4. The Most Important Parts of Blackstone's Commentaries reduced to Questions and Answers. By ASA KINNE. New York: W. E, Deane. 1838. 8vo. pp. 190. THE Compiler of this book has transcribed, nearly or quite verbatim, Mr. Field's " Analysis of Blackstone's Commentaries, in a Series of Questions," published in 1811; to which he has annexed brief answers, from the text itself. The merit of Mr. Field's plan consisted in this, that, in order to answer the questions, the pupil must study, and even master, the entire Commentaries; while his attention was at the same time drawn to the principal subjects. But Mr. Kinne, having set down an answer to each question, either takes away a chief motive to study and reflection, or leads the student to a view of the subject so very rapid and superficial, as to leave but few and faint traces in the mind. The former method calls into action and improves the whole intellect; the latter exercises the memory alone. The one would qualify the student to compose a legal catechism; the other will only enable him to say he has learned one. The difference between them is like that between two students of mathematics, the one of whom has solved each problem for himself, while the other has only transcribed and committed to memory the results of his fellow. He does but wade; his fellow can swim. Of the present compiler's honesty in offering this book to the public as his own original conception; in withholding all allusion to Mr. Field, into whose labors he has so unceremoniously entered; and in using parts of that gentleman's preface without acknowledgment, we at present say nothing. Our main purpose in noticing this production is to record our solemn and earnest protest against the facility with which gentlemen, in the higher ranks of science, are accustomed to give their signatures in commendation of works they have but slightly turned over, or never read at all, and of whose authors they know nothing. Mr. Field's "Analysis" was printed in this country in 1822, and has since been appended to the several American editions of Chitty's Blackstone, now on almost every lawyer's shelves; and yet here is a piratical transcript of that work, rendered of very questionable value by the compiler's additions, ushered forth to the public, like the latest patent medicine, with a string of certificates from some half a dozen eminent judges and lawyers, no one of whom, it is but charity to suppose, ever examined it with any care, yet all of whom commend it as an original work, of great merit, and highly deserving the patronage of the profession. Would they have given any man a letter of credit to their grocer, upon so little inquiry into his character ? 5. In The Tusculan Questions of Marcus Tullius Cicero. "OPINIONUM enim commenta delet Dies, naturæ judicia confirmat." These words of Cicero the translator of the Tusculan Questions has very properly adopted as a part of the motto to his volume; as the inroads which time has made on some points of speculative philosophy, and the confirmation it has afforded to others, are nowhere more strikingly visible, than in this work. The great Roman orator, philosopher, and moralist, as is well known, was deeply versed in the writings of the Greeks; but he brought to the investigation of truth a mind, in a good degree independent of authority; nor was he afraid to declare openly his own opinions. Moral qualities the most attractive and impressive are exhibited in his philosophical writings; and his sentiments are clothed in a style so polished and ornamented, and yet so precise and well adapted to the subject in discussion, that a charm is diffused over the whole, which takes an irresistible hold on the reader. To the full understanding, however, of a work so ancient, something more is now wanting than the bare text. This translation, therefore, we think, should have been accompanied with a clear statement of the object of each of the dialogues, and of the nature of the argument. Something likewise is needed, if all the interest is to be given to the work of which it is susceptible, to apprize the reader of what later investigations have shown to be erroneous, or have confirmed, in the reasonings of Cicero. Illustrations of this kind need not have occupied much space, and would have made this translation far more intelligible and attractive; and the entire want of them is the first objection we have to this performance. Another objection is, that this translation, considered as an exhibition of the thoughts of Cicero, is not unfrequently erroneous, often obscure, where there is no direct violation of the author's meaning, and sometimes so harshly and even awkwardly expressed, as to form a most striking contrast to the easy, graceful, and harmonious flow of the original. To show very obvious and undeniable mistakes in expressing in English Cicero's meaning, we might turn to almost any page of the volume. The first sentence of the first book shall furnish an example. Here the words "remissa temporibus" are translated" dropped at times." The only question, which can arise about the meaning of these words, is, whether " "temporibus" is in the dative case, or in the ablative, signifying the cause. According to the former construction, Cicero must be understood to say, that his philosophical studies had been yielded," or "given up to untoward events"; and, according to the latter, that this relaxation had occurred "by," or "in consequence of" such events, where the difference is in the expression, and not in the general idea. That "temporibus" is an ablative of time in the grammatical sense, is what no commentator on this work ever thought of, and is a translation wholly inadmissible. Cicero does not affirm, that his speculations in philosophy had been "dropped at times," but that they had received a check in the disastrous period immediately preceding, though kept constantly in view, and that now, after a long interval, they were resumed. au We will now pass to the second section of the same book in the original, where we find this sentence; "Objecit [Cato] ut probrum M. Nobiliori, quod is in provinciam poëtas duxisset ; duxerat autem