necessity for some allusion to the collateral subject of inspiration, we were curious to see what our author would say on a matter now again becoming one of strife and controversy. In this, as in other cases, however, Dr. Kitto wisely, but guardedly, steers clear of any wordy warfare with schools and theorists, yet without concealing any part of what he deems to be necessary truth. With his observations our readers will mostly be disposed to concur :

'The great distinction between the ordinary and the extraordinary teachers, the priests and the prophets, was, that the latter were inspired. This naturally suggests the inquiry, what was the nature of this inspiration under which the prophets spoke and acted? To examine this matter fully belongs not to this place, and is, after all, of little real consequence to those who are enabled to believe, what the Scripture itself teaches, that it was complete, and was in all respects fully adequate to the end to be attained. When the end was external action; where it was the instruction of God's people in regard to the present or the future; whether it were given by word, by writing, or both; whether for temporary ends, or with a view to perpetual preservation; the prophets are clearly represented as infallible, which, as regards them, means that they were incapable of erring or deceiving with respect to the matter of their revelation. How far this object was secured by direct suggestion, by negative control, or by an elevating influence upon their natural powers, is a question of little practical importance to those holding the only essential doctrine-that the inspiration was in all respects such as rendered those who received it incapable of error. Any inspiration beyond this could not be needed; any less than this would be worthless.'-Pp. 4, 5.

The Illustrations' following are of the character of those in the preceding volumes, conveying much and solid information concerning biblical history and antiquities, gathered from every ancient and modern source. In the compilation of the present volume. the author has availed himself of the results of the recent discoveries of MM. Botta and Layard at Nineveh,-discoveries which throw a remarkable light on the biblical narrative. The prophetical allusions to Cyrus Dr. Kitto has embodied into and illustrated by a graphic and concise sketch of the life of the great conqueror of the East, which lends much interest to this section of the work. Two volumes illustrative of the books of the New Testament will complete the series.

The Canadian Crusoes. A Tale of the Rice Lake Plains. By Catharine Parr Traill. Edited by Agnes Strickland. London: A. Hall, Virtue and Co. Pp. 368.

Books of wild and romantic adventure will always possess a charm for the young mind; and as long as literature lasts, Defoe's narrative will be the most popular of story-books. Perhaps it is because of the remarkable power and undying popularity of this favourite book that so few have attempted to imitate it. With one exception, we know of no similar work for the young which has successfully competed with it. Mrs. Traill, however, in the volume before us, out of few and simple incidents, has wrought a narrative of youthful adventure which will enthral the attention of every boy and girl who once dips into its attractive pages.-The Canadian Crusoes' consist of a brother and sister and a French Canadian cousin-children of two farmers living in the neighbourhood of the Rice Lake-who miss their way in the forests bordering on the lake, and for three years are thus lost to their parents. Their solitary life in the backwoods during this long period; the expedients to which necessity compels them to resort to maintain a cheerful existence; their adventures with Indian visitors, and accidental discovery and restoration to their homes; are the burden of the tale. We need not say more to whet the curiosity of our young readers.—Mrs. Traill is already well known in this country as the writer of an anonymous work on the 'Back-woods of Canada,' which went through several editions some years since. A younger sister, Mrs. Moodie, better known as Susanna Strickland, has lately published, under the title of 'Roughing it in the Bush,'

a deeply-interesting account of her early struggles in Canada, in which reference is made to Mrs. Traill. The eldest sister of the family, Miss Agnes Strickland, is well-known to all readers of English literature. Under her auspices the present volume appears. We may confidently state that it will not detract from the literary reputation which the family name has acquired.

Reality; or, Life's Inner Circle. By Mrs. Savile Shepherd (formerly Anne Houlditch). London: J. F. Shaw. Pp. 282.

THIS is another book for the young, and is designed to expose the danger and inconsistency of Christians, or, rather, weak-minded Christians, mingling in intimate social intercourse with comparatively irreligious persons, yet persons making a Christian profession. The distinction between real Christianity and its mere profession is well drawn, but on the whole we cannot assent to the moral intended to be conveyed by the writer. If personal Christianity be so weak as to lead its possessor into an inconsistent course on every occasion when worldly society is encountered, it is his obvious duty to avoid the temptation; but much better a stronger faith, with power, while mixing with society, to influence others for their good. The writer's principles, if strictly carried out, would teach us to ignore the world outside of the church altogether-a course of conduct which we do not read or believe to be a duty anywhere.

The Bible and the Working Classes; being a Series of Lectures delivered to the Working Classes of Bradford, in 1851. By Alex. Wallace. Edinburgh: W. Oliphant and Sons. Pp. 298.

