Reviews and Notices of Books. 125 
copiousness of treatment to which we have alluded, we may men- 
tion that one whole lecture (Lect. 14), is occupied with the 
different acceptations of the word measure, whilst the subject of 
Mensurability fills another complete lecture. In discussing this 
word Measure, the author quotes St Paul, Plato, Aristotle, 
Ptolemy, Proclus, Apollonius, Cicero, Juvenal, Lucan, Hobbes, 
and Wallis. The remaining nine lectures are occupied with the 
definitions of Euclid’s fifth book. We are glad to see from the 
title-page to this edition, that it has been prepared for the College. 
It is to be hoped that this implies that the College intend to en- 
courage the reading of it Now, we are pretty secure in saying, 
that no one will think of reading through these ten lectures on 
the method employed by Euclid in his fifth book, who has no 
desire to master that method, or no object in endeavouring to do 
so. We consider the fifth book of Euclid to be the most perfect 
work which has come down to us from antiquity, and the most 
beautiful example ever produced of reasoning on an abstract defi- 
nition, or, indeed, of reasoning at all; and it is matter of sur- 
prise that this book should be virtually ignored in Cambridge. 
For the ordinary degree, it is absolutely and formally excluded ; 
and it is to be presumed, that candidates for honours will take the 
hint to pass it over, unless their attention is strongly directed to 
it. We accept this edition of Barrow’s Works, edited by the 
Master of Trinity for the College, and published, as we infer 
from the preface, at the expense of the University, as a protest 
against such omissions, and a pledge of their ceasing to exist, 
It is right to notice, that the present publication embraces not. 
only the Mathematical, but the Geometrical and Optical Lectures. 
These last will find few readers in the present day. Dr Whewell 
modestly states in his preface, that he does not himself pretend 
that he has, in all cases, gone through them to his satisfaction. 
We fear they will not only find few readers, but will hang as a 
dead-weight upon the circulation of the «‘ Mathematical Lectures.” 
It is right to notice, too, that the “ Mathematical Lectures ” 
have been translated into English, and that copies are frequently 
to be met with. The translation is so badly executed, according 
to Dr Whewell, that it cannot be of use to any one. We do not 
altogether subscribe to this opinion. We happen to possess two 
copies of the translation, one of which bears the name of Baron 
Maseres, and both have been well thumbed. Our readers will 
perhaps prefer a specimen of the copious (shall we call it pleon- 
astic ?) style of Dr Barrow, extracted from the translation, humble 
as it is, to the infliction of the original Latin. The passage 
occurs in the 138th Lecture, and is the author’s mode of apologis- 
ing for being about to dwell a little longer on Congruity, in place 
of at once passing on to Proportionality :— 
“But shall I never extricate myself from these quirks and 
