themselves never to resort to war, in any case of dispute, until it shall have first been submitted to impartial arbitration?

3.-Poems, by Mrs. Sigourney; Philadelphia: Key & Biddle,

1834, pp. 288, 12 mo.-Zinzendorff, and other Poems, by Mrs. Sigourney; New York: Leavitt, Lord & Co., 1836, pp. 300, 12 mo.

These two works consist of short poems, written at different times and on different subjects. The reader passes through them as through a gallery hung with pictures-all executed, indeed, by the same hand, but still with such variety of subject, and such discrimination in the arrangement, drawing, and coloring, as to afford a succession of pleasing images. Here is a landscape-some river -some castle-some valley-some garden, or cottage scenethere is a sunset-a twilight-there is a cataract—and there you catch a glimpse of the ocean, majestic in its repose, or rising into rage. Here is a flower piece-the daughters of the garden and the field-the graceful, the delicate, and the sensitive, together with the more masculine, stately, or ostentatious.-Yonder, is a por. trait-the image of some departed friend-and there is a death scene, the "chamber where the good man meets his fate." The Scripture pieces are frequent. We find now and then a war scene; but it is not war in its gorgeous array, in its pomp and splendor-it is war in its ghastly solitude and deformity, as it lies prostrate on the earth after its work is done. There we behold the hero-but not in his pride and glory-it is the hero fallen-moul. dering in the dust on the lone and distant island of the ocean, with none to write his epitaph. The pieces, almost without exception, convey a moral. And then the light which falls upon the whole, and renders visible and wakes the sleeping forms, is the light of moral beauty. Some of the pieces are done with much power and spirit. We instance, as more apposite to our purpose, Napoleon's Epitaph, the War Spirit, and the Passage of the Beresina. The following are stanzas from the first mentioned :

:

And who shall write thine epitaph? thou man
Of mystery and might. Shall orphan hands
Inscribe it with their father's broken swords?
Or the warm trickling of the widow's tear,
Channel it slowly mid the rugged rock,

As the keen torture of the water drop
Doth wear the sentenc'd brain?

Shall countless ghosts

Arise from Hades, and in lurid flame

With shadowy finger trace thine effigy,

Who sent them to their audit unanneal'd,

And with but that brief space for shrift or prayer,
Given at the cannon's mouth?

*

The nations whom Napoleon had conquered, or attempted to conquer, are here each in turn, invoked to write the epitaph.

-But there was silence; for no sceptred hand
Received the challenge.

From the misty deep'

Rise, island spirits! like those sisters three,
Who spin and cut the trembling thread of life;
Rise on your coral pedestals, and write
That eulogy which haughtier climes deny.
Come, for ye lulled him in your matron arms,
And cheer'd his exile with the name of king,

And spread that curtained couch which none disturb;
Come, twine some trait of household tenderness,
Some tender leaflet, nursed with nature's tears,
Around this urn. But Corsica, who rock'd
His cradle at Ajacio, turn'd away,

And tiny Elba, in the Tuscan wave

Threw her slight annal with the haste of fear,
And rude Helena, sick at heart, and grey
'Neath the Pacific's smiting, bade the moon
With silent finger point the traveller's gaze
To an unhonor'd tomb.

Then Earth arose,

That blind old Empress, on her crumbling throne,
And to the echoed question, "who shall write
Napoleon's epitaph?" as one who broods
O'er unforgiven injuries, answered, "none."

The following are from the Passage of the Beresina :

O War! War! War!

Thou false baptized, who by thy vaunted name
Of glory, stealest o'er the ear of man,
To rive his bosom with thy thousand darts,
Disrobed of pomp and circumstance, stand forth,
And show thy written league with sin and death.
Yes, ere ambition's heart is seared, and sold,
And desolated, bid him mark thine end,
And count thy wages.

The proud victor's plume,

The hero's trophied fame, the warrior's wreath
Of blood-dashed laurel-what will these avail

The spirit parting from material things?
One slender leaflet from the tree of peace,

Borne, dove like, o'er the waste and warring earth,
Is better passport at the gate of heaven.

We have room for only the following, from the War-Spirit:

War-Spirit! War-Spirit! thy secrets are known,

I have looked on the field where the battle was done,
The mangled and slain in their misery lay,
And the vulture was shrieking and watching his prey;
But the heart's gush of sorrow, how hopeless and sore
In the homes that those loved ones re-visit no more.
I have traced out thy march by its features of pain,
While famine and pestilence stalked in thy train,
And the trophies of sin did thy victory swell,
And thy breath on the soul was the plague-spot of hell;
Death lauded thy deeds, and in letters of flame,
The realm of perdition recorded thy name.

War-Spirit! War-Spirit! go down to thy place,
With the demons that thrive on the woe of our race;
Call back thy strong legions of madness and pride,
Bid the rivers of blood thou hast opened be dried,
Let thy league with the grave and Aceldama cease,
And yield the torn world to the angel of Peace.

If any "poetry is its own exceeding great reward," it is, surely, that which is consecrated to Virtue and Religion-of which not a line shall ever rise to disturb the conscience, and of which the remembrance, to the last, shall be sweet.