WE referred in our last number (ante, p. 512), to the existence at Bradford of a Town Mission, which for some time past had been successfully conducting a series of special religious services for the working classes. The services were commenced by the delivery of the course of lectures on the Bible, printed in the present volume. Their success was immediately established. Hundreds who could not be got to enter church or chapel door, crowded the theatre of the Mechanics' Institution; and many, who before were sceptics, 'free-thinkers,' or infidels, went away with doubt and unbelief removed. This is the best testimony to the value of these Lectures, and to their suitability for general circulation amongst the working classes. We may add our own that they are an able and faithful defence and exposition of the Bible, characterised by great candour and much kindliness of feeling toward the class addressed by the lecturer.

By the Rev. John Pp. 220.

The Fraternal Memorial; a Memoir of the Rev. Wm. Fernie. Fernie. London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co. MR. W. FERNIE, the subject of this memoir, was pastor of a Congregational church at Frome. He appears to have been, as a man and minister, devoted and faithful in the discharge of his various duties, and much esteemed by his friends. To the latter and the members of his congregation at Frome, this volume will be an acceptable 'memorial.' To the public, such works as this possess but little interest, and for ourselves we must express our doubts of the wisdom of publishing extended lives of comparatively private individuals.

The Lost Sheep; or, Bible Scenes in Verse; with other Poems. By James Whitton. London: J. Blackwood. Pp. 100.

Bible Gleanings. By Matilda Bassett. London: Partridge and Oakey. Pp. 114. WE should not notice either of these works, notwithstanding that they come to us arrayed in blue and gold, but for the sake of uttering our protest against the publication of such collections of mere mechanical versifications of scripture sentiment. The only purpose they serve is to depreciate the average character of our literature. This is a sin.

The Poetry of Childhood; a Poem. By Goodwyn Barmby. London: W. Tweedie. Pp. 30.

'GOODWYN BARMBY' is a name little known to the world; yet its bearer has written some of the sweetest of modern fugitive poetry. We believe, however, that hitherto Mr. Barmby has published but little. During the late Anti-papal agitation, his still small voice' was heard from his quiet retreat to sound a note of warning against the hollow and intolerant cry then raised. This little volume, however, is written in a milder mood. Its object is to awaken and deepen a loving sympathy with children; for, as our author quaintly says,

'All have been children.'

But it is a book only for children lovers. To others its language would be a mystery; their hearts could not answer it. To all children-lovers we commend it.

Kitto's Journal of Sacred Literature, Nos. III, and IV., are before us. No. III. commences with a valuable article on 'Romanism as it is,' based on authorized and current Roman Catholic works. The writer shows from these that as Romanism was in the days of Leo, so is it in the days of Pius. Gregory of Nazianzum' is an interesting and able historical sketch, from the pen, we judge, of Dr. Tregelles. The writer of the article on the Nature of a Miracle,' occupies and defends ground similar to that advanced in our last number. The 'Epistle to Diognetus' is a translation of a curious historical document, first done into English by Mr. Cooper, in his 'Free Church of Ancient Christendom.' -The Religion of Geology,' the first article in the fourth number of the new series, is founded on Dr. Hitchcock's recent work, which has already been noticed in these pages. The writer ably handles the application of geology to natural theology, but justly quarrels with the importance assigned in this question to the refutation of the development hypothesis. The Nature of our Lord's Resurrection Body' would have been read with greater interest six years ago, when Dr. Bush's work, to which it principally applies, was first published. Of the remaining articles, that on the Pulpit of the Church of England' is the most attractive. The writer ably analyzes the cause of the defects in the pulpit ministry of the Establishment, but amongst these two are not set down, to which we should have assigned a first importance-Mammon and Authority.

1. True Christianity Pure Socialism.

2. The Straits of Pure Socialism.

3. The Anti-Socialist Warned of God. By Samuel Martin. London: Ward and Co.

THESE are reprints of lectures delivered by the writer to his congregation at Westminster. They very ably and forcibly exhibit and enforce the social influences and duties of Christianity. We heartily commend them to all who would see the selfish Trade Spirit' of modern times exorcised from our churches.

To Think or Not to Think? By W. White (London: R. Theobald), Is the title of a pamphlet by the father of one of the expelled students of New College. Certainly the father ably handles the cudgels in defence of his son's right, To Think." It is bold, acute, pungent, and sarcastic, and contains food for much thought and hard digestion. But the pamphlet is characterised too greatly by dogmatic assertion, and is by no means free from offensive personalities.

The Principles and Duties of Congregationalists (London: Jackson and Walford), Is a reprint, in a tract form, of Dr. Harris's address at the last annual meeting of the Congregational Union.

Monthly Retrospect.