consul ille in Ætoliam, ut scimus, Ennium; which Mr. Otis has thus done into English. "He [Cato] objects it as a reproach to Marcus Nobilior, that he permitted poets to attend him into his province. That consul took with him, however, into Etolia, as we know, Ennius." Not to dwell upon other points of this translation, the sense of " tem," in the latter clause, is wholly mistaken. Where some new fact is introduced, and a slight opposition, perhaps, is implied, the conjunction "autem" has nearly the force of "enim "; as d in the Greek, in similar circumstances, corresponds to yao. The tense of "duxerat " is varied in the translation to the entire derangement of the meaning of the author. The following would better express the meaning of the original. "For that consul, as we know, had taken Ennius with him into Ætolia." The most obvious import of the translation of Mr. Otis is, that the consul, M. Nobilior, took Ennius with him, notwithstanding the reproaches of Cato; but this is not what Cicero says. On the next page of the translation, we find this passage. "Geometry was held by them [the Greeks] in the highest honor; and, therefore, nothing more illustrious, than their mathematicians. But we have advanced the limits of this art no further than its uses in surveying and reasoning." Cicero here plainly implies, that the Romans made a less extensive application of geometry, than the Greeks; and yet, if the rea former made one of the limits of this science, its use in " soning," its boundaries were not very contracted. Besides, as reasoning" is used in this place in its more general sense, what is to prevent the mere English reader from understanding "surveying " in a sense equally unlimited? And if the Romans employed geometry in a manner coëxtensive with surveying and reasoning," taken in their abstract acceptation, the question arises, What more enlarged use was made of this science by the Greeks? But the words "metiendi rationandique," ought to have been rendered "measuring land and casting accounts"; which would have precluded all difficulty. This passage is quoted by Latin lexicographers as proof, that the verb ratiocinor sometimes means "to compute.' We might proceed in this way through the five dialogues. 66 As an example of imperfect rendering and oddly constructed English, we quote the following; "How can he want anything, who himself is not? for the very name of wanting is sad, because it has this import he had, he has not; he desires, he requires, he needs. These, I think, are the discomforts of the wanter. He wants eyes. Blindness is odious; children, bereavement." Whoever wishes to understand this, should turn to the thirty-sixth section of the first book of the original, where the meaning is plain. There are two classes of readers, forming together a comprehensive body, who cannot fail to be dissatisfied with this translation of the Tusculan Questions; those who are familiar with the Latin original, and those who are not. The former will soon lay down a book, in which they find a favorite work so greatly misrepresented; and the latter will hardly take it up a second time, when most of the volume, in language so indistinct, and the whole entirely destitute of the necessary illustrations, must appear to them obscure and pointless. 6. The Token and Atlantic Souvenir; a Christmas and New THE Token comes out this year in handsomer style than usual. The engravings are generally excellent, the paper is clear and strong; and the literary merits of the book are greater than those of some of its predecessors. Among the prose sketches, is a very interesting piece, called "Ancient Reminiscences," by the Author of the "Three Experiments." It is a brief biography of Francis Shirley Bollen, granddaughter of Governor Shirley, who passed the early part of her life in Cambridge, in the family of Judge Trowbridge. The subsequent years of this young lady's life were spent in England, and were marked by romantic and melancholy incidents, enough to form the substance of a very respectable novel. The piece concludes with a very lively and well-written letter, dated 1762, which we would have quoted but for the cause which so often embarrasses us at this stage of a Number. Most of the poetry in the volume is not remarkably good. The "Sibyl," by Miss Browne, is one of the best pieces; those by Mr. Mellen, with the exception of two or three brilliant thoughts, disguised under the most affected phraseology, are the worst. Miss Gould and the Author of "Miriam " appear with their accustomed excellence. 7. - Beauties of Everett. Boston: James Burns. 16mo. pp. 180. THIS little volume is very well as far as it goes, but a much better edition of the Beauties of Everett was published some years ago, by the American Stationers' Company, in octavo. What we mean is, that beauty is such a pervading element in the works of Edward Everett, that it is impossible to make a selection. The moment we open a volume of his, no matter where, we seem to breathe an atmosphere of beauty; the beauty of profound thought, expressed in the purest and sweetest eloquence of the English language; illustrated by graceful and poetical imagery, drawn from a wide range of knowledge; that calm and finished beauty, which would have enchanted the most refined assembly of Athens. We do not believe the Orations of Mr. Everett can be matched from the whole literature of modern times, in this respect; and therefore, we say, that no selection can be made. Still, the extracts which the editor of this little volume has given us, will, perhaps, be read by many who have never seen the collected writings, or heard the spoken eloquence, of Mr. Everett. The short biography of the distinguished author cannot fail of being read with lively interest. While we are upon the Beauties of Everett, we venture to add another gem to the string of brilliants. It is from his admirable speech at the late Second Centennial Celebration at Barnstable. "Do you think, Sir, as we repose beneath this splendid pavilion, adorned by the hand of taste, blooming with festive garlands, wreathed with the stars and stripes of this great republic, resounding with strains |