66 ward. It would not be intelligible unless one were previously familiar with the subject; on p. 25, Mr. Meline quotes Froude as saying of Mary: She "was brought up amidst the political iniquities of the court of Catharine de Medici." On this Mr. Meline founds a diatribe upon Froude's ignorance of continental history, since Catharine only vegetated at the court of Henry II, and had no real power or influence until after the death of Mary's husband. To be sure; but three pages later, Mr. Meline quotes again from Froude: "Catharine, who in the reign of Francis had seen the honor of the throne given to the Queen of Scots and the power of the throne to the Duke of Guise and his brothers, had wrongs of her own to avenge." This proves that Froude does know the position which Catharine held. Mr. Meline himself calls this statement very nearly correct." What becomes, then, of the previous declamation about Froude's ignorance? The fact is, the court of Henry II. was steeped in corruption, and was a school of duplicity, however subordinate Catharine's position and influence may have been; so that Froude's first statement is in its spirit and intent true. Ex uno disce omnes. Mr. Meline is carried away by a partisan partiality for his heroine. Whether Mary was privy to the murder of Darnley or not, she was infatuated with a passion for Bothwell, as everybody who has studied the evidence ought to know. Her behaviour was such toward the principal agent in the murder as to confirm and almost to authorize the suspicions and accusations against her. If the "casket letters" are genuine, she was a guilty accomplice. Their genuineness has been accepted by Hume, Makintosh, Robertson, Laing, Burton, and (substantially) by Ranke, not to speak of other historical critics of the highest ability and impartiality. But we cannot enter into this vexed question, farther than to say that Mr. Meline has contributed little, if anything, to the solution of it. BELLES LETTRES. THE DIVINE TRAGEDY.*-The name of this poem could hardly be justified by any other than its subject, the ministry, miracles, and sufferings of our Lord. It is a series of dramatic scenes, besides the "Introitus" and "Epilogue," distributed under the three heads of the First, Second, and Third Passovers. We cannot *The Divine Tragedy. R. Osgood & Co. 1871. By HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW. Boston: James 12mo, pp. 150. but reckon it creditable to the literature of our day that the "old, old story," should now appear under this form, and from a poet so accomplished and in such deserved favor with the Englishspeaking world as Mr. Longfellow. It is creditable to his judg ment also, and will meet with the approval of all devout readers, that he closely follows the phraseology of the narratives and discourses in the Gospels, instead of attempting to recast them anew, taking no liberties but that of adjusting them, with his marvelous rhythmical dexterity, to the forms of his verse. With these materials, which occupy most of the pages, he has introduced two or three incidents and descriptions (so as not to confound them with the authentic portions), in which, as in the opening and closing passages, we recognize his wonted charm of imagery and diction. His lyre, whatever may be the theme, is never out of tune. If only from the restraints he has properly imposed on himself in the treatment of so sacred a subject, the poem, as such, cannot be expected to add to his reputation, nor can any attractions of verse transcend or equal the charm of the Biblical narratives; yet the story of the cross is here told over again reverently and tunefully to thousands of readers, and the poet's name and gifts will be the more hallowed by the altar on which he has laid this offering. The reader will notice the device, on the title page and the cover, of the Greek cross and the four Latin titles. THE LAST TOURNAMENT.*-The delicacy and grace of imagery, and weird charm of versification, which have fixed Tennyson's place in the first rank of living poets, will be at once recognized in this as in his other Idyls. The prerogative of his class, to work with unpromising and even repugnant materials, is shown even the more plainly here in view of the story, which ill deserves the pains bestowed, and will be read for his sake, not its own. We are free to say of his productions generally, and certainly of this, that the permanence of their interest will suffer from the occasional obscurity of the narrative, and that his melody sometimes attracts as by a musical spell, when the reader neither understands nor so much as cares to understand the meaning, as for example, in the knight's song on p. 46, beginning, "Ay, ay, O ay-the winds that bend the brier!" *The Last Tournament. By ALFRED TENNYSON, Poet Laureate. Boston: James R. Osgood & Co. 12 mo., pp. 48. 1872. SHAW'S SPECIMENS OF ENGLISH LITERATURE.* This copious and various selection was carefully made to accompany Shaw's History of English Literature; and is arranged to correspond to it in the reading. It extends from the earliest to the latest period of English literature. The aim in view was twofold; first, to illustrate the style of each writer; and secondly, to furnish a choice selection of passages suitable to be read in schools or committed to memory. The second of these is an important object, and is judiciously accomplished, thereby greatly increasing the value of the volume for the first-mentioned purpose. MISCELLANEOUS. NEW AMERICAN EDITION OF NEANDER'S CHURCH HISTORY.— Dr. Torrey did a great service to the cause of religion and learning when he submitted to the labor of rendering Neander's difficult German into English, and of presenting in a correct and readable translation the best history of the Church that has ever been written. The present edition contains important changes, as compared with the editions that have preceded it, since it embodies Neander's latest alterations and additions. These belong chiefly to the second volume. The entire translation, however, has been revised and improved. Ullman's Preface, a just tribute to the merits of Neander, is fitly prefixed to the present edition. Of the excellence of Neander as a man and a historian, there is no occasion that we should speak. Other writers have excelled him in the description of external phenomena, the outward movement and pageantry of the historic drama. Gieseler has equalled him in accuracy of investigation, and in researches upon special topics has no rival. But when we consider all the qualities of a historian of the Church, which were united in Neander,-depth of learning, penetration of character, sympathy with everything that partakes of the Christian spirit, profound, unassuming, unobtrusive piety, * Choice Specimens of English Literature; selected from the chief English writers, and arranged by T. B. SHAW, M.A., and WM. SMITH, LL.D. Adapted to the use of American students by B. N. MARTIN, D.D., LL.D. New York: Sheldon & Co. Pp. 478, 12mo. + General History of the Christian Religion and Church. From the German of Dr. AUGUSTUS NEANDER. Translated according to the latest edition, by JOSEPH TORREY, Professor of Moral and Intellectual Philosophy in the Univ. of Vermont. Eleventh American Edition, Revised, Corrected, and Enlarged. Boston: Crocker & Brewster. 1872. we must place him at the very head of all those, who have undertaken to describe the course of Christ's kingdom on earth. The study of Neander's History is not only a means of acquiring a vast fund of knowledge; it is not less a constant discipline in the exercise of catholic, Christian judgment upon men and things, and a most fructifying source of religious improvement. His Life of Jesus, his History of the Planting and Training of the Church, and his History of the Church, are a series of works which enable one to obtain a better acquaintance with the origin, diffusion, true character, and genius of the Christian religion than can be derived from any other quarter. No one can study these works in a candid spirit without becoming a better and wiser man. KING'S MOUNTAINEERING IN THE SIERRA NEVADA.†-Mr. King carries into his style the vigorous and animated spirit which has made him so adventurous and successful an explorer in the mountainous regions of Western America. The opening chapter of his book is a vivid description of the Sierra Nevada range as it presented itself to his eyes and to those of his companion, Mr. Gardner, who is so honorably associated with Mr. King in expeditions of scientific discovery. The reader cannot but participate in the enjoyment which is drawn from these arduous and often hazardous journeys by gentlemen who, as in the present instance, combine an untiring zeal in scientific research with a keen appreciation of the beautiful and sublime aspects of nature. The chapters on the ascent and descent of Mt. Tyndall are admirable illustrations of the author's varied merits both as an explorer and a writer. It is an honor to American science that such a volume can be truthfully written,-such a record of courageous labors in behalf of scientific knowledge. Expeditions such as are described in this book, and such as Professors Brewer and Marsh have prosecuted with so much energy and with so valuable fruits to science, are among the strongest indications of the ardor that characterizes the young men in this country, who are devoted to the natural and physical sciences. SCHELE DE VERE'S AMERICANISMS.*-It is said that Smollett, when he undertook his translation of Don Quixote, had but a * Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada. By CLARENCE KING. Boston: James R. Osgood & Co. 1872. + Americanisms; the English of the New World. By M. SCHELE DE VERE, LL.D., Professor of Modern Languages in the University of Virginia, author of "Studies in English," etc. New York: Charles Scribner & Co. 1872. 12mo, pp. 685. scanty acquaintance with the Spanish language; but was not afraid to assume the task, because he could rely for his author's meaning on the careful and faithful version of Jarvis, while he hoped to give his own work a literary ease and brilliancy which were wanting to that of his predecessor. It is perhaps not uncharitable to suppose that Professor Schele De Vere entered on the preparation of this book with a similar reliance on Mr. John R. • Bartlett's well-known Dictionary of Americanisms. In that excelcent work he had a copious stock of material, which he could draw upon at pleasure, arrange according to his fancy (see the headings of his chapters-the Indian-Immigrants from abroadthe Great West-the Church-Politics-Trade of all KindsAfloat-On the Rail-Natural History-Old Friends with New Faces-Cant and Slang-New Words and Nicknames)-and make attractive to the reader by a series of light, easy, amusing remarks and disquisitions. That in doing this he has shown no small amount of literary power, and has said many interesting things in a lively and piquant way, will be apparent to every one who dips into the book. As plainly, we fear, will the observant reader see the marks of that mingled incoherence and inexactness which we were obliged to speak of in our notice four years ago of his "Studies in English." Numerous inaccuracies have been pointed out in it by unsparing critics; and though it would not be difficult, it is perhaps hardly necessary, that we should bring our contributions to the catalogue. His want of capacity for historic criticism is evinced in the undoubting confidence with which he speaks of "that paragon of romantic [qu., romancing?] adventurers, John Smith," whom he qualifies as "unmatched in fame by knights of Arthur's Table Round;" he ought to have added. that they are pretty equally matched in the credibility of their adventures. A more glaring instance of the same defect is his reproduction of Dr. Samuel Peters' exploded fiction of the Connecticut Blue Laws. He refers, indeed, to a clearly written exposure of their baselessness; but holds on to them, nevertheless,―first, because they are quoted by the author of Sam Slick, and -second, because "the identical provisions may be found in the Abstract of the Laws of New England," printed in London, in 1685. This work was not an abstract of existing laws, but a scheme or project of a code for the colony of Massachusetts Bay. With Connecticut it had nothing to do; in Massachusetts it was not adopted without material changes: while of the forty-five blue |