8^2 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



acquisition of so large a territory in the 

 Southwest disturbed the balance of the 

 country, caused discontent in New England, 

 and developed a spirit of secession. A con- 

 nection is traced between some of the re- 

 sults of the purchase and the British block- 

 ade acts and our embargo laws. A great 

 impetus was given to the movement of 

 population westward. Miranda's scheme 

 for overthrowing Spanish power in South 

 America and Burr's conspiracy were fed by 

 it. The Texan revolution followed in due 

 time, leading to the consequences of an- 

 nexation, the Mexican War, and the acqui- 

 sition of California. From this came a vast 

 accession of ■wealth, the beginning of the 

 era of large fortunes, and an entire change 

 in American ideas of life, with a vast in- 

 crease in the sweep and scope of American 

 policy. Parallel with the earlier stages of 

 these events was the taking shape of the 

 Monroe doctrine, involving, among its con- 

 sequences, the Clavton-Bulwer Treaty, the 

 nullification of the French schemes against 

 Mexico, and the unsolved problems of the 

 future respecting interoceanic transporta- 

 tion over the Isthmus. Other consequences 

 which have resulted or are emerging, made 

 possible by the acquisition of Louisiana, are 

 hinted at, but not considered in detail; but 

 enough is brought forward to show that the 

 theme is one on which much might be written. 



A History of German Literature. By 



W. ScHERER. Translated by Mrs. F. C. 



Conybcare, and edited by F. Max Miiller. 



New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 



Two volumes. Pp. 401 and 425. Price, 



83.50. 



The author of this important history is 

 recognized as an accomplished philologist 

 and a competent literary critic, and as pos- 

 sessing at the same time the gift of attract- 

 ive popular exposition, thus having the 

 three most desiraJjle qualities for his under- 

 taking. The period embraced in its review 

 begins with the earliest writings, and ex- 

 tends to the death of Goethe. The first 

 chapter traces the roots of German nation- 

 ality back to the period preceding the Aryan 

 separation, and presents a picture of its 

 intellectual condition at the time it became 

 known to the Romans. The second chapter 

 treats of the rise and development of the 

 German hero-legends in the epoch of the 



migrations, and during the Merovingian 

 period ; the third chapter of the Mediajval 

 Renaissance, the so-called Old High-German 

 period of the Carlovingians and the Ottos. 

 The succeeding four chapters arc devoted 

 to the classical period of the Middle High- 

 German lyric and epic poetry, extending 

 from about the eleventh to the middle of 

 the fourteenth century. The next two chap- 

 ters include the next three centuries, the 

 period of transition from Middle High-Ger- 

 man to New High-German, to which Luther's 

 translation of the Bible belongs. The re- 

 maining four chapters are devoted to the 

 period in which we live, beginning with the 

 close of the Thirty Years' war, and give 

 especial attention to the development of 

 lyric and epic poetry, from Paul Gerhard to 

 Goethe. The whole is supplemented by a 

 full chronological table of authors and lit- 

 erary works and events, a bibliographical 

 appendix, and an excellent index. 



Men, "Women, and Gods, and other Lect- 

 ures. By Helen H. Gardener. With 

 an Introduction by Colonel R. G. Inger- 

 SOLL. New York : The Truth-Seeker 

 Company, Pp. 158. 



Besides a characteristic introduction by 

 Colonel Ingersoll, this book contains three 

 lectures. The first gives the title to the 

 volume ; the second is on " Vicarious 

 Atonement " ; the third is on " Historical 

 Facts and Theological Fictions." The au- 

 thor speaks from the point of one who re- 

 gards the teachings of the Bible and the 

 doctrines and practices of the Church re- 

 garding women as all wrong, and as lying 

 at the bottom of all the disabilities which 

 she believes woman has suffered in Chris- 

 tian lands. The third lecture embodies re- 

 plies to certain specific claims that have 

 been made that the Church h:is contributed 

 to the elevation of woman's life and status. 



MEcnANios AND Faith. A Study of Spirit- 

 ual Truth in Nature. By Charles Tal- 

 bot Porter. New York: G. P. Put- 

 nam's Sons. Pp. 295. Price, $1.50. 



The author, as the basis of his theory, 

 regards matter to be force, manifested in 

 endless diversity of application to our na- 

 ture and wants. "Force, truth, beauty, and 

 love," he say-s, " are the four spiritual reali- 

 ties which in their unity interpenetrate, if 