4.-The Life of Admiral Viscount Exmouth. By Edward Osler, Esq., London: Smith Elder & Co. New York: William Jackson, 1835.

Voyage of the United States Frigate Potomac, under the command of Commodore John Downes, during the circumnavigation of the globe, in the years 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834; including a particular account of the Engagement at Qual. lah Battoo, on the coast of Sumatra; with all the Official Documents relating to the same. By J. N. Reynolds. “Naval Power is National Glory." Illustrated by several Engra. vings. New York: Harper & Brothers; 1835. pp. 560,

8 vo.

We notice these two works, merely to direct attention to the dedication of the one, and the motto on the title page of the other. The Life of Viscount Exmouth is dedicated "To the Navy, the Bulwark of their country, and whose triumphs are the Pride of her History." The motto of the last mentioned work, as appears above, is, "Naval Power is National Glory." We had supposed that the bulwark of a country included something more than merely her navy; and that other achievements contributed to make up the

pride of a country's history, besides her naval triumphs. National glory, we had been accustomed to conceive of as composed of other elements, besides mere Naval Power. But naval power, it seems that the authors of these works would have us believe, is at once the safety and the glory of a nation!

5.-Youth's Own Book.-Character Essential to Success in Life. By Isaac Taylor, Minister of the Gospel at Ongar, Author of Advice to the Teens, Saturday Evening, &c. Hartford, Canfield & Robins. 1835. pp. 133, 18 mo.

This is a re-print of an English edition of a most excellent work. The author, it is generally supposed, and generally admitted, is the author of Natural History of Enthusiasm, Natural History of Fanaticism, and Spiritual Despotism. His high reputation in this country will be sufficient to call public attention to any work announced with his name. We wish that such works might take the place of works whose tendency is to throw a false splendor over the passions. It would be much better to instruct youth in something that has a bearing on the sober realities of life. It would be much better to cultivate their common sense. This work should find admission to every family where there are youth; and is very suitable for Sunday School Libraries.

33*

PEACE SOCIETIES.-RESOLUTIONS, &c.

BRITISH SOCIETY for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace.From the Nineteenth Annual Report of the Committee of this Society, wa derive the following information:

The Society has issued, the present year, 26,000 copies of different publications, and since its first establishment, it has issued, in all, 720,245 copies. The sales and distributions, this year, have been 46,795 copies. The amount of subscriptions, donations, &c., this year, is 5141. 5s. 4¿d.; and of the contri. butions to the Agency and Travelling Fund, 1861. 0s. 6d.

The lectures of the Rev. James Hargreaves, who has been travelling in the service of the Society, appear to have been acceptable. From the obser vations he has made, it is his opinion, that the principles of the Society are unobtrusively, but powerfully and widely spreading in the public mind; so that the tone of feeling on the subject is altered, in all parts of the country, and the greater portion of thinking people, among all classes, are gradually renouncing their pleas in support of the expediency and lawfulness of war. George Pilkington, Esq., has, unconnected with any society, been travelling extensively, and delivering lectures on the horrors of war.

In France, M. de Lamartine, known here as a poet of high genius, em. braces with ardor, our philanthropic principles; and, in Italy, we may reck on upon the sympathy of Silvio Pellico, so celebrated for his work entitled Le mie Prigione. In France, the editor of the Paris Advertiser fearlessly advocates the cause of Peace. Another instance of national disputes, is mentioned in the Report, as having been settled by arbitration. "A differ. ence between France and Sweden had so far interrupted their friendly inter course, that their ministers had retired to their own courts. By the media tion of England, the difference between them was happily conciliated, and the ministers of the two powers have appeared at their respective courts, as before."-Would that England might do a like friendly service for France and the United States.

AMERICAN PEACE SOCIETY.-The Rev. George C. Beckwith, Agent of the Society, in a recent letter to the Secretary, says, "I have preached two or three times every Sabbath, and been permitted to address congregations that seemed to receive with candor and kindness the appeals in behalf of our cause. The degree of interest, though plainly recent, for the most part, is sufficient to encourage me rather more than I had ventured to expect."Mr. Beckwith mentions the example of the First Congregational Church and Society in Lowell, Mass., which he addressed on the eighth of November, as "WORTHY OF IMITATION;" this congregation, besides contributing about $30, raised about $50, amounting, in all, to about 80, in aid of the American Peace Society. They had already made their pastor, the Rev. Amos Blan chard, a Life Member of the Society. Now, the ladies made his wife; and the Sunday School, their Superintendent, Deacon William Davidson, members also. This interest in our cause, has resulted from their pastor's fidelity in preaching to them the pacific principles of the Gospel.”

CONNECTICUT PEACE SOCIETY.-A meeting of this Society was holden at the Centre Church, in this city, Monday evening, Oct. 16th. Hon. William W. Ellsworth, President of the Society, Rev. T. H. Gallaudet, and Dr. Jona. than Barber, of Cambridge, addressed the meeting. The two former gentle. men insisted on the practicability of the objects of Peace Societies. Mr.