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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



inent of the fundamental ideas and the 

 peculiar conditions of reasoning in all 

 these important branches of knowledge. 

 Although the work is comprehensive and 

 a perfect treasury of information upon the 

 subject, yet Dr. Bain points out in the 

 preface how it may be used as an ele- 

 mentary book, while its extremely low price 

 is favorable to its general introduction into 

 schools. 



Ancient Faiths embodied in Ancient 

 Names ; or, an Attempt to truce the 

 Religious Belief, Sacred Rites, and 

 Holy Emblems of Certain Nations, by 

 an Interpretation of the Names given 

 to Children by Priestly Authority, or 

 assumed by Prophets, Kings, and Hier- 

 archs. By Thomas Inman, M. D. (Lon- 

 don). 2 vols. 8vo, pages 792 and 1028. 

 Price, $2Y.OO. Second Edition. New 

 York: Asa K. Butts & Co., 36 Dev 

 Street, 1874. 



This is, undoubtedly, a work of vast 

 research, and implying, in the author, an 

 intimate acquaintance with the languages 

 and literatures of antiquity. We have, 

 here, an immense amount of curious knowl- 

 edge with regard to the sacred rites of 

 ancient religions. The emblems, symbols, 

 or images, which have served as representa- 

 tives of Deity, and which have received 

 worship from man, are shown to be much 

 the same the world over. The author very 

 elaborately develops the precise meaning 

 of the principal emblems used to represent 

 the Supreme Being, and one of the most 

 interesting features of his book is the learn- 

 ing with which these are traced through 

 the Assyrian, Hebrew, Syrian, and other 

 religions, and even the Christian rehgion 

 itself, in some of its forms. The central 

 idea of the work, if it has any central idea, 

 is not indicated by the title. Judging from 

 that, the reader would expect to find a list 

 of names of persons analyzed, and, from 

 the elements of these names, the religious 

 beliefs and practices of those who gave or 

 wore them inferred : that is to say, the work 

 would be mainly philological. This, how- 

 ever, is not the case ; the work is rather 

 historical. The subjects are treated in 

 alphabetical order, and this, by-the-way, 

 is the only sign of order we find in the 

 work : the same topics are treated over 

 and over again, even unto weariness and 



disgust. Special prominence is given to 

 the discussion of the relations of sex to the 

 problem of religious emblems, a question 

 which has latterly much engaged the atten- 

 tion of archaeologists. From the following 

 very brief fist of subjects, our readers will, 

 perhaps, be able to see the scope of the 

 work : Anthropomorphism, Ark, Canon of 

 Scripture, Chrisna, Cross, Demon, Hell, 

 JAH, Infidelity, Inspiration, Mary, Miracles, 

 Oracles, Phallus, Prayer, Prophecy, Reli- 

 gion, Sabbath, Sacti, Sun-worship, Theolo- 

 gy, Trinity, Urim and Thummim. Though 

 many extraneous matters are brought into 

 this work, which, it would seem, ought to 

 have been discussed elsewhere, the reader 

 will hardly be disposed to complain, for all 

 that the author writes is worthy of con- 

 sideration, even if out of place. The text 

 is fully and elegantly illustrated with wood- 

 cuts and plates. 



Health and Education. By the Rev. 

 Charles Kingsley, F. L. S., F. G. S., Can- 

 on of Westminster. New York : D. Ap- 

 pleton & Co., 549 & 551 Broadway. 

 Pages 411. Price, $2.00. 



This is a unique volume from the vigor- 

 ous and brilliant pen of the versatile Canon 

 of Westminster, novelist, essayist, natural- 

 ist, professor of history, and preacher, and 

 so strong in each as to have won a com- 

 manding place in the literature of the time. 

 Mr. Kingsley has here given us the result 

 of his long observations and reflections on 

 the theory, philosophy, and practical con- 

 duct of life. His work is popular in the 

 highest sense ; that is, it is not only de- 

 signed for general influence, but it is done 

 in its author's best style of literary art, 

 and is vivid, quaint, pungent, and impres- 

 sive. It is well known that Canon Kings- 

 ley is one of the masters of the English 

 language, and it is fortunate when he brings 

 his unusual powers of presentation to bear 

 upon familiar and important subjects of 

 daily life. For the diflSculty with people 

 generally is, not that they are ignorant, 

 or have not had truth enough explained 

 to them, but that it is so vaguely con- 

 ceived and so feebly held that it does not 

 take hold of the feelings and coerce the 

 conduct. For this reason, much of the tame 

 didactic statement of current science is to 

 a great degree powerless for good. It is 



