori," the fruitful source of misapprehension and injustice. "Verba," says this accurate observer of man and things, "ex captu vulgi imponuntur. Itaque mala et inepta verborum impositio miris modis intellectum obsidet. Neque definitiones aut explicationes quibus homines docti se munire et vindicare in nonnullis consueverunt, rem ullo modo restituunt. Sed verba plane vim faciunt intellectum, et omnia turbent; et homines ad inanes et innumeras controversias et commenta deducunt."

Though there is some truth then in the oft-quoted remark, "What's in a name? that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet," it is not always true. A name may have had an original correspondence with its subject; it may have been honorable; but by perversion, oft-repeated calumny, and incessant bandying in the war of words, it may have lost its original meaning, and have come to be the sign (at least in the apprehension of the multitude) of ideas, the very reverse of those, for which it originally stood. Such has been the fate of the name "Federalist." Once a title of honor, the synonyme of constitutional patriot, by misrepresentation, which, though nine hundred and ninety-nine times refuted, have been repeated for the thousandth time, it has come to be a term of reproach, and as odious to "the people," as was ever the ill-odored "Tory." The volume, whose perusal has elicited these remarks, and the title of which stands at their head, is evidently the production of an old-school federalist, who still glories in the name and principles of his party, and has put forth this effort to rescue them from undeserved obloquy and infamy. The federalists have long been waiting in dignified silence the judgment of impartial history. They have confided their cause and fame to the verdict of truth-telling time. This silence would not probably have been broken, but for the "revised" and reiterated slanders (as they regard them) which Mr. Jefferson left to be given to the world in his posthumous works. The appearance of Mr. Dwight's "History of the Hartford Convention" was probably hastened, and that of the "Familiar Letters" occasioned, by these publica

tions of Mr. Jefferson. The general character of this volume is the same with that of Mr. Dwight's history, which we noticed in the last number of our journal. It contains like that a rapid sketch of the most important political measures and events from 1783 to 1815. It is however more desultory and miscellaneous in its character; being interspersed with a multitude of interesting scraps of private history, anecdotes, graphic delineations of characters, manners, customs, &c.

On these accounts it possesses an interest for the general reader, independent of its political bearings. The manners, customs, dress, opinions and sentiments of our fathers, are fast disappearing from among us. A puritan or a patriot of the '76 stamp will soon be rarely to be seen. The opportunity of taking their likeness, of embodying in the enduring forms of literature or art the features of their character, will soon be gone. The evanescent impressions of the childhood of the present generation, received when these "great ones of the earth" were in their prime, are fast fading away. Any effort to fix and make indelible in the living forms of literary history, these fleeting visions, cannot but be acceptable. In his delineation of character, the author seems to be peculiarly happy. Though he has given a particular description of the person and character of more than thirty individuals, like a good painter, he has caught in each the expression of individuality, and his minutest descriptions do not tire. By many persons, these will be regarded as the most interesting and valuable portions of the volume. The names of the principal persons described, are, Bowdoin, Hancock, Lincoln, Jay, Hamilton, Ames, King, Jarvis, Dr. Cooper, J. Adams, Jefferson, Knox, Edmund Randolph, Pinckney, Washington, Samuel Adams, Sumner, Dana, Sedgwick, Wirt, Burr, Gore, Gerry, Strong, Brooks, Cabot, Pickering, Lowell, Parsons, Sewall, Parker, Dexter, Otis, Quincy, Lloyd.

Two of the most interesting events described in the volume, are the conspiracy and trial of Aaron Burr, and the death of Hamilton. After all, however, what is said of these subjects is of common and general interest; the book must stand or fall upon its political merits or demerits. The grand design of the volume is a defence of federalism. Other objects are merely incidental. Whether the author's exceeding severity on Mr. Jefferson, and his frequent allusions to existing parties and persons, however just and lawful they may be, are also expedient, and will subserve the end for which he wrote, may be doubted. The vindication of himself and party necessarily involves the severe crimination of Mr. Jefferson. Regarding him as a traducer and false accuser, some bitterness of feeling and expression in the writer would be naturally expected. Whether he has transcended the limits of dignity and decorum, or violated in his strictures the good old rule, "ne quid nimis," we will not presume to decide.