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A BATCH OF BOOKS . The-Skbbath . By SirWilliam Domville , Bart . Chapman and Hall . Jfbtes on Duels and Duelling . By Lorenzo Sabine . Sampson , Low , and Sen . Imperial Paris . By W . Blanchard Jerrold . Bradbury and Evans . Notes on Some Pictures in the Royal Academy Exhibition . By the Author of " Modern Painters . " Smith and Elder . Synopsis of the Painters of the Dutch and Flemish Schools . By George Stanley . Bohr * Art Hints . By James Jackson Jarves . Sampson , Lowe , and Son . Moore ' s Poetical Works . Ruby Edition . Longman and Co . Printing . By Adam Stark . Loagman and Co . The Occult Sciences . ( Encyclopaedia Metropolitana . ) Griffin and Co . Handbook of Domestic Medicine . Bonn .
Sir William Domvixi-e may claim the credit of meeting the Sabbatarians boldly on their own ground , and vanquishing them triumphantly -with their own weapons . His very learned and elaborate work on the Sabbath occupies two volumes . The first is devoted to an examination of the six texts Commonly adduced from the New Testament in proof of a Christian Sabbath ; and includes , towards the end of the book , some consideration of the non-scriptural evidence to which our-religious despots are in the habit of appealing , with a chapter besides on the Origin of Sunday Observance . Xhe second volume is devoted to an inquiry into the supposed obligation of the Sabbaths of the Old Testament . The main positions which Sir William Ifcjmville takes up — and which he defends with singular courage , earnestness , and ability—may be most fitly described in his own words . He asserts , on purely Scriptural grounds it must be remembered , that the day which the FourthCommandment ordains
which we call Sunday , is not the day . toibeiept holy—not the day which God blessed and sanctified at the creation—not the day which God has at any time set apart to be kept holy—and not the day which Christ or his Apostles either commanded or recommended to he kept holy . Arriving at these conclusions , Sir William Domville argues from them that " there can be no necessity for the exclusion of recreations and amusements on the Sunday in order to render the religious services of that day profitable to piety and good morals . " If the Sabbatarians were to be reached by reasoning—perfectly reverent , as well as perfectly logical reasoning—this book ought , to say the least of it , to shake them a little in their convictions . But we are ourselves , after rendering the best service in our power to the good cause , persuaded that it is throwing away time to reason with them , at all . The writers on the tolerant side of this Question have done their part of the work in which the discussion
involved them—and now it remains for the people to do theirs . If they are willing to remain content with mere grumbling and talking , they are unworthy of emancipation from Sabbath restrictions . If they are determined to free themselves , let them bring the question to an issue before the closed gates of the Palace at Sydenham . Let all the excursionists who wish to spend their Sunday afternoon in that wonderful building , collect quietly , march together up to the gates and peaceably demand to be let in . The voices of a f ew earnest writers and speakers have failed to produce any effect on the deaf ears of the Sabbatarians—perhaps the voices of twenty or thirty thousand people' will be heard . curious book less
Notes on JJuels and Duelling is a very , being nothing than a Biographical Dictionary of Duellists . The author starts with David and Goliath , and ends with tie duel between the unfortunate Cournet and the murderer Barthelemy . All duellists of all times and all nations have their names , quarrels , and manner of fighting , recited at greater or less length , in this extraordinary record . The arrangement , , we should add , is alphabetical , so that the reader can turn to any particular duel , and get his information about it , at a moment ' s notice . The volume also contains an Appendix , and some preliminary moral observations on the folly and criminality of duelling ; but its " speciality " ( as the French would say ) consists in the biographical portion . The work should have been called " The Duelling Dictionary . "
Mr . Blanchard Jerrold ' s little volume on Paris does credit , both in spirit and execution , to the name he bears . Part of it originally appeared in the columns of Household Words ; part is now published for the first time . The book is full of curious and most interesting information on the subject of social lifeain Paris . French -waiters , French dinners , French rag-pickers , French omnibuses , and French funerals , are among the subjects which supply Mr . Blanchard Jerrold with materials for chapters convening , in a lively and graphic style , information which all visitors to Paris are interested in acquiring . Excursionists to the Grande Exposition will find this little book as useful and pleasant a travelling companion as they can possibly take with them on their journey .
Mr . Ruskin s pamphlet on the present Royal Academy Exhibition is by this time in everybody's hands . We have merely to thank the author for giving us , upon the whole , a fearless and admirable example of what Artcriticism ought to be , and for promising more observations on future exhibitions . The only serious defect of the pamphlet is that it most unaccountably omits all mention of one of the mo . it-perfect works on the Academy walls—Mr . Leslie ' s " Scene from Don Quixote . " Is it possible that Mr . Ruskin cannot relish the exquisitely delicate and genial humour of this picture ? Wo could hardly believe our eyes when wo looked through the Notes , and saw no mention of Mr . Leslie ^ name . Mr . Stanley ' s Painters of the JJutch and Flemish Schools will he found a useful book for purposes of reference , and an intelligent guide to picturegalleries possessing specimens of the . Old Masters of Holland . The volume contains brief particulars of the lives of the painters , remarks on their most striking peculiarities of style , uiid , in the cases of the principal men , lists of the galleries in which their pictures are placed . We may udd , as a recommendation to our readers , that tho book is portable and clearly printed .
The author of Art Hints , Mr . Jaincs Juckson Jarves , is nn American . The purpose of his work is to " embrace both the abstract principles and rules of Art , and an outline of its historic progress and social relations . " He desires to " treat of Art as a whole , embracing lfca general relations to man , not minutely , but in a suggestive form , and more na an aid to , than as fore stalling , inquiry . " And further , ho earnestly begs his renders " to candidly
t- > st and patiently prove the principles upon which his conclusions are founded ;" . at the same time , however , very frankly assuring them that he pre ! eids to " no originality , or the elucidation of any new truth . " Uiuler these latter circumstances , we trust that Mr , James Jackson Jarves will excuse us if we thank him for sending us his book , and respectfully decline the business of reading it , as he directs that it should be read . It is our duty and pleasure to " candidly test and patiently probe the principles" of men who have something new to tell us . But when a man , on his own showing , has nothing to tell that has not been told before by others , although
we are quite willing to believe that he may be a cultivated scholar and an elegant writer , ire iire not at all willing to lose our time in " testing" himand we feel that the further operation of " probing" is quite out of the question . Accordingly , we . give Mr . Jarves a place on our book-list , and leave him there untested and unprobed . If our readers like to " sit under " him , we are delighted to have shown them where the giver of Art Hints is to be found . For ourselves , we slip away from the sermon profoundly grateful to the preacher for informing us that we have heard it all , iu one form or another , before . '
We have to acknowledge from Messrs . Longman the new , or " Ruby Edition" Moore ' s Poetical Works . The book is a marvel of the compactness which maybe obtained by excellent printing ; but at the same time , the type is necessarily so small that the edition may be described without any injustice as addressing itself almost exclusively to the young eyes of the present generation . Elderly people would be terrified at the sight of its elegantly but minutely-printed columns . However , this is probably an objection of no great consequence ; we are strongly inclined to suspect that elderly people in general arc not to be ranked now-a-days among the readers of Thomas Moore .
Mr . Stark ' s treatise on the antecedents , oi-igin , history , and results of Printing , is a substantial contribution to the Travellers' Library , The author ' s manner is unpleasantly florid and pompous ; but his matter is excellent . He is thoroughly well acquainted with the most important facts that are connected with his deeply and universally-interesting subject ; and he is commendably careful and intelligent in the arrangement of his information . This book has one great recommendation , in addition to the merits alr e ady mentioned—it is not too long . The Oceidt Sciences forms one of the Volumes of the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana series . And here again , the subject , considering its viist extent , has been treated with admirable terseness . The volume , after sketching the Traditions and Superstitions of nil past times , descends to the Marvels of the present day , and is thus well fitted to appeal successfully to readers of almost all classes .
The Handbook of Domestic JMcdicine , recommends itself at once by its title alone . We are not competent to pronounce upon it , medically ; but , viewing it as general readers , we have found it complete in arrangement , intelligible , and free from all pedantry in style . The Siberian severity of the summer has ; ilso enabled us to test practically one section at least—the section of " Domestic Gargles" ! We have reviewed two of the prescriptions , in this part of the took , in our own critical , throat , and have found them excellent as remedies . The work forms part of liohn ' s Scientific Library . Consequently , besides its usefulness , it has the additional recommendation of being cheap .
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We should do our -utmost to encourage tho Beautiful , for the Useful encourages itsoll . —Goethe .
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FRENCH CRITICISM OF ENGLISH PICTURES . [ The following paper , and the sequel which we shall publish in a future number , ought to interest the reader beyond the simple fact of its being a French criticism on English painters . It is -written by M . Edmond About , the author ot that exquisite story of Tolla , which lias lately attracted so much attention in the lievue des deux- Mondcs . M . About is about to publish a small volume of comparative criticism on the Fine Arts Galleries at the Exposition . Sonic chapters are devoted , of course , to the English pictures in the Exposition ; and it iti these chapters which we translate and reproduce Iicre .
It is English art from a French point of view ; by a man , however , who although , as the reader will perceive , strongly national in his feelings , is above national jealousies or narrowness of sympathy . The reader will remember , with reference to one or two of the pictures named below , Unit they are not recent productions of the artist in question . Martin has not only ceased to be among us to paint , but " Jielshazzar ' s Feast , " is one of the works that ostftblished his repute ; and many of our renders will remember seeing it somo thirtyfive years ago . Mulready may bo eighty years of age , though he does not look so j but " The Wolf and the Lamb" was painted almost , if not quite as long ago
as < ' Belsha / zar'H 1 'oast . " ] Tun English have long ago proved that they possess the genius of ( 'onnncrctf . They have not waited for the Exhibition of IKO / i to tell tho world Uiul uh-j were born for the toil and discoveries of industry . What in tar Wm ki «« v is that this nation of manufacturers and shopkeepers is passionately i <) IHl There are certain studios in Paris in which the belief still reigns that , art has no more deadly enemies than industry and commerce . Every kcu | ^ who folds his arum whilst waiting for an order ; every painter wl . . * . mean advantage of the display in his colounnnn ' n shop to * , (] 10 Ut year two or three unsaleable pictures ; all those who run after iaino wi < attaining it because she has wings and they have not even log * , un » i » " « ^ declare it to bo the fault of commerce , tho fault of industry . Jnsi' - . attributing their want of success to their want of talent , thoy prclyrn m' ° tho shops in their street , tho nearest manufactory , tho railway wlncn
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qqq THE LEADER . |_ Saturday ,
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Ignrtfnlin .
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Leader (1850-1860), June 23, 1855, page 606, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2096/page/18/
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