The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser. With Memoir and Critical Dissertation by the Rev. GEORGE GILFILLAN. In Five Volumes. Edinburgh: James Nichol. 1859. 8vo. It is because there is so large an amount of Sacred Literature in the poetry of Spenser that we specially notice it here; and the same may be said of many others of our bards, especially the early ones, whose works are comprised in the very handsome and very cheap edition of the British Poets put forth by Mr. Nichol. Yet how little is Spenser read, great as was his genius and fervent his piety! We should be glad if any recommendation of ours could induce our readers to go through the Faerie Queene, or, at least, to make themselves acquainted with its merits. Mr. Gilfillan has very correctly described the work, and we think this is one of the best of that gentleman's critiques, prefixed to the several poets in this edition. He compares Spenser and Bunyan in several fine paragraphs, from which we copy the following: "Bunyan and Spenser resemble each other, not only in the blended ingenuity and imperfections of their allegory, but in the intense realizing power of their imaginations. They are both for the time the dupes of their own fancies. Their personification, as well as their persons, are to them living, moving, and speaking beings. Una (the Church), is as real to Spenser as Belphoebe (Queen Elizabeth); and that man of hell named Despair,' as Timias (Sir Walter Raleigh). And so in Bunyan, Goodwill, or the Love of God, is as picturesquely portrayed as Christian, who stands for the author himself; and Diffidence starts from the canvass with as much boldness as Evangelist, who was probably a real minister, and Bunyan's spiritual father and guide. . . . The one could never have written anything approaching the first appearance of Una in the 'Word of Error,' the Rich Strand, or the Bower of Bliss; nor could the other have created the 'Den' described in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and the Ascent of the Pilgrim to the Celestial City; or struck out such masculine or terrible figures as Valiant-forthe-Truth, with the sword cleaving in blood to his hands; and Turnaway led back to hell by seven devils with the inscription on his back, Wanton Professor and Damnable Apostate." One passage from Spenser we must quote. It is probably known to most of our readers, but they will not object to have its solemn beauty brought before them. "And is there care in heaven? and is there love In heavenly spirits to these creatures base, That may compassion of their evils move? "How oft do they their silver bowers leave Oh! why should heavenly God to man have such regard ?" Catalogue of Antiquities, Works of Art, and Historical Scottish relics, exhibited in the Museum of the Archæological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, during the Annual Meeting, held in Edinburgh, July, 1856; comprising notices of the Portraits of Mary Queen of Scots, collected on that occasion, etc., etc. Edinburgh: Constable and Co. 1859. Large 8vo, pp. 278. THIS is a splendid work, and does great credit to the editor, Mr. Albert Way, and to the publishers. It contains nearly two hundred illustrations, beautifully engraved, some on wood and others on copper, and as a depository of antiquities it is very valuable. Of course the contents are very various. Among them we find the following tr "S. Thomas Aquinas de Veritate, a vellum MS., richly illuminated, with a colophon in the following words, 'Hoc opus prefectum fuit per me Phillippum de Homodeis (or Homocleis), in loco Inglenani, die primo mensis Septembris, m. cccc. lxvj.. "Portion of a Bible printed at the coste and charges of Rychard Carmarden, 1566," with the words, " for John Knox," added in modern type. The volume contains a signature, said to be that of Knox." "A singular brass matrix bearing as a device a turbaned head, surrounded by a Hebrew legend, the first words of which have been interpreted as signifying Solomon Bar Isaac. It was found in ploughing, on the eastern slope of Arthur's Seat. It appears difficult to reconcile the device of a human head with the supposition that such seals belonged to Israelites, by whom such imagery has been always eschewed. They may have been talismanic or magical." The Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. XIX. Eighth Edition. RES -SCY. Edinburgh: A. and C. Black. 