Another merit of this work, is its religious character and tendency. It developes, and often very happily, the sacred philosophy of the Seasons. Its main object, never lost sight of, is to show that the operations of Nature are the work of God's hand, the intimations of his presence and agency, the proofs of his wisdom, the manifestations of his love. It aims at constructing no cunning argument, at weaving no newly-devised web of too ingenious thought, but steadily it points to some nice adaptation, some beautiful arrangement in this lower world, and then seriously up to the Great Designer. It produces the impression, accumulatively, page after page, that we live amid surrounding demonstrations of Supreme Intelligence, where every thing is ordered, and cared for, and adjusted, and nothing is left to chance. Its influence is to lead the mind to the religious contemplation and study of the exquisite and marvellous fabric on which we stand, and with which we are placed in mysterious contact. A happy and needed influWe have, in this country, enterprise enough, and men of enterprise; politics and politicians enough; new ideas and theories in plenty; sufficient agitation and sectarism. What we especially want, is more calmness, and contentment, and refinement, and more of that knowledge which tends to inspire them. We want more quiet students of God's works, earnest though quiet, who may diffuse abroad a portion of that peace with which their own hearts are imbued, and of that information which will insensibly but surely operate to correct the crudities, and soften down the rudeness, and put to silence the quackeries of the times. Such a work as the present, is well adapted ence. to infuse the necessary tastes; to give an impulse and direction to the dormant love of Nature which exists in almost every bosom; to show the reader, by glimpses here and there, how full of interest, even in what had seemed before the most uninteresting quarters, is the world in which he lives; and to cause his soul to harmonize with the order and music, which have been breathed into that wondrous world by its invisible Creator. And further, these volumes are recommended by the peculiar method of their arrangement, which renders the perusal of their contents a matter of most easy accomplishment, whether in the school, or the family circle. Each one of the volumes is devoted to a separate season, and is divided into as many chapters, or short portions, as there are days in that season. Thus, in the course of the four volumes, every day in the year has its allotted subject and chapter, while on every Sunday there is, as it were, a pause of rest, in which is introduced a brief religious discourse, suited to the subjects of discussion which have occupied the preceding week. The length of these daily portions is from three to six pages. It would be easy, in a school, for the last half hour of the day to be given to a daily portion of this book, which would afford time not only for the requisite reading, but for such remarks and explanations as might be offered by the instructer; the portion for Sunday might be read together with that which precedes or follows it; and then how surely would the four volumes be mastered in a year, and not as a task, but a pleasure and refreshment. And it would not be too much to say, that there is not a family in the country, however diligently their hours may be employed, who, if they had the disposition, could not find ample time for the same course of reading. Innocently and profitably would the half hour be engaged by the group gathered round the table, as page after page was turned, and the weeks and the seasons passed by. And when the last leaf of Autumn was finished, it would be strange indeed if some of the knowledge, and some of the piety contained and inculcated in these volumes, did not remain permanently behind, in the minds and hearts of the readers. The Author of this work begins the series with Winter, and offers satisfactory reasons for so doing; but he gives no reason for beginning Winter with the month of November, Spring with February, Summer with May, and Autumn with August, though this arrangement is not in accordance with the usual division of the Seasons. It appears to the Editor, that in temperate climates, generally, the old distribution of the months corresponds the most nearly with the appearances of Nature. He has not seen fit, however, to alter the original disposition of the volumes in this particular. The changes which have been made by the Editor, have already been alluded to, and in part specified. Carefully preserving all the facts and trains of remark, as in the original work, and interfering as little as possible with the character given to it by the Author, he has, however, by the addition of notes, and the occasional introduction of passages into the text, adapted it to the place which it is intended to occupy, as a book of instruction and entertainment for American schools and families. These additions and insertions are marked in such a manner, that they will be immediately distinguished from the original by the eye of the reader. Words and phrases of a technical character, and such as would not be found in a common dictionary, have been explained, either in the body of the work, or in a glossary at its close. Still, the chief part of the Editor's labor will not be apparent on perusal. It consisted in frequent elisions, of greater or less consequence, the silent correction of errors, and numerous small adaptations, the whole sum of which could only be ascertained by a constant comparison of the two editions. In one respect, the office of the Editor has been of some delicacy. A few of the Sunday papers were necessarily to be altered, in order to conform the volumes to the pledge which is given by the Board of Education, that the Library shall contain nothing offensive to the sentiments of different religious denominations. The required alterations have been made principally by the simple omission of sentences and paragraphs, and in two or three instances only by substituting entire papers in the place of those which it was thought proper to leave out; the substituted papers being specified in their place. The Author would of course have preferred that no change of this kind should have been made; but when he comes to see how little the integrity of his own and his friends' religious essays has suffered, it is believed that he will not fail to be satisfied that a due discretion has been used, and that all that is essential to a warm and vital Christianity has been preserved. A few scattered sentences may even now be found, which may not exactly coincide with the opinions of some sects |