anecdote and history, gossip and biography, criticism and scandal, a miscellaneous collection of all racy, extravagant, humorous, and wise ingredients of books and brains, will be found within these covers. The Noctes Ambrosianæ of Wilson and his compeers would have held their claims for a repeated perusal by those who enjoyed the monthly treat during the last thirty years, and would have engaged the search of a new generation of readers. But it would have been no easy matter to have gathered together the voluminous Blackwood in which they originally appeared. The illustrative matter contained in the Editor's Introductory History of the Magazine, and in his liberal annotations, greatly enhances the value of the volumes, especially to American readers of this present age. One may attach himself to the pages for a week, or a day, or an hour, according to his enjoyment of leisure, and he will find material enough for a lengthened or a rapid repast.

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The Female Prose- Writers of America. With Portraits, Biographical Notices, and Specimens of their Writings. By JOHN S. HART, LL. D. New Edition, revised and enlarged. Philadelphia: E. H. Butler & Co. 1855 (?). 8vo. pp. 536.

THIS is one of those elegant volumes, involving much expense to publishers in their preparation and engaging all the resources of modern art, which are in themselves proof that the love of literature is steadily advancing over our wide country year by year, and has become a passion supplied at high cost. Our only objection to books of the class to which Dr. Hart's new volume belongs, concerns their title. According to the wording of the above title, one might expect to find in the volume a recognition of all, or at least of all the most distinguished female prosewriters of our country; but our readers will look in vain for the names of some half-dozen persons who are eminently entitled to be ranked among the first on such a list. Of course we do not mean to be so exclusive as to hint that either of the sixty-one writers who are here enshrined should have been omitted, though we confess to having made our first acquaintance with several of them in this volume. There are engraved portraits of Fanny Forrester, Miss Sedgwick, Mrs. Kirkland, Mrs. Hentz, Mrs. Ellet, Mrs. Stephens, Margaret Fuller, and Mrs. Neal, — all but two of whom we have seen in bodily presence, and therefore can pronounce the portraits for the most part excellent.

The editor gives a concise biographical sketch of each of the subjects of his volume, and follows it with extracts judiciously

selected from their writings. The work is characterized throughout by good taste and discretion. One who turns over the vol ume will be struck by the fact that a lively and vigorous style, and the expression of high moral and religious principles in a natural but earnest way, are the prominent distinctions of this whole class of our authors. The fact is one which may gratify and instruct us.

The Old and the New: or Discourses and Proceedings at the Dedication of the remodelled Unitarian Church in Charleston, S. C., on Sunday, April 2, 1854, preceded by the Farewell Discourse delivered in the Old Church, on Sunday, April 4, 1854. [With Engravings of the former and present Edifices.] Charleston: S. G. Courtenay. 1854. 8vo. pp. 148.

THIS interesting volume contains even more than is expressed on its title-page. The esteemed and distinguished pastor, Dr. Gilman, who has so long and so acceptably discharged his ministerial office in Charleston, S. C., in his Farewell Discourse in the old church, reviews the history of the society whose place of worship it has been for more than a century. This, of course, is the most engaging portion of the volume, as it brings before us incidents of the past which retrospect invests with instruction and solemnity, and as it gives us that record of personal experience which exhibits its own proofs of fidelity amid arduous and laborious duties. We have next, a Description of the New Church; the Order of Exercises at its Dedication; the Discourse on that occasion by Dr. Gilman, which is in the main an exposition of the principles of Liberal Christianity; the Prayer of Dedication, by Dr. Burnap, of Baltimore; the Inauguration of the New Church, by the Rev. C. M. Taggart, junior pastor; the Salutation of the Churches, by the Rev. J. Pierpont, jr., of Savannah ; a Sermon delivered previously to the Communion Service, by the Rev. J. H. Heywood, of Louisville; a Discourse on Unitarian Christianity, on the evening of the day of Dedication, by Dr. Burnap; and a Concluding Address to the Congregation by the Rev. C. J. Bowen, of New Bedford. It will be seen that the new volume serves alike as a memorial of the past, and as an instructive guide for the work of years to come. We must ex

press our grateful respect for the excellent minister who for so many years, and under circumstances of comparative isolation, has so nobly sustained his Christian character and work, — not without the hearty esteem and profound regard of multitudes who do not sympathize with his doctrinal position.

