est amount of happiness. The will of God alone, manifested in the human constitution and in the Scriptures, is sufficient to create the obligation to obedience in all intelligent creatures. We are so constituted as to be under obligations to our fellow-men and to our Creator. Conscience is defined to be " that faculty, by which we discern the moral quality of actions, and by which we are capable of certain affections in respect to this quality." "The perfection of a moral organization of any being consists in the perfect adjustment of its moral faculty to its moral relations, throughout the whole course of its history." The imperfection of conscience is shown in various respects, and the necessity of some clearer revelation from God pointed out. If our limits would permit, we should gladly give extracts in regard to various points in practical ethics, which, as it seems to us, the author has handled with clearness and effect. But we must, for the present, forbear.

ARTICLE X.

LITERARY AND MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES.

UNITED STATES.

THE third volume of Dr. Bowditch's translation of the Mécanique Céleste has been published. The first volume was issued in 1829, and contains 746 pages quarto; the second in 1831, 990 pages; the third consists of 1000 pages. The translation will consist of two volumes more, one of which is in the press. The object of Laplace was to reduce all the known phenomena of the system of the world to the law of gravitation by strict mathematical principles; and to complete the investigation of the motions of the planets, satellites and comets begun by Newton in his Principia. The whole of the results of gravitation upon the equilibrium and motions of the fluid and solid bodies which compose the solar system constitute the science of Celestial Mechanics. The first part, embraced in the first two volumes of the translation, contains the methods and formulas for the development of the motion of the centre of gravity, the oscillation of fluids, and the motion about the centre of gravity. The second part applies the formulas of the first part to the planets, satellites and comets of the system. In conclusion several impor

tant astronomical questions are discussed, and a view is given of the progress of the science. As the method of Laplace was condensed and abridged, it has been Dr. Bowditch's object to insert ⚫ the intermediate steps. Considerable additions have also been made for the purpose of introducing late improvements in the calcu lation of the attractions of spheroids, by Poisson, Ivory and others.

We learn that an ecclesiastical history of New England has been prepared by a venerable writer, who already enjoys an enviable reputation for his familiar and accurate knowledge of our history. He has had the best means for acquiring information which our country affords. We think that his history, which we trust will soon see the light, will entirely remove the doubts which have been at various times thrown over the motives of the early settlers of New England.

During the last few months, several courses of lectures have been delivered in the large towns of the Northern States on Geology, by gentlemen eminently skilled in natural science. We regard the proceeding as worthy of all encouragement. It prevents the intrusion of ill-qualified lecturers. It furnishes interesting topics of conversation and of reflection to a large number of persons, and awa kens an interest in our colleges and higher seminaries, and serves to connect them with the community generally. In this connection we may state that the study of Natural History is making gratifying progress throughout the country. Mr. C. U. Shepard of Yale College, has just published a new work on Mineralogy in two volumes. We notice with pleasure that he has made familiar use of the recent German investigations on the subject. In more than a third of the United States, geological surveys have been made, or are now in progress, by order of the respective legislatures. The same object has been undertaken in the Territories by the General Government. We trust that when completed, some person will be prepared to give a synopsis and digest of the results.

We have received from Kenyon College, Ohio, a pamphlet with the following title, "The Greek verb taught in a simple and fundamental manner, according to the Greek Tables of Friederick Thiersch, professor in the lyceum and president of the philological seminary at Munich, with alterations, additions and selections from Buttmann's Larger Grammar, and adapted to the principal Greek Grammars in use, by William Nast D. Ph., teacher of Ancient Languages." The Greek Tables" of Thiersch, on account of their great practical utility, have been generally admitted into the German Gymnasia. "His system differs from that of Buttmann chiefly in this, that it pursues the analysis a step or two further, by

deriving all tenses alike from the root and rejecting entirely the old deduction-theory which has been abandoned, in part only, by others." These Tables were translated a few years since by Prof. Patton of Princeton, but as it is now difficult to obtain copies of that translation, and as it was thought that the original work might receive some material addition, Mr. Nast has brought out the Tables in a new form. Chapter 1. contains the preparatory observations on Letters, Syllables, and Roots. A somewhat new arrangement of the vowels and consonants has been introduced, and the remarks of Thiersch on the anomalous change of the roots have been greatly extended. Chap. 2, consists of selections from Buttmann's Larger Grammar on the signification and anomalies of the different forms of the Greek verbs. Chap. 3, is devoted to the formation of the tenses, in which some deviations are made from the arrangement of Thiersch, by giving at once all the tense-endings in an order, which exhibits the analogy between the primary and secondary tenses, the Active and Passive form, together with the peculiar deviation in regard to the Middle Voice. Chap. 4, contains the Paradigm, with some deviations from Thiersch, and additions from Buttmann. Chap. 5 treats of Contract verbs, and Chap. 6 of the Conjugation without Mood-vowels. The Erasmian pronunciation is given with the alphabet. We are glad to receive such a specimen of taste and learning from what was a few years since the depths of the Ohio woods.

The new translation of Hug's Introduction to the New Testament by Mr. Fosdick, is to be accompanied with Notes by Prof. Stuart.

