232 Collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society. [July, Most persons would be apt to imagine that a traveller flying through foreign countries at this rate, and under such circumstances, would see very little worth recording, and would make very few reflections worth any body's attention; at all events, that he could not possibly fill so large a volume with any thing worth readinghis observations must necessarily be so hasty and imperfect, and his judgments and conclusions so superficial and unsound. For ourselves, however, we were persuaded before looking into the book, that if any body in such circumstances could see and record any thing to the purpose, it was Dr. Fisk. For in our opinion there are few men who more habitually go about with their eyes open, and who better know how to use them; and few men who have more of a certain excellent quality of judgment—a combination of plain good sense and shrewdness. Then again, particular circumstances have led him to pay special attention to several matters not commonly regarded by the bulk of tourists. As the head of a college, he has looked at the systems of education, the state of the universities in France, Prussia, and other places-As a methodist clergyman, he has given particular regard to the religious condition of the countries he has visited, and especially to the state of his own communion in England, and to the questions between the Dissenters and the Established Church. On this subject, as well as some others, it is easy to see that our author is under the influence of some very natural prejudices. If we had space, and thought it worth the while, we might show the incorrectness of some of his statements and opinions. We content ourselves, however, with recommending the work, on the whole, as containing considerable valuable information on several subjects of interest, and as expressing the views of a very sensible and excellent man-not a very high authority on questions of Art, but with an eye to see, and a plain, vigorous mind, to apprehend as much of the important objects that present themselves in such a tour, as almost any man. The tone and spirit of the work, we need not say, is pure and good. 6.-Collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society, volume 4. An Historical Discourse on the Civil and Religious Affairs of the Colony of Rhode Island. By JOHN CALLENDER, M. A. With a Memoir of the Author; Biographical Notices; Annotations, &c. By ROMEO ELTON, M. A. &c. Providence: Knowles, Vose, and Company. 1838. 8vo. pp. 270. THE materials for a complete and satisfactory history of our country are scarcely accessible to the American student. They 1838.] Collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society. 233 are, to a considerable extent, contained in cumbrous piles of documents that lumber the record offices of the different states, or of the parent country, and in publications of an early date, known only to the painful inquirer, and rarely to be met with in any quarter. Serious, and almost insurmountable obstacles, are thus interposed to the faithful prosecution of historical research, without the possession of pecuniary means much more ample than students in general are able to command. The only practicable remedy for this state of things, seems to be looked for in combined efforts for the collection and preservation of such materials as exist in an accessible form, by those who either themselves take an interest in such inquiries, or are disposed for the public benefit to facilitate the labors of others. It is with this object in view, that Historical Societies are established in some parts of the country, and promise to be eminently useful to the future historian. Among these associations, that of Rhode Island is honorably distinguished, for the zeal and success with which its members have prosecuted their researches. The volume before us furnishes fresh proof of the efficiency of their labors, in contributing to the general fund of historical knowledge; combining, as it does, much original matter, with a republication of old and scarce documents, illustrative of the early condition of the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It consists mainly of Callender's Historical Discourse, comprising the events of the first centennial period, which was originally delivered in the year 1738, at Newport, and printed the following year at Boston. This discourse is well known as containing the only connected account of the early history of Rhode Island, extant; and for this reason it has been in great demand among collectors of books relating to America. It has never before been republished, and copies had in consequence become extremely rare. The labor of preparing this edition for the press, has been performed by Professor ELTON, of Brown University, one of the publishing committee of the society, who has enriched it with much additional matter, of an interesting and important character, comprisng memoirs of distinguished persons, original documents, and copious annotations. The whole work forms a valuable accession to the historical literature of the country, and cannot fail to be read with pleasure, by all for whom subjects of this nature possess attractions. It only remains that some competent hand should take up the thread of narration where it was left by Callender, and continue it through the succeeding century, to present a satisfactory and complete view of the annals of Rhode Island. The period comprising the war of the revolution would necessarily form the most important portion of such a work; and as that colony not only took an active and highly creditable part in the contest, but also was the theatre of many brilliant exploits and stirring operations when animated by the presence of the hostile forces, the story would be one of peculiar and almost fascinating interest. Among the original settlers of Rhode Island was an episcopal clergyman, the Reverend William Blackstone, who was living on the peninsula now occupied as the site of Boston, Massachusetts, on the arrival of John Winthrop and his fellow colonists in 1630; but finding, as he said, the "Lords brethren" of the puritan colony no better than the "Lords bishops" of the mother country, he removed to Rhode Island about the time Roger Williams laid the foundation of that colony. The biographical notices of Roger Williams and Bishop Berkeley are well written and important. It appears that the latter composed his celebrated work, "Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher," while residing at Newport, about the year 1730; and the precise spot is still pointed out, which was the favorite retreat of that learned and ingenious writer. The place was about half a mile southerly from Whitehall, where, "in the most elevated part of the Hanging Rocks, (so called,) he found a natural alcove, roofed, and open to the south, commanding at once a beautiful view of the ocean and the circumjacent islands." Here, too, he composed those elegant lines, of which the concluding stanza is often quoted; "Westward the course of empire takes its way; A fifth shall close the drama with the day; 7.