REVIEWS—A SUMMARY OF CANADIAN HISTORY. 537 
Morgan, whose books are so crowded with incident and literary gossip, that we 
forgive the awkward air with which recent acquisitions seem to sit upon her,— 
says above, ‘‘that erudition isin England, in 1820, a greater female stigma than 
vice itself” Yetin the same chapter, in speaking of the Institute at Bologna, 
she says, “The anteroom of the Library has an interest of its own, from being 
eovered with the portraits of the learned; among which, strange to say, the ladies 
hold a distinguished place. At the head, as ‘chef de brigade,’ stares Isotta da 
Rimini. ‘Le due Isotte,’ as they are called, and Madam Dacier, compose a 
group that can never be mistaken for that of the Graces. They are indeed fear- 
Sul examples, to convince the most indigo-blue stockings, that the waters of the 
Pierian springs are not among the most efficacious cosmetics.” 
Does this prove that a bold courtesan stands at the head of literary women in 
Italy, or that learned women are never beautiful? Yet how strongly it implies 
something of the sort! 
In a note, she says Cassandra Fedele was far too ‘‘ pretty for a pedant ;” and 
farther on, that, “in woman, genius and abstruse learning never yet went together.” 
She reckoned without her host; though it is perfectly true, that in herself genius 
has supplied the want of abstruse learning. 
Trivial as such remarks may seem, every one who adds without cause to the 
number does something to lower the popular estimate of women. It was because 
of the almost infinite power of light words that our Saviour said, “‘ Let your 
conversation be as Yea, yea.” 
Let every true-hearted woman speed all other women striving for honorable 
distinction ; and so, in good time shall come a happy emancipation. 
What is implied in such “happy emancipation” varies widely 
according to the speaker or writer by whom it is employed; but what 
true-hearted woman strives for as an honourable distinction, true-hearted 
men need not fear her attaining to. Noble aspirations never beget 
unworthy results; and as it has been the triumph of Christianity to 
elevate woman to her true place as the helper and equal companion of 
man, so must we expect, as civilization progresses, that she will claim 
her due place and share in every advancement he achieves. OD. W. 
A Summary of Canadian History, from the time of Cartier’s 
Discovery to the present day. By J. A. Boyd, B.A. Toronto: 
James Campbell, 1860. 
The author of this little unpretending volume has accomplished, 
with complete success, the difficult task of compressing into the 
compass of little more than a hundred pages an accurate and connected 
relation of the chief incidents connected with Canadian history from 
the time of Cartier’s discovery to the present day. It is written in a 