A new edition has been published at Hartford of the archbishop of Canterbury's translation of the genuine epistles of Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, the Shepherd of Hermes, the martyrdoms of Ignatius and Polycarp, with preliminary discourses, and with Cave's biographical notices.

F. P. Leverett, formerly teacher of the Latin School, Boston, ist editing a new Latin Lexicon, chiefly abridged from the Magnum Totius Latinitatis Lexicon of Facciolati and Forcellini; with many alterations and improvements, drawn principally from the German works of Scheller and Lünemann. Mr. John Pickering thus speaks of this work: "From the specimens, I have no doubt that an abridgment, such as Mr. Leverett has the qualifications and means for accomplishing, will be found a useful substitute for the original work, which has long held the first rank among the Dictionaries of the Latin language. The great bulk of that work has precluded the use of it in colleges and schools; and a judicious abridgment will supply a want which has long been felt by the classical student."

A new Latin Grammar is in the course of preparation in a quarter where we have a right to expect good fruits.

Mr. Robinson's New Testament Lexicon is advancing as fast as the nature of the undertaking will allow. It will appear, we believe, in the latter part of the present year.

GREAT BRITAIN.

We have received from the publisher of the Biblical Cabinet, noticed in our last volume, p. 455, Mr. Thomas Clark of Edinburgh, a prospectus of the object and plan of the series of volumes which he is publishing. Decided testimonials to the value and importance of the undertaking are furnished by Rev. Dr. J. P. Smith, Prof. E. Henderson, Rev. Dr. S. T. Bloomfield, Thomas Hartwell Horne, and Prof. Tholuck. The latter says, "The attempt to transplant a portion of the theological literature of Germany into the soil of England, is doubtless cheering, provided that such works shall be selected for translation as are really calculated to promote, in the lands where the language of that country is spoken, the growth of pure evangelical theology. How glorious it would be, if the Protestant churches of all nations, were thus, like sisters, to join hand in hand, in order, with one accord, to advance the great work of building up the kingdom of God. It cannot be denied that while the revival of the true faith among us, has, as yet, in the domain of practical life, operated incomparably less beneficially than in England and Scotland, the fruits which it has produced in the field of science have been so much the more abundant. The day has been when Germans were wont to look for instruction from the great men of the English church, such as Pococke, Lightfoot, Usher, and Selden; and I know not to what cause it is to be ascribed, that, at present, in the department of theological literature, in England and Scotland, few works appear worthy of general attention." The following remark of Dr. Smith is very weighty, and may reprove a feeling which some persons among us manifest, who would exclude wholly all German works. "It is true, that some of the writers, whose works are translated in the Biblical Cabinet, and others from whom citations are made, bring forth surmises, and make assertions, defective, rash, irreverent, and in their latent principles even infidel; but such opinions, or germs of opinion, cannot be extirpated by maintaining a proud and foolish ignorance of them, and attempts to suppress would but nerve their influence. The only Christian mode of dealing with them is to yield them an impartial hearing, and to search them through in the spirit of truth and seriousness." The 8th vol. of the Cabinet Library contains

Pareau's Principles of Interpretation, translated from the Latin, and the first volume of Seiler's Principles of Hermeneutics.

The principal Chinese libraries in England are the following: 1. The late Dr. Morrison's, now deposited at the Mission-house, Austin Friars, London. 2. The one at the British Museum, 600 vols 3. That of the East India Company. 4. The one belonging to the London University, presented by Dr. Gregory and Mr. Bentley. 5. That of the Royal Asiatic Society, amounting to 2610 volumes, presented by Sir G. Staunton. There are in a library at Paris, 4000 Chinese volumes.

The following pensions have been lately given by the British government. Prof. Airy, Mrs. Somerville, and Sharon Turner, each £200 per annum; James Montgomery, £150; and Milman, a church preferment worth £1200 or £1400. To Mrs. Hemans, Sir Robert Peel gave a donation of £100, also providing an office for one of her sons.

The deepest mine in Great Britain is the one which is now sinking at a colliery near Sunderland. It is already 1600 feet below the surface, and 1500 below high water mark. The deepest mine in Cornwall is but 1470 feet. From experiments made by scientific gentlemen, it would seem that the opinion is corroborated that the temperature of the earth increases with the depth from the surface.

The number of quills imported into London in 1834, was 18,732,000. The Messrs. Gillot of Birmingham employ constantly 300 hands in making steel pens, and consume 40 tons of steel per annum. The whole number produced in England is 220,000,000 per annum. One ton of steel will produce 1,935,360 pens.

W. M. Higgins, F. G. S. has lately brought out a work entitled, "The earth, its physical condition and most remarkable phenomena."-James Montgomery has just published a volume of poems called the "Poet's Port Folio."-G. W. Johnson has written the memoirs of Selden, and of the political struggles during the reigns of the first two Stuarts.

The Oriental Translation Fund Committee are proceeding in their labors with great spirit. Foreign scholars are entering into the design with becoming zeal. The translation of a part of Makrizi's History of Egypt, commencing with the fall of the descendants of Saladin, has been undertaken by M. Quatremere. The Khatai Nameh, translated from the Turkish, by Prof. Fleischer, is a curious description of the empire of China. A desideratum, which has long been felt by oriental scholars, it is hoped, will be VOL. VI. No. 19.

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