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Rome." Her Majesty, having been attracted to some of the sketches which appeared in the Illustrated News during the Crimean war, employed him to paint for her the principal events of her reign, and he consequently produced, under these distinguished auspices, "The Queen Presenting Crimean Medals to the Troops at the Horse Guards," "The Marriage of the Prince of Wales at Windsor," and other works of the series, which are well known to all. His art, it will be seen, was manifold, and manifested itself in various directions; but it is as an illustrator of books that his name is most frequently mentioned. In this capacity he was highly esteemed and largely employed. In vigour, in fidelity to his subject, and in the tone of the composition, he was equally happy. He did really illustrate his author; often, indeed, with his pencil supplying characteristic touches which supplemented the author's meaning and made clear what had been obscure. He thus performed important service as an interpreter. A reference to the beautiful volume of his "Remains," which, thanks to the courtesy of several publishers, the Messrs. Cassell and Co. have just been enabled to issue, clearly shows this. The work is an epitome of the artist's labours as a book-illustrator. It contains specimens of his manner in every direction. Several tales by living writers, some classic poems, established fictions, the occa

sional poem, or the social sketch in a magazine,
found in him an able commentator. And he was
always conscientious. If he gives us a sketch of
French society, the whole tone is French; if he is
treating an incident in the time of the Cavaliers, he
pays scrupulous attention to the minutest details; if
he delineates modern life among ourselves, we seem
to breathe the social atmosphere of our own times.
In all his pictures or sketches he displays truth in
apprehension and conscientiousness in execution, for
which in many other favourite artists of the day we
have to look in vain. Take, for example, the pic-
ture before us--a real scene of every-day life. Any
one who has read the story will at once see that the
characters of the two persons before him have been
accurately seized and clearly represented. She
would not listen to her husband; she knew her
power to wound, and did not scruple to use it.
'Josh's loving heart was at her feet, and she
stamped on it with all her might." In her we are
clearly presented to one of those women who derive
comfort from the belief they are martyrs; in him,
one of those men whose hearts ache whenever they
venture upon a mild attempt at reproving. See,
too, the details of the picture-nothing is scamped
or overlooked. We know we are at the "White
Greyhound" in the presence of its master and
mistress. The admirers of Mr. Thomas have in
this volume a worthy souvenir of his genius.

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BEAUTIFUL-LEAVED

A FEW years ago somebody bethought him that if we could not have flowers in our gardens all the year round, we might at any rate have that which constitutes the main charm of flowers-beauty of colour and variety of form. With the introduction of Beautiful-leaved Plants be

gan a distinct phase in the history of horticulture, and they are now considered almost indispensable in every well-ordered garden and conservatory; not to the exclusion of, but supplementary to, the old-fashioned geranium and the graceful fuchsia. Mr. Hibberd has figured and described all the new plants of this description not hitherto noticed in any other work. The volume is supplementary to that published in the same series a few years ago. Since then, the cultivation of Ornamental-foliaged and Beautiful-leaved Plants has been so successfully studied that we have now nearly two hundred additional plants and shrubs from which we may select; so that, whatever the season, there need be no lack of bright colours and graceful forms. In the volume before us each new plant is shown complete in miniature -as in the example here introduced-and also by a leaf or leaves in their natural colours and dimensions. Those who are unacquainted with the

PLANTS.*

cent introduction from the fields and gardens of India, China, and Japan; and in very few cases has it been found impossible to grow them in the open air, our climate indeed proving unexpectedly favourable to their successful propagation.

The

three or four pages of text appended to each plate will be found ample for all purposes of description and identification; while for those who are wishful to cultivate specimens of these plants, Mr. Hibberd provides sufficient instruction in terse and comparatively untechnical language; the result of the combined work of author and artist being a really delightful book.

The Calathea Veitchiana has a noble leaf, sumptuously coloured, green and purple predominating; it is, however, a rare plant, and only met with occasionally. Others figured in the volume, or some of them, are to be found in a large number of modern green-houses; they are reared as easily as flowers, and may be kept in leaf all the year round, so that at those times when conservatories would otherwise be bare and unsightly for want of flowers, a gay and cheerful appearance may be kept up; every variety of colour may be procured, and even in the depths of winter the place may be made to look like a series of rich bouquets. Hibberd is careful, not only to figure the new plants, but to supply all needful directions for their cultivation; and thus we have a book which is equally an ornament to the drawing-room and an assistant to the practical gardener.

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CALATHEA VEITCHIANA.

character and peculiarities of these plants will be surprised to discern what a wealth of tint and outline is attainable. Many of these plants are of re

New and Rare Beautiful-Leaved Plants. By Shirley Hibberd, F. R. H.S. Royal 8vo. (Bell and Daldy.)

Mr.

ADAMS'S SACRED ALLEGORIES.*

FEW religious tales have taken such a hold upon their readers as the Allegories of the late Rev. William Adams; by many they are regarded as the best that have appeared since the days of John Bunyan. They are written with great honesty of purpose, and such is their nature that we wish them to be true, and would fain believe them SO. Of the four contained in this volume the best is "The Old Man's Home." The scene is laid in the Isle of Wight, near Bonchurch. A harmless lunatic has escaped from the asylum, and narrates his past life and future prospects in such guise that we are led to suppose them true of this world, when in reality he is speaking of the next.

or as affording us a field of contemplation altogether removed from the present world. The former view has been principally adopted in 'The Shadow of the Cross,' the latter in The Distant Hills.'

These, however, were not so successful as the last two perhaps because their religious teaching was more pronounced. The last of the series, published shortly before the author's death, is that from which our illustration is taken, "The King's Messengers." A rich merchant at his death left immense treasures to his four sons, of which the eldest, whose portrait is here given, had the division. He divided it in such a manner that his

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His wife and family had gone "home" many years before, and he was still on the road. Some keepers coming up, hurry the old man off to the asylum, where the narrator visits him, and learns more of the wondrous journey-but not from the old man's lips; they were sealed: he had gone to his home. As we have said, the scenery is natural :-there is no doubt that much of the old man's character was drawn from nature also, perhaps during some of Mr. Adams's visits to Hanwell.

The first in order of publication was "The Shadow of the Cross;" the second, "The Distant Hills." In his preface the author says: "Two distinct views may be taken of our position in the Church upon earth. We may either regard it as enabling us, by the light that shines upon it from above, to pass in safety through the trials of life;

Sacred Allegories. By the Rev. William Adams, M. A. New Edition, with Illustrations from original Designs by Cope, Horsley, Palmer, Birket Foster, and Geo. Hicks. 4to. (Rivingtons.)

brothers, although receiving largely, never quite understood the principle upon which it was divided. He went on heaping up riches. The second brother thought to make himself a name by building a tower. The third tried to obtain applause by his ostentatious almsgiving. The fourth retired to an obscure part of the city, where he every day appeared to become poorer-but only seemed to become so. His riches had been sent away by various Messengers of the great King-the lame, the blind, and the halt. He had laid up a store of treasure where no moth could corrupt, and where no thieves could steal.

The author reposes under the Shadow of the Cross in the old churchyard of Bonchurch, a place which will sooner or later be swallowed up by the sea; and few persons go to that part of the island without paying a visit to the spot-a spot beautiful in itself, hallowed by the author's grave, and still more hallowed by its reminiscences of "The Old Man's Home."

THE UNIVERSE: THE INFINITELY GREAT AND THE INFINITELY LITTLE.*

WHEN Dean Swift, with whom such a fact would have special significance, wrote the verses

So naturalists observe a flea

Has smaller fleas that on him prey,
And these have smaller still to bite 'em,
And so proceed ad infinitum,-

he recorded what daily observation and the discoveries of modern science amply verify. M. Pouchet, the latest exponent of this universal law, traverses the whole realm of nature, and, in illustration, unrolls before us its varied wonders. He

the connection between creatures too small to be visible and the most highly organized beings; and between these, again, and the dominating forces of the universe, form the theme of his work. M. Pouchet may be described as the interpreter of the latest results in natural history, botany, geology, and astronomy. He describes his work as not a learned treatise, but a simple elementary study, conceived with the idea of inducing the reader to seek elsewhere a more profound knowledge of the subject. But to a large number of readers the

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shows us the laws of that family of globes of which the sun is the centre and vivifying power; and reveals what, till the discovery of that marvellous agent, the microscope, had been hidden from observation. The same processes, the same results, belong to all. The transmutation to which everything-the infinitely great and the infinitely littleis liable; the interdependence of thing upon thing;

The Universe; or, The Infinitely Great and the In finitely Little. By F. A. Pouchet, M.D. (Blackie and Son.)

contents of this volume will, we suspect, be at once new and startling. The plan of the work is simple. He begins with a description of the invisible world, and gradually proceeds to that of the most imposing phenomena of the universe. The Animal Kingdom, the Vegetable Kingdom, Geology, and the Sidereal Universe, form the great main divisions, and these are subdivided into books and chapters, proportioned to the The first books, revealing the marvels disclosed interest and importance of the several subjects. by the microscope, describe the smallest class of

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organisms-the Infinitely Little; and the actions, habits, and productions of these invisible creatures are fully explained. Then follows an account of insects, of birds, and animals, in which the latest facts are interwoven with curious anecdotes. "The

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Vegetable Kingdom is an elaborate survey of the anatomy, physiology, germination, and migration of plants. Under the head of "Geology," we have a popular résumé of that science, with especial reference to the wonders of the earth, its volcanoes, earthquakes, strange fossils, glaciers, deserts, &c.; and, finally, we have two books devoted respectively to the "Sidereal World" and the "Solar World," in which we find embodied the most recent researches of our astronomers. curious chapter on "Popular Errors," in which the monsters and superstitions of pre-scientific times are disposed of, terminates this entertaining volume. M. Pouchet, who possesses the art of placing before his reader the most obscure facts in attractive guise, is at home in all these sciences. He is never vague, but writes with a distinctiveness, a clearness, and a picturesque vigour, which, we must add, have been ably preserved by the translator. Nor do the literary merits of the volume exceed the artistic. The 343 wood-cut illustrations, as works of art and as pictorial representations of the objects described, are equally meritorious. In their production time and care seem to have been lavished. A large number of them could not be excelled by steel plates, so softly, delicately, and transparently have they been worked. Our specimen represents a sponge which forms a colossal vase, to which the name of "Neptune's Cup" (Raphidophora Patera) has been given. It is erected solely by myriads of polypi; and although no organ is to be detected, it is classed by naturalists among undoubted animals, and even figures with members of the animal kingdom. In this cut the artist has adapted himself to the end in view. In style and treatment, and in the manner in which it has been produced, "The Universe" deserves high praise. It will create in the young, and foster and extend in readers of ripe age, a taste for natural science; and as a presentation book, the Season has not produced a more splendid volume.

The Great Schools of England. By Howard Staunton. (Strahan.)-Mr. Staunton has produced a work which will be warmly welcomed by these classes of persons-by the "old boys" of the several great schools of England, by parents about to select one of these schools for their sons, and by all educationalists throughout the world who wish to make themselves acquainted with institutions, and a system of education which