WE write and probably many of our friends will peruse-these pages, at a distance from that busy centre of observation and activity in which is our accustomed place. We have fled for a brief space from the heat, and din, and unceasing toil, of the great metropolis, to regale ourselves with the tempered brightness, the cooling breezes, and the luxurious leisure of a rural spot. Lifting our eyes from this paper, they are not confronted by the repellant aspect of 'over the way,' but drink in at a glance the beauteous outline of distant hills, arching with a sky of fleece and azure- -the intervening plains glowing with the golden hue of ripened corn, the slopes already changing to the deep brown of the fresh-turned earth. Hither, too, comes the news of the world not till the cool of evening; and with but a moderated power to stir the passions. Newspapers and pamphlets seem to cool in their transit thus far. Flaming leaders and startling paragraphs lose here their wonted potency. We see all things in the softened light that falls through interweaving foliage. We cannot be angry, and scarcely cager, in the presence of nature's quietude. We read without indignation, that Lord Derby is shuffling out of his promise to convoke Parliament in the autumn; and could scarcely be excited by the intelligence that Lord John Russell had been called, as once before, from the Highlands to Osborne House.

There is one item of intelligence, however, that strikes us into gravity. The rains, that have here, at worst, frustrated a picnic or put off a harvesthome-have in some parts, we read, seriously impaired the general harvesting, and rendered the average of the crops both deficient and inferior. We hope it will turn out that the ingathering of these precious fruits of the earth has been only delayed, or that the damage is but trifling; for even now that there are no impediments to the equalization, by commerce, of inequalities in production, a rise in the price of corn would seriously retard our social advance, and even complicate political derangements. Not only would the Protectionist section of the Ministerial party become unmanageable, but the contemplated conversion of three into two-and-ahalf per cent. annuities-Mr. Disraeli's intended chef-d'œuvre, it is believed -would be rendered impracticable. We cannot, therefore, but join in the prayerful ejaculation of a farmer, 'God Almighty send no more rain till the corn all's in.'

Our agriculturists have suffered also, this season, temporary inconvenience from a circumstance redolent of national promise-namely, a scarcity of labour. We observe in the railway trains, bodies of reapers hastening from place to place their labour this year being so valuable as to make 'tramping' uneconomical. We even hear, from the South of England, of a farmer's obtaining leave for the soldiers of a neighbouring barracks to

assist him in getting in his crops. Emigration has so drained the sister isle, that comparatively few Irish have this year come over on their accus

tomed expedition; and the same cause has even begun to affect our own village population. Four thousand a week are reported to be leaving our shores for Australia alone; and the whole number of departures is set down at one thousand per day. Commercial clerks, skilled artizans, and female servants, are the classes in which already a scarce supply of labour is said to be perceptible. It is impossible that the current can long continue to flow at its present rate, without some marked results ensuing. Reaping machines, and other improvements in agricultural implements, will obviously remedy straitness of manual power in that department of industry. In others, social rather than mechanical alterations will be requisite ; and we trust with the necessity, there will be evinced a moral adaptativeness.

Another ugly rumour has penetrated to the quietest spots of England, and has produced considerable uneasiness-namely, that the Governments of Great Britain and the United States had come to a serious difference on what is known as the fisheries question. At the separation of the States from the mother-country, a treaty was entered into as to the right of Americans to fish in the waters of the islands that remained in our possession. As re-settled in 1818, the agreement was that the fishermen of the United States should not approach within three marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbours, of the British dominions in America.' The sharp-witted Yankees, however, soon put upon these restrictions an interpretation which permitted their fishermen to penetrate the bays, creeks, or harbours,' to within three miles of the beechinstead of keeping that distance from the headland. The colonial legislature-unwisely jealous of competition with American fishermen, notwithstanding their own natural advantages-kept appealing to the Imperial Government for power to resist these encroachments. As free-trade notions became more and more influential with our cabinets, these appeals were less and less regarded; and in 1845, Lord Aberdeen conceded to the Americans the right to fish in one of the bays-the Bay of Fundy. Our new Colonial Secretary, influenced by opposite views, and strangely indifferent to the courtesies common among governments, ordered, in May last, a force of thirteen armed vessels into the Gulf of St. Lawrence to enforce the original convention. As if to put this country completely in the wrong, the first operations of this fleet were made in the very bay we have named. Intelligence of these proceedings naturally produced a great excitement in the United States. Mr. Webster, the Foreign Secretary, and one of the Whig candidates at the approaching Presidential election, turned it to party account, with more of cleverness than candour or care for peace. Senators and Representatives of all parties inflamed the legislature and country, by speeches based on partial information. Our own Government seems to have recoiled at once from the prospect of actual rupture-so decided on that point was the language of our press, and so marked its reprehension of their blundering administration. It is now announced, that an accommodation' has been made in London between the representatives of the two powers; but we must wait for the American mail to learn what has been done in our own capital-and the latest transatlantic intelligence represents an increase of the irritation there, in consequence of our force having fired upon an