1859. THIS great work is fast approaching to completion, and the publishers have spared no expense to make it complete. In this volume appears the following announcement of a feature of this edition which must greatly enhance its value. “The publishers beg to remind the subscribers to the Encyclopædia Britannica, that the work is to be accompanied with a general index, which is now in course of preparation. Although all the important subjects will be found under the alphabetical arrangement, many which do not appear under separate heads are noticed in other articles; and even of those which have a special place in the alphabetical order, many are again noticed under separate heads. These will all be arranged in the index, so as to point out to the inquirer the volume and page under which further information may be obtained: for example: - "Monkey, vol. xiv. p. 137. Defontaine, xii. 144. Ligny, Battle of, v. 619. Leverrier, i. 899. Causation, xvii. 434, 436, 440-Malebranche on, i. 78-Hume's Theory of, 211—Aristotle on, iii. 498—Dr. T. Brown's, v. 602." Early Statutes of the College of St. John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge. Now first edited, with notes, by J. E. B. MAYOR, M.A., Fellow of the College. Cambridge: printed for the editor at the University Press, and sold by Macmillan and Co. 1859. Part I. 4to. pp. xxviii, 408. AT first sight a collection of Statutes does not promise much of interest; but, in this case, such a conclusion would be far from the truth. A glance at the marginal notes sufficiently points out the great value, in a historical point of view, of these regulations of our pious ancestors. We have never been more impressed with the truth of the saying, "Tempora mutantur et nos mutamus in illis," than in looking at this volume, for in a few centuries the modes of education, and the general treatment of young persons have undergone the most striking change. For instance, we find such items as these : "To avoid interrupting scholastic exercises the members of the college are forbidden to remain long in hall after meals, unless when college meetings, disputations, lectures, or expositions of the Bible follow immediately." "Prohibition of singing, dancing, music, and other noisy pastimes in the chamber." "Conversation before the fire, and good cheer." "Not more than two fellows to be compelled to occupy the same chamber. Not more than four scholars shall be compelled to occupy the same chamber." Whipping of undergraduates under 18 years of age." 66 "All scholars and pensioners to learn Greek and Hebrew." Mr. Mayor has discharged an arduous duty in a highly creditable manner, and we hope the work will be duly patronized by the learned public. INTELLIGENCE AND CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS, BIBLICAL, EDUCATIONAL, LITERARY, AND MISCELLANEOUS. CONTEMPORARY OPINIONS. Life and Character of David.-From Benjamin to Judah" the transition is obvious and natural, whether we follow the geographical sequence or the order of historical events. And thus we pass at once to DAVID. The attitude taken by Benjamin was of the utmost importance to the new monarch during the early years of his reign. It was a royal tribe, like his own; its power was preeminent at Saul's death, and it contained David's most bitter enemies. For a time they raised the standard of a rival dynasty; but no long time elapsed before they gave in their allegiance at Hebron, and they were the means of drawing over the other ten tribes. Henceforward Judah and Benjamin were indissolubly united. For this fusion various reasons may be given. There is something in the sympathy' which would naturally arise between the two royal houses, and more in the intermarriage between the two houses. But perhaps we should not be far wrong if we were to say that the affinity of the two tribes depended chiefly on geographical considerations. Benjamin was the debatable ground between the great families of Ephraim and Judah. Here, too, the table-land is continuous. There is no break like that between the northern tribes and the southern, or between the eastern and the western. But, above all, we must look to the critical position of Jerusalem, and its establishment as the metropolitan city. The choice of a capital is of peculiar moment in a kingdom made up of confederated portions. Hebron was the chief town of Judah; Shechem was, as we have seen, the chief town of Ephraim. Jerusalem was intermediate. It was, indeed, actually on the border line between the territories of Judah and Benjamin. David chose his city wisely, not only because the deep ravines made Zion strong in the military sense, but because it was well placed in reference to the general population. Hitherto there had been no true geographical centre of the Jewish people. One of the greatest results of David's reign was the drawing of the political and religious allegiance of all his subjects towards the city of Jewish poetry and prophecy. There is something very striking in this coincidence and combination of the personal history of David and the topographical interest of Jerusalem. The kingly prophet and the prophetic city come into view and command our attention together. Jerusalem is our natural centre, if we wish to examine the Holy Land more minutely than before, and to connect its features with the poetry and the life of the psalmist king. No one can be indifferent, certainly no one ought to be indifferent, to the characteristics of the scenery in the midst of which the Psalms were composed. Doubtless many things in the Psalms are difficult and uncertain; but their topo a A note is the right place for the tribes of Simeon and Dan. The former is omitted in the blessing of Moses (Deut. xxxiii.), the latter in the enumeration of the Apocalypse (Rev. vii.). For the first omission Professor Blunt finds a reason in