ively Prussian, that is, un-French, un-English; unchangeably conservative in everything, accepting the constitution of King Frederic William in 1847 against his will, "because he must," but silently resolving to make the king monarch more monarchical in due time; as unlike an American statesman, or a Bright, or Gladstone, as could well be, about equally resolute in dyking out the sea and republicanism; his long yellowish-gray overcoat, as well-known as Mr. Greeley's white one, a sarcastic and waggish story-teller on occasion, a terse, tense writer. a somewhat hard, but sententious, forcible, commanding speaker, holding the independent supremacy of the Prussian crown high above every other object of state, "at every cost," yet advocating popular representation; chatty, witty, picturesque in his private letters, salting speech and written expression often with a blunt and peculiar bumor; full of courtly dignity in society, and of homely heartiness in his family and in his woods; a man of intense devotion to his ideas, never popular, and every where admired; neither a Cavour nor a Garibaldi, but intellectually greater than either; that is Bismarck. He has succeeded by power of thought, and power of opinion and policy. Read his letters in order to know him. It is cheering to find him revisiting Wiesbaden —" the scene of former folly "—and writing: "Would it might p'ease God to fill this vessel with His clear and strong wine, in which formerly the champagne of twenty-one years of youth foamed uselessly and left nothing but loathing behind."

The sprightly portions of this book are auto-biographical- viz., the unique Bismarckian letters. They show almost an artist's eye for scene and color. Over one hundred telling and apt illustrations adorn the volume, which is, perhaps, the most important biography of the twelvemonth past.

THE BIBLE DEFENDED, ETC. By Rev. W. H. Brisbane. Philadelphia: Higgins & Pers in pine. Pp. 179.

With a sensible introduction on the infidel strategy, and a convenient topical index, this little book is fitted to remove some difficulties and neutralize some objections made against revelation. It is very limited, of course, in its range. Our Methodist brethren have not wrought in this field so largely as others hitherto.

PLANE PROBLEMS IN ELEMENTARY GEOMETRY. A MANUAL OF DRAFTING INSTRUMENTS AND OPERATIONS. By S. Edw. Warren, C.E. With plates. New York: John Wiley & Son. Pp. 162, 116.

The first of these compact text-books treats of elementary conic sections, and the second includes the aesthetics of drawing scientifically considered. They are clear and excellent hand-books for the pupil in graphic geometry. They will promote neatness and accuracy in a branch of education commonly considered quite aside from science, requiring only dexterity of execution.

CULTURE AND RELIGION IN SOME OF THEIR RELATIONS. By J. C Shairp, Princ. Coll. St. Salv. and St. Leon. Univ., St. Andrews. New York: Hurd & Houghton. Pp. 197.

These five lectures, delivered in a Scotch college, deserve all the praise they have received in the American reprint. In a style so unassuming that many who read a little may undervalue his work, Principal Shairp analyzes culture itself, as contradistinguished from religion, and then Huxley's scientific theory of it, and Matthew Arnold's literary theory, proceeding thereafter to set forth the obstacles created by intellectual pursuits to spiritual growth, and the happy effect of embodying culture in religion, as part of it. He aims to disarm and destroy the mischievous antagonism attempted to be set up between the two by such spiritual "Philistines" as the late Oxford Professor of Poetry and the plausible, but unsound, lecturer before the Royal Institution. And he effectually does it. The distinctions are well taken, and quietly, but firmly, pressed, the illustrations are unusually good, and the whole production is fresh, elevating, pure, and strong above the majority of books on such topics. Such errors as we note are hardly worth mentioning. It would be a happy thing if some of the good men who order volumes by the quantity for theological students, would include this modest and genuine little book in their list, and then include all our college students among their beneficaries. It would be good seed in good soil, emphatically.

A COPIOUS AND CRITICAL ENGLISH-LATIN DICTIONARY. By William Smith, LL.D., and Theophilus D. Hall, M.A. New York: Harper & Brothers. Pp. 964.

The Messrs. Harper have recently issued a long-announced and muchneeded English-Latin Dictionary, edited chiefly by Dr. William Smith, whose name has become a household word with classical students, and whose industry and versatility are most marvelous.

The exterior of the book is inviting, being tastefully and what is better -strongly bound. As we open it we are struck by its superiority in plan over the old English-Latin dictionaries commonly in use. This is not surprising, for their defects have been great and long-felt. It has been well nigh impossible for a student depending upon them to write idiomatic Latin. If any one doubts this, let him listen to the salutatories and exercises in "Prose Composition" in our colleges and academies. We fancy Cicero attending one of our Commencements and listening to the opening speech, with its medley of words and idioms drawn from every period of Roman literature, ante-classical, classical, and post classical. His look of surprise gradually gives way to wrath, until, goaded to desperation, he leaps to his feet and shouts to the unlucky Latinist: “Quousque tandem abutére patientia nostra!"

In the work before us the English words and their Latin equivalents are carefully classified. Synonyms in Latin are briefly explained. The difference between English and Latin is pointed out and illustrated by examples,

so that the student need no longer commit the blunder of translating literally into Latin phrases peculiar to his mother tongue.

A happy thought in the editors is the use of different kinds of type to make prominent to the eye the various divisions of the subject. The very obvious advantage of this will be appreciated by those who have had to grope through the mazes of similar works in German.

Another feature which pleases us is the translation of the Latin passages quoted. This enhances their value ten-fo'd, since experience has taught us that the student generally will not, and often can not - judiciously — translate them for himself.

We earnestly recommend this to those who make our classical grammars and dictionaries.

