to vent curses, than to invoke blessings for them; and the other part, their political friends,—not their personal, but their political friends,-entertained a feeling much more akin to violent partiality or selfish partisanship, than to that reasonable friendship, and that grave respect, which all now admit were due to them. As they passed over the theatre of public employments, they were visited with few affectionate regards and sympathies, with few honest and earnest prayers. But they have lived to an old age; they have dwelt long in the public mind; the agitating disputes, the selfish interests which were connected with them, have passed away; and now, when they have gone down to the grave, the nation has mourned for them, and has resorted to the solemnities of religion, as if it was fit with these to consecrate their memory.

We would not exaggerate the feeling which has attended their obsequies. There has been no deep grief on this occasion, and there has been no call for it. They have died in the course of nature. They have put off the burdens of age, when those burdens were becoming insupportable. They had finished their work. They could do no more for their country. They lived to see their country's prosperity. They lived to hear the voice of their country's jubilee; and, as if the measure of their happy fortunes was full, as if they had said, 'Now let thy servants depart,' they departed in peace. They departed together, and at an hour the most fit, the most select in all time, to hallow the exit of men such as they were.

There is, then, no deep grief; but there is a heartfelt veneration for them, there is a feeling, pervading all classes of the people, that scarcely falls short of religious enthusiasm; there is a generous candor and forgetfulness of minor blemishes of character; there is a voice of sincere eulogy rising up from every quarter of the land; and the offering of pious gratitude ascends to heaven, as the story of their memorable lives is recounted.

And in all this, is there not a lesson and an admonition for us? Who can help regretting that a portion of all this feeling could not have been given to solace, to aid, to reward those toils and cares, which are now the themes of universal eulogy? Wherein have their claims changed? wherein, but to the jaundiced eye of political jealousy? wherein, but as the voice of popular favor always is changing?

The ingratitude of republics has long been a theme for the

satirist and the moralizer; and we fear there is but too much justice in the selection. We would call upon a reasonable and high-minded people, if our communities are composed of such, not to be just and generous to the dead alone. We would demand that the principles of justice, yea, and of religion, too, should be introduced into our political opinions and actions; that freedom should not be made an apology for fickleness and inconstancy; that the love of country should not be made an excuse for railing and calumny; that patriotism should not be a cloak for anger, and revenge, and selfishness, and every evil passion. It is time to set up a new, a purer, a more religious standard of political obligation. It is as wrong to injure and calumniate a public man, as it is to distress and slander a pri

vate man.

Nor let us think to make compensation for the wrong, by solemn processions, and eulogies, and monuments. It would be little to him who had spent half of his life in the service of his country, and found injustice, and calumny, and poverty, for his reward, while living; it would be little to him, if his name were lauded through all ages. What was it to Socrates, that he was afterwards celebrated among the people that put him to death? And to those patriots and patriarchs of the land, whom the grave has just hidden from among us, and removed from all mortal concerns, what is it, that they are now justly revered? What to them, are all these official orders, and laudatory speeches? What to them are these crowded halls and listening assemblies? What to them are these solemnities, and temples clothed in mourning? Can the breath of eulogy, or can the roar of cannon reach them now? No. Once, the slightest of all these demonstrations would have cheered the labors and anxieties of public responsibility; but now, they are all in vain! We may raise their monuments as high as heaven; but we cannot lift one iota of the burden that once rested upon them. We may write their names among the stars; but they will only the more strongly contrast with the words of calumny, which have been written against them on earth. We may embalm their memories for all future time; but alas! no embalming, no oil of consecration, no skill of Egyptian art, can avail to blot out the injuries of the past. We speak with no party feeling, for it is one of the fortunate circumstances attending this great moral lesson that all parties

are implicated alike. We speak with no party feeling, but with a far more deep and solemn emotion, when we say, what inconsistency, what absurdity is this! For we ask again, wherein have the claims of these men changed? And yet there are multitudes in this land, who once thought no language of indignity or execration too strong, to be applied to the very men, whom they now join to honor with every testimonial of respect, and every expression of eulogy! What absurdity, did we say? nay, rather will we say, what magnanimity! What a happy influence of time, the teacher of wisdom! What a propitious example of the softening and subduing of old prejudices! What a triumphant evidence of the redeeming power of our institutions, of the good and safe result of freedom and intelligence among the people! Thus may it ever be, that good and wise sentiments shall conquer; that just and true principles of freedom, shall prove to be the safe, the fortunate, and the prosperous! Thus, while the judgments and mercies of God are passing over us, may the people ever grow in wisdom and moderation, in piety and virtue!

Notices of Recent Publications.

18. The Literary and Scientific Class Book, embracing the leading Facts and Principles of Science. Illustrated by Engravings, with many diffi cult Words explained, &c. selected from the Rev. John Platt's Literary and Scientific Class Book, and from various other Sources, and adapted to the Wants and Condition of Youth in the United States. BY LEVI W. LEONARD. Stereotyped by T. H. Carter & Co. Keene, N. H. John Prentiss, 1826. pp. 318.

This book has been partly compiled, and partly abridged, written, or, as the appendix says, abstracted, for the purpose of presenting selections on familiar and important branches of knowledge in the form of reading lessons for the common schools. It contains one hundred and thirtyfive lessons, generally in prose, but sometimes in poetry, which is selected with uncommon taste. They are upon many of the subjects, which are most interesting to the mind of a young person, and contain much information that is useful to all, and especially to those whose education

terminates at a common school. Of these lessons twentyfive are upon Natural Philosophy, seventeen on Astronomy, nine on Chemistry, eight on Electricity, Galvanism and Magnetism, nine on Mineralogy and Geology, eight on Botany, seven on Zoology, thirteen on Political Economy and Government, five on Physiology, and the rest on a great variety of curious and useful subjects. Such a work well executed, must evidently be of the greatest utility. We do not agree with the Rev. D. Blair, quoted in the Advertisement, that there are any compositions, proving the wit and genius of an author, which do not teach any thing; but we would readily agree that they may not teach those things, which it is most desirable for all young persons to learn. The compilations under the titles of Speakers, Readers, &c. teach them one, and a most rare thing, the accomplishment of fine reading, far better than a Scientific Class Book. But certainly this charming accomplishment is far from being so essential to the great mass of those who issue from a common school, as the knowledge of the properties of the bodies by which they are surrounded, which continually meet their eyes, and with which, and upon which they must always act. Delightful as it is to be able to read well, it is far less important than to be able to think well, and judge correctly, and to be well informed on our capacities as intelligent men, our duties and rights as citizens, our relations as social creatures, and our hopes as Christians. The art of reading, by which we have access to written learning, is an indispensable part of instruction; and to read naturally and gracefully, is, and always must be, a most desirable and uncommon accomplishment, not to be attained without a melodious voice, a quick eye and understanding, a clear judgment and refined taste. Instead, therefore, of saying with Mr Blair, that such books as Enfield's Speaker teach nothing, we should say, that they teach an art, which most persons will never have time or capacity to learn, and which therefore should not be the main object in books intended for the use of the great body of the community.

That ought to be learned at school, which will be useful in life. Some knowledge, then, of the nature of soils, and of the metals and minerals found in the earth, of animals and vegetables, of air, of water, and the substances which form our food and clothing, and the modes of their preparation; of the contrivances by which our natural strength of body is increased and applied in the construction of cities and navies, of the manner of crossing the ocean with certainty and safety, of the laws of society, and especially of that society and country of which we are members and citizens, of the structure of our own bodies

and their liability to harm, of the faculties of our minds, of the agents and laws of nature by which the Creator effects our happiness and touches our hearts; in short, some knowledge of those things which are the subjects of this book, should be considered all-important. These things, and such as these, should be taught at our common schools. It is surprising that books like this, should not have been introduced into them before now. Such will doubtless be the books used hereafter, for instructing the future farmer, mechanics, navigators, and merchants of our country, distinguished among all others in no respect more honorably, than in affording the means of instruction to all.

We accordingly approve very highly of the plan of this work. Of the execution, also, we ought not to speak otherwise; for it is very much better than in a book unfortunately so novel in its design, and embracing so great a variety of subjects, could be expected. Parts of it are exceedingly well done; simple, intelligible, and well arranged. The definitions, however, do not in our opinion add to its usefulness. Every child who can read well enough, should be furnished with a dictionary, and all the uncommon words in each lesson should be looked for. Such collections of definitions, as are here given, perhaps do more harm than good; as they do not contain all the words which ought to be learned, and yet seem to preclude the necessity of a dictionary. It may be said that many schoolmasters will not require their pupils to use a dictionary, and that therefore it is better that a few words should be defined than that none should. But every inducement should be given instructers to require this mode of learning, and these definitions, as far as they operate at all, have a tendency to produce the opposite effect.

The questions at the end of the chapters are very good, judging from the few we have examined, and numerous enough to embrace most of the material facts and reasons in the lessons. Appended to reading lessons, they cannot fail to be useful; although, when appended to lessons only to be learned, we are inclined to doubt it, unless they are sufficiently numerous to touch upon every important particular contained in the lessons, in which case they become very bulky, and, at best, are of little use but to poor or indolent instructers, and badly taught pupils.

There are some faults of arrangement, such as placing some of the more difficult lessons first; but these are not of great consequence, as such lessons, being in general disconnected, may be omitted at the discretion of the teacher. The book, such as it is, we should gladly see introduced into all the public schools in New England; not to take the place of Readers and Speakers,