the matter of Baal Peor (Numb. xxv. 14), noticing coincidently the remarkable diminution of the tribe of Simeon shortly afterwards. It has also been suggested that the tribe of Dan is omitted in the other case, because of their early apostasy to idolatry (Judg. xviii.). It is certain that the history of these tribes is insignificant. Simeon was early absorbed in Judah (Josh. xix. 9). Dan, on the Philistine frontier, ceased to be conspicuous after the period of their great hero Samson, though the enterprising expedition to the sources of the Jordan (Judg. xviii.) left a permanent mark in the topographical nomenclature of the country. Und. Coinc., pp. 181, 189. Stanley, p. 195. graphical allusions we have the means of realizing with accuracy and force. And the gain is great, when, in our Church services or private devotions, we can intelligently associate incidents and places with sentences apparently obscure. We obtain a real help in this way towards putting ourselves in sympathy with David's trials, his feelings, his weakness, and his strength. It is wise to remember that David's history has its strictly human side, and to take this side thoroughly and heartily, just as it has its strictly supernatural side, and as we vehemently object to any half-hearted reception of inspiration and miracle. In David, as presented to us in his history and in his hymns, there is a marked individuality of character. We may add that the consistency of the geography connected with his life, and the truth of the appropriate scenery, are equally remarkable. All such elements in the narrative and the poetry are important, whatever explanations may be given of difficulties in the biography or the Psalms; and such difficulties are often exaggerated. Taking Jerusalem, then, as a centre, we might, in excursions of no great length, study the topography of Southern Palestine minutely, in the midst of recollections of king David. Immediately to the south, within an easy ride, is Bethlehem. On the upland pastures, and among the rocks and caves around his birth-place, the young shepherd acquired not only that familiar knowledge of the outward objects of nature which reveals itself in all his psalms, but that courage and elastic vigour and presence of mind which served him so well in times of exile and war. Archdeacon Evans, with his characteristic love of a mountainous country, has pleasantly described this cheerful discipline and its precious results. Still further to the south and south-east we come to a region made memorable by the varied adventures of David when evading the pursuit of Saul. Here are Ziph, whose inhabitants twice nearly betrayed the fugitive as he lay in his stronghold in the wood or on the hill, and Carmel," the scene of the charming episode of Nabal and Abigail. Both these places retain their old names hardly altered. Here also is En-gedi, a green oasis in a wilderness of bare rocks and ravines on the edge of the Dead Sea. For a description, and a good engraving, we may refer to De Saulcy, who is probably more trustworthy here than in his account of what he imagined he saw on other parts of this desolate shore. If our eye ranges now towards the district that lies to the southwest of Jerusalem, where the hill country falls in open valleys towards the Philistine plain, we have before us the scene of the conflict with Goliath. There seems no reason to doubt that Mr. Porter, by the close similarity of the existing names, by the presence of the wide water-course with its smooth pebbles, and the suitable disposition of the ground, has fixed upon the right positions of Shochoh and Azekah. His remarks on the probable site of Gath, which lay still further in this direction, are well worthy of attention. Further still, somewhere on the edge of the desert, was Ziklag, which David was allowed to hold as his own under the Philistines, and whence he made forays on the Amalekites. Turning now to the other side of Jerusalem we have, to the north-west, Kirjathjearim, a border town of Benjamin, whence the ark was brought to Mount Zion. To the north of the royal city, at about the same distance as Bethlehem, in the opposite direction, is Ramah, the home of Samuel, not identified with certainty, but doubtless one of the "heights" of Benjamin, to which Professor Stanley calls our attention. Not far off was Nob, infamous for Doeg's treachery and the massacre of the priests. Here again we are under obligations to the author of the Handbook. It would seem from a passage in Isaiah (Is. x. 32), that Mount Zion was visible from Nob; and Mr. Porter noticed, on one of his journeys, that it is full in view from a tell, which satisfies the other conditions It is needless to say that this Carmel must not be confounded with the scene of Elijah's conflict with the priests of Baal. • His expressions are-"toute la plage couverte de verdure-une source admirable, une végétation splendide—c'est un véritable jardin.” "Voyage autour de la Mer Morte." Paris, 1853. See the note at the end of his fourth chapter. It is well known that the site of Ramah is one of the vexed questions of Scripture topography. |