438 Notices respecting New Books. 



have to be surmounted in realizing his ideal. In order to form a 

 fair estimate of the success of his undertaking, and to make these 

 difficulties understood, it will be well to consider briefly what is 

 required in such reading lessons. 



In order to suit all tastes, the subjects should embrace the several 

 departments of literature, science, and art. The writers should be 

 men of known ability, accustomed to original research in their several 

 departments, so that what they write may be quickened by that 

 peculiar freshness and vigour M'hich a direct acquaintance with their 

 subjects alone can give. Each lesson should be a creation, and not 

 a compilation. Each author should strive by all possible means to 

 arouse and maintain the interest of his reader ; for this purpose he 

 should avoid too much detail, and should be less anxious to increase 

 the number of his facts, than to surround each fact with its own 

 atmosphere of interest. All looseness of expression and insufficiency 

 of explanation should be carefully avoided, their consequences upon 

 boys being extremely disheartening and injurious. The strictest 

 accuracy in facts and expressions should be preserved, and all defi- 

 nitions should be as clear, decided, and concise as possible. 



The difficulty of Mr. Hughes's task will now be evident. To find 

 a number of men to co-operate with him in the fulfilment of the 

 above demands is not easy, and it will not, therefore, be surprising 

 to find that the success which has crowned his eflTorts, though con- 

 siderable, is not complete. As far as this first book is concerned, 

 however, we shall see that its success is certainly sufficient to encou- 

 rage him to persevere in his praiseworthy task; and we sincerely 

 hope, that whilst preserving the many good qualities of the first, 

 his forthcoming books will be free from its defects. 



This is not the place to speak much of the departments of litera- 

 ture and art. We shall merely remark, that the lessons on Mental 

 Culture, by Mr. Edward Purcell, contain many sound thoughts and 

 much good practical advice ; they will be read ly serious youths of 

 more advanced age with profit and interest. The Biographies, which 

 form an admirable feature in a boy's reading book, are on the whole 

 well written. We' know nothing more calculated to rouse a boy's 

 faculties into activity, and induce him to be diligent and persevering, 

 than well-written lives of men who have demonstrated by their 

 works what diligence and perseverance can accomplish. In the 

 forthcoming books we hope to see this feature more fully developed. 

 The selections of poetry are not as well chosen as we could wish, 

 neither can we say that the lessons on Music and Fine Arts are likely 

 to prove quite successful. The chapters on English Literature by 

 Mr. George L. Craik are well written, and will find many readers. 

 Believing, as we do, that these lessons may do something towards 

 cultivating a love for English literature in boys, we shall not stop to 

 inquire whether the rival claims of English authors are there quite 

 justly stated ; for it is far more important to develope in boys the 

 power of judging for themselves, than to furnish them with the 

 opinions of other judges. Everybody knows the attractions which 

 natural history possesses for young people, and we doubt not that 