We should have been glad to find exact citations of passages throughout the book, since it enables the student to turn at once to the Latin author and see for himself whether the word or phrase really translates the English. It seems that this plan did not occur to the editors at first, but was adopted later.

Whether the plan of the work has been judiciously carried out in every particular, can be learned only after long use. If there are some errors and omissions, those can be charitable who know the enormous and tedious labor required to produce such a book—almost de novo. Dr. Smith and his associates have again laid us under deep obligations.

FIRST LESSONS IN COMPOSITION. By J. S. Host, LL.D., New Jersey State Normal School. Philadelphia: Eldredge & Bro. Pp. 144.

Words, Sentence-making, Variety of Expression, Figurative Expression and Punctuation are treated in elaborate elementary detail. Such books show forcibly what the drill of a thorough teacher in the simple beginnings of literary walk should be.

THE AMERICAN CARDINAL. New York: Dodd & Mead. Chicago: W. G. Holmes. Pp. 313. $1.50.

The anonymous author of this book, under the guise of fiction, sets forth in a feeble way the conflict between Popery and Protestantism, and especially the wiles of the Jesuits. The scenes described transpired during the late war, and the hero of the story is an Episcopal clergyman, who abandoned his family to become a Romish priest. The real facts are stranger than this fiction.

HEIGHTS AND DEPTHS. By Agnes Leonard Scanland. Chicago: Henry A. Sumner. Pp. 271. $1.50.

This is a Chicago book, gotten up in a style of printing and binding which does credit to the enterprising publisher, and the Lakeside Printing Co. But we can not say much for the contents of the book. It is one of a multitude of goodish books which are soon forgotten.

THEODORE: A STORY ABOUT BAPTISM. By a True Baptist. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication. Chicago: W. G. Holmes. Pp. 374. $1.25.

Few books upon Baptism have had so wide a circulation and so great influence with the young and uneducated as "Theodosia," published by the Baptist Publishing Society. It presents in a plausible but, to a thoughtful and intelligent mind, very unsatisfactory manner, the arguments for Immersion and Close Communion.

"Theodore" is evidently written as an answer to "Theodosia," and makes very easy work of converting a Baptist over to Pedo-Baptist views. It is a very good antidote to the former book, and is a good book to put into the hands of those who will not read more elaborate treatises on this subject.

WESTWARD: A TALE OF AMERICAN EMIGRANT LIFE. By Mrs. J. McNair Wright. Philadelphia: Pre-byterian Board of Publication. Chicago: W. G. Holmes. Pp. 272. $1.00.

A graphic story of the experiences of a Christian family in their emigration to Kansas and beyond. It professes to be mainly a record of facts, and well illustrates the privations and hardships of pioneer life, and especially how much good a single Christian family may do by their personal influence, and their self-denying efforts to plant the Sabbath-school and the Church on the frontiers. Is an attractive book for Sunday-school libraries.

THE WAY LOST AND FOUND. A Book for the Young, and especially Young Men. By Rev. Joseph F. Tuttle, D.D., President of Wabash College. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication. Chicago: W. G. Holmes. Pp. 286. $1.00.

This is an excellent book; just such as we would be glad to see put into the hands of every young man. The aim is well expressed in the preface, "to win the young to a life of virtue and happiness by winning them to the Cross." President Tuttle evidently understands the peculiar dangers to which the young are exposed, and is a wise and sympathizing counselor to them in their needs. The more of such books the better.

THE SILVER SONG.

By W. A. Ogden.

A Choice Collection of New Sabbath-School Music.
Toledo, Ohio: W. W. Whitney. Pp. 176.

THE ROUND TABLE.

PHASES OF SKEPTICISM.-All skepticism calls for pity, some for special tenderness and forbearance, and some for a certain kind of respect. If we accept our Saviour's declaration, we must hold that error of the head springs from error of the heart. But with differing degrees of willfulness and defiance..

Most of all, perhaps, we compassionate the speculative doubter. It is some men's infirmity, as Bishop Butler has remarked, to be led astray, not by their passions so much as by their speculations. There are men who are forever asking questions that they can not answer; who see all the difficulties and objections far better than the reasons and proofs. Such men are always tossing and find no rest. They are to be pitied.

The ignorant infidel deserves tenderness. He knows not what he opposes. It is his fault, and it is also his misfortune. Such was mostly the class of men whom Dr. Nelson encountered, many of whom his persevering kindness recovered.

The learned skeptic often deserves special consideration. He has explored like Huxley among natural laws till he loses sight of the law-giver; he has dealt with sensuous things till he has lost sight of the supersensuous; and has been unfortunate, perhaps, in the class of Christian teachers whom he has encountered. Or like Buckle he has plodded among the forces and uniformities of history till the chaos or coincidence of facts has hidden from him the guiding hand divine. Or he has spent his life in elaborating the difficulties of religion and the objections to Christianity, till his sight is confused. We respect his learning and acuteness; we pity his perplexity; and the more because the whole surrounding atmosphere of his life has been that of doubt and cavil.

The sentimental and moral skeptic of modern times has a kind of claim to consideration for the high culture and morality which he teaches, so different from the ribaldry and debauchery of early English Deism. It would be a manlier thing in him to acknowledge whence he borrowed his ethics. One occasionally recognizes a sort of surly frankness in some forms of scoffing and railing skepticism. It strikes with all its might, confessing the greatness of its foe. You have that sort of feeling toward it that you have for a vicious mastiff.

There has been at times a fanatical skepticism, which even commands a quasi respect. It has fought with the Bible and the Church because they were too slow for its reformatory schemes, and philanthropic zeal. The