VOL. LVII. 4TH S. VOL. XXII. NO. III.

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Messrs. Crosby, Nichols, & Co. have just published a volume on the "Life and Character of the Rev. Sylvester Judd." We regret that our pages were so preoccupied as to prevent our devoting any space in our present number to such an exhibition of the interest of this volume as it really deserves. We venture to predict that it will be found a fitting companion volume for the Life of Mrs. Ware, which has been received with such a grateful appreciation by a large circle of readers. The peculiarities of Mr. Judd's genius, the degree of eccentricity in his character, the interest attaching to his religious experience, his devoted work as a Christian minister, and the fame which has already been secured to his name as an author, will attract attention to this volume, and when readers have taken it in hand they will not lay it aside till they have gone through with it. Its materials are arranged with skill and presented with good taste, and the whole spirit and contents of the volume are calculated to please and improve.

The same publishers have issued two new and beautiful juvenile works in season to meet a demand which becomes urgent as the holidays approach. They are entitled, "Children's Trials; or The Little Rope-Dancers, and other Tales; translated from the German of Auguste Linden, by Trauer Mantel"; and " Popular Tales; by Madame Guizot; translated from the French, by Mrs. L. Burke." Both books are illustrated by pretty pictures, and those in the former are rich specimens of coloring.

James Munroe & Co. have issued a new edition of "An Offering of Sympathy to the Afflicted, especially to Bereaved Parents." For the first time, we believe, the name of the compiler, the late Rev. Dr. Francis Parkman, appears on the title-page of this volume, which has secured for itself a treasured place in the hearts of many sorrow-stricken sufferers. It contains prose pieces and poems, letters and essays, brief but comprehensive, and from a very large variety of writers from more than one communion, on subjects bearing upon the one familiar theme. The present edition was prepared by the Rev. Dr. Farley, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and contains a Preface by him, together with a short memorial of Dr. Parkman, as was meet.

Messrs. Little, Brown, & Co. continue their popular series of the British Poets, by two volumes containing the Poems of Gay, and two more, one of which contains the Poems of Akenside, and one those of Parnell and Tickell. The great pains and fidelity with which this series is elited, by Professor Child of Harvard College, command and will se cure for it a very extensive circulation.

Messrs. Jenks, Hickling, & Swan have published a new edition of that delightful work, by Grace Aguilar, entitled "Home Influence: a Tale for Mothers and Daughters." The book has already attained high commendation for its pure and healthful and elevating sentiments and moral.

The same firm have reprinted, in two very neat volumes, Dickens'c

"Child's History of England," as good a work as parents can find for the profitable gratification of children.

The Messrs. Harper have published, in two volumes, a translation of Lamartine's "Memoirs of Celebrated Characters. They contain an Introductory Essay, and Memoirs of Nelson, Heloise, Columbus, Palissy, Roostam, Cicero, Socrates, Jacquard, Joan of Arc, Cromwell, Homer, Gutenberg, and Fénelon. Truly a miscellaneous and a catholic assortment of the names of the great and the renowned among the departed.

From the same firm we have "Life's Lesson: a Tale"; and "A Practical and Commercial Arithmetic," by Dr. G. B. Docharty.

William Gowans of New York has brought together in a very handsome volume some valuable matter on The Immortality of the Soul. Sandford's excellent translation of Plato's Phædo forms the basis of the volume. Fénelon's brief Life of the philosopher, a selection from the opinions of ancient, medieval, and modern philosophers and divines on Immortality, illustrative notes, historical, biographical, and mythological, and a catalogue of all the works on a Future State, make up the contents of this precious volume.

RELIGIOUS

INTELLIGENCE.

