EPISTLES TO STUDENTS, 279 



it would envolop RuhRcquent statomcnts in darkness. Many of the dis- 

 cussions may seem minute, but this from the nature of the undertaking 

 could not have been avoided. The chief excellencies of the work are 

 its freedom from all party bias and monarchical predilections; the enthu- 

 siastic love which the author evinces for his subject ; extensive erudi- 

 tion, sound judgment, and wise political reflections. The ideas are pre- 

 sented with clearness and fluency, and with that ease which arises from 

 a thorough grasp of the subject. The style is animated, simple and 

 natural, and in some passages there is much life and vigor. The work 

 contains a series of brilliant pictures — a most beautiful grouping, as 

 for example, in the story of the attempts at Reform in Lacedamon un- 

 der tlie ill-fated, amiable Agis and the high spirited Cleomenes. 



The author has not only had recourse to the original classic writers, 

 but he shows a familiar acquaintance with the learned researches of the 

 laborious Germans. He commences with speculations as to the early 

 iuliabitants of Greece and the foreign settlers, and presents inquiries as 

 to the origin of the Hellenic people, and the persons and exploits of the 

 heroic ages, endeavors to give consistency to the return of the Heracli- 

 daj and probability to the legislation of Lycurgus. He also furnishes 

 us with the physical aspect of Greece — with an interesting view of the 

 political and social condition of the Greeks, during the heroic age, and 

 an able account of their national institutions and forms of government. 



Did our limits allow, we should be glad to give an analysis of the 

 whole work and follow the author in his narrative. Our design in this 

 notice is merely to direct attention to the interesting and instructive pub- 

 lication and recommend its careful perusal to our readers. 



EPISTLES TO STUDENTS. NO. II. 



Young Gentlemen : 



We undertook to convince you, if conviction were needed, 

 that you have assumed, and not by constraint, but willingly, vows, which 

 are neither oppressive, nor arbitrary. We touched upon the first part 

 of your matriculation oath. You cannot seriously object to rendering 

 your instructors respect. When the obligation is extended beyond 

 them to other men, whose relations to you are general, the obligation 

 may not be so clear, but there cannot be any real difficulty in determin- 

 ing that the requisition, so far as they are concerned, is proper. It would 

 neither comport with your dignity as gentlemen, nor with your connec- 

 tion with a respectable literary institution, that you should be charge- 



