REVIEWS — THE CANADIAN ALMANAC. 509 



mentj must give his name a very prominent place in the history, not 

 only of Toronto, but of Canada. But we are more impressed in the 

 above passage with the name of a college companion of him who 

 subsequently became Bishop of Toronto. Our author, indeed, men- 

 tions a Mr. Thomas Chalmers here, without noticing that he was any 

 one out of the common order of probationers or theological students 

 at the ancient Scottish University. But is there any doubt that it is 

 the Thomas Chalmers? — that Scotland actually ran this risk of losing 

 the foremost among all the men of the first half of her nineteenth 

 century ; and that Canada missed this chance of gaining him ? Had 

 the, young student of St. Andrew's undertaken the organization and 

 charge of the Provincial University, Scotland's modern history 

 would certainly have been different from what it is ; nor, we imagine, 

 would Canada's have been altogether the same. In glancing over 

 the biography, to which the above paragraph is the introduction, 

 we fancy to ourselves our Canadian Thomas Chalmers becoming 

 Kector of York, and next Archdeacon Thomas, and then Thomas 

 of the Executive Council, and finally Thomas Toronto, sole Bishop 

 of the Province ; and all things taking their shape from his vigorous 

 intellect and indomitable energy, as they have done in many ways 

 from the vigor and energy of him who accepted the important trust 

 in 1778, and still survives in honored age among the Toronto citizens 

 of 185S. 



The histories of old cities are fall of suggestive reminiscences and 

 lively incidents of biography and character, and we thus see that the 

 City of Toronto has also its incidents snd reminiscences already 

 gathering around a youth full of enterprise and promise for the 

 future. ' D. W. 



The Canadian Almanac, and Repository of Useful Knowledge, for the 

 year 1859. Toronto : Maclear & Co., 1858. 



This highly useful work, which has now reached its twelfth year of 

 publication, is more easy to turn to good practical use than to review. 

 It abounds with valuable matter, presented to the reader in the most 

 condensed form, and embraces, as its title sets forth, full and authentic 

 commercial, statistical, astronomical, departmental, ecclesiastical, 

 educational, financial, and general information. Having said so much 