Thirteenth Autumnal Convention. The Autumnal Convention for this year was held in the city of Montreal, Canada East, where a small but vigorous Unitarian congregation has enjoyed for some years the ministratious of the Rev. John Cordner. If it seemed to any a hazardous experiment to summon an assembly of our body at a place so remote and beyond our national border, such an apprehension was not at all justified by the result. Indeed, the attendance of delegates and friends was unusually large, at least three hundred being on the ground during the two days of session. Whether this goodly number is to be regarded as an evidence of reviving denominational zeal, or should rather be referred to the novelty of a gathering in a foreign city, and to the fact that in many cases the expenses of a most delightful journey were borne by the parishes that were represented in the Convention, we leave for the future historian of the sect to determine. Those who feasted their eyes upon the autumn glories of mountain and valley, as they wound their spiral way along the hill-sides of New Hampshire and Vermont, or floated upon Lake Champlain at the break of day, will not, we think, complain much of distance or fatigue.

On Tuesday, the 10th of October, at 5 P. M., the Convention was organized in the house of worship of the Unitarian society. The Committee of Arrangements reported the following list of officers: President, Rev. S. K. Lothrop, D. D., of Boston; Vice-Presidents, Benjamin Workman, M. D., Montreal, Hon. Albert Fearing, of Boston, Rev. Joseph Allen, D. D., of Northborough; Secretaries, Rev. Ephraim C. Nute of Chicopee, Mass., and Rev. Joshua Young of Burlington, Vt. On Tuesday evening a sermon was preached to the Convention by Rev. Dr. Lothrop, from Matthew xxii. 42, "What think ye of Christ? 5

on the nature, the character, and the offices of the Saviour. The time of the meetings was divided between three topics previously selected by the Committee of Arrangements, and introduced by dissertations prepared by brethren for the purpose. Rev. John H. Morison of Milton discussed "The Limits of Christian Liberty," Rev. Mr. Cordner treated of "The Necessity of a more Complete Co-operation of the Clergy with the Laity in Church Action and General Christian Effort,' and Rev. J. H. Allen of Bangor, Me. read a paper upon "The Church as a Social Power." The first two dissertations were followed by debates in which clergymen and laymen participated. For lack of time there was no discussion upon the last topic.

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On Wednesday evening a sermon was preached by Rev. James F. Clarke of Boston, upon Matthew xvi. 18, " Upon this rock I will build my church," on Christ the living foundation of the Church. After the services, the hospitalities of the Montreal congregation were extended to the brethren and friends from abroad, through a very agreeable social gathering in St. Lawrence Hall. Hon. John Young, M. P. P., presided, and gave a very gratifying account of the struggles and successes of Unitarian Christianity in Montreal.

As the closing hour of the Convention drew near, Rev. Dr. Hill of Worcester introduced a resolution commemorative of the brethren, clerical and lay, who have been removed from us by death during the past year, and followed the resolve by a few touching words. Rev. S. J. May of Syracuse also introduced some resolutions, expressive of gratitude to the people of Canada for their sympathy with the poor fugitives from slavery, and urging them to look with no favor upon any attempt to extend the Fugitive Slave Bill to their land. The rule which requires that all resolutions should come before the Convention through the Committee of Arrangements was suspended, and the vote of the meeting accorded with the motion of the Rev. Mr. May. Pledges of subscriptions to the Book Fund were made by several gentlemen, among which one for $250 was tendered by a member of the Montreal congregation.

If there was anything to regret in the course of the discussion it was this, that in a company of Christians it was not thought fit by all to take for granted the Mastership of Christ. Why are we so often compelled to treat this as an open question? Shall those who have no doubt upon the subject be obliged to go back to the elements continually, instead of giving their time and strength to Christian work? Besides, we very much doubt whether the fundamentals of religion should be exposed to the hazards of extempore debate. Still, spite of this exception, a vast deal was said, both from the pulpit and in the way of discussion, which was unto edification, as we trust will appear in the growth of the congregation of Unitarians in Montreal, the members of which have proved that they are not behind in Christian hospitality. The Committee of Arrangements for the next Autumnal Convention consists of Rev. Rufus Ellis of Boston, Rev. Thomas Hill of Waltham, and George William Bond, Esq. of Roxbury.

Dr. O. A. Brownson and the "Know Nothings." -The religious and secular journals have contained many paragraphs during the last four months, referring to a feud that has arisen between Dr. Brownson and some of his fellow Roman Catholics, on account of the views ex