-Casar's Commentaries on the Gallic War, and the first book of the Greek Paraphrase; with English Notes, Critical and Expla natory, plans of Battles, Sieges, &c., and Historical, Geographical, and Archaeological Indexes. By CHARLES ANTHON, LL. D., Jay Professor of the Greek and Latin Languages in Columbia College, New York, and Rector of the Grammar School. New York: Harper and Brothers. 1838. 12mo. pp. 493. To the young student, with this edition of Cæsar in his hands, the Gallic Wars are quite another story from what they were in our schoolboy days. To interpret Cæsar's battles, was then a task second only to fighting them; and it would certainly have been, for most boys, a lighter feat to swim "the arrowy Rhone," than to make their way unaided across Cæsar's famous bridge. Such then was Cæsar and most of the school classics-"sealed books;" not indeed in the literal sense, for they were well-thumbed, but books unintelligible, opened without being read, or read without being understood, or understood at length only at the expense of a thousand minutes needlessly wasted, and a thousand trials of temper, both to teacher and scholar, gratuitously inflicted, from the boy being thrown unaided upon difficulties beyond his strength. To relieve the youthful mind from this bootless burden, we count no small praise. We hold it indeed to be among the noblest ends to which true learning can ever devote itself. We are sure it never appears more pleasing than in such condescension; and, what is still better, we know no labor more useful to the community. This meed of praise, whatever it be, belongs unquestionably to no scholar on this side of the Atlantic, and to few on the other, more truly than to Professor Anthon. The present volume forms the fourth, we believe, in the series of school classics, which we trust he is destined to complete. Among its marked improvements on former school editions, we esteem, more highly perhaps than the editor does, its pictorial illustrations, and would urge upon him, in his future labors, a still more liberal use of this most effective of all methods of teaching. In the instruction of youth especially, whatever can be, should be "oculis subjecta fidelibus." In the place therefore of an archaeological index at the end of the volume, or rather in addition to it, we would have each page bearing its own illustration of battle, or bridge, or armor, whatever it may be, or referring back to a former, where it might be seen. We would have the thing itself brought before the eye, and thus not only impressed on the memory, but, what is more important, made clear to the boy's comprehension. It is true, this would cost money-but then the present system costs time, which is more valuable; besides failing of its end, which is the most costly thing of all. We think we risk little in saying that such will be eventually the form in which all our junior classics will be edited, and that fame (popular at least) and fortune (such we mean as intellect can give) will follow the editor that first goes ably and boldly into it. It will be found a labor-saving machine in classical education; and sooner or later, the manufacturer of that commodity will find it out. We venture to suggest this to the sagacity of one who has already adopted the principle, and thus preoccupied the market. We cannot conclude this notice without adding to the original merits of Dr. Anthon's school classics, the conversational form into which he has thrown the life of his author. It is a form, it is true, that revolts the scholar, but then it attracts the school boy; and therein lies its merit-first to see this and then to choose it. It is, in short, the sacrifice of the form of teaching for the substance — the shadow for the reality; a choice which, whether in teaching or any thing else, indicates the strong and practical mind. On these grounds we recommend, in all confidence, this school edition of Cæsar as the very best that has been put forth. It will save the father a world of trouble, and the scholar as much more of wasted time and energy-to say nothing of what necessarily follows: 8.-The Principles of Political Economy. By HENRY VETHAKE, LL. D. Professor in the University of Pennsylvania, &c. &c. Philadelphia: 1838. 8vo. pp. 414. THIS is a work of high merit; and, if we except one grievous blot, and a few venial errors, a work on which we might pass a very high eulogium. As we had rather praise than blame, we will clear off the black score first: the foul stain is the author's open approbation of the administration scheme of finance, lately before Congress. Now, we put the author to the bar, to show by what right such party words, as sub-treasury system, appear in a work of scientific instruction; and even could he escape under this first 'count,' he cannot but stand condemned under the second; namely, his approval of it, as we find it unqualifiedly given in page 201. Now all this we hold to be a high offence against science and scientific men; and sitting here as judges in the republic of letters, we find him guilty of lese majesty-in plotting a death blow to political economy, by seeking to make it a pander to party politics; and we condemn him in open court, to the 'amende honorable' of effacing all such words, should his work come to a second edition; or otherwise retracting them, should it not. After this head and front of his offending, our other charges are comparatively light. His anxiety against an increase of population, as if it were proceeding at too rapid pace in our country, and his manifold warnings against carly marriages, are, we think, totally misplaced. In our boundless territory, this is purely a theoretic question; and to press it as a practical one, betrays, we think, a mind formed rather upon books than observation-more European, we would say, than American. His claims, too, as set forth by himself, to the dignity of a discoverer in the science, smack somewhat (we must say it) of arrogance; take, for instance, the following: "one or two writers may have had occasionally a glimpse . . . . yet none,so far as I know," &c.; or again, "the former of the two propositions I believe to be so entirely new, that it would be impracticable [impossible?] to point out a passage in the writing of any political economist," &c. Now, these are assertions that will pass current, we think, better in the lecture room than with the public; they are a local currency, (to borrow a figure from his own science,) country bank notes, which, when they go abroad, want a responsible endorser. But we have done with blame. Looking then on the golden side, we say that we know no American work on the science that stands so high, that bases itself so broadly and firmly on what may be termed the moral foundations of political economy, or that brings to the elucidation of its abstruse questions so great powers of analytic investigation. His style, too, is clear and continuous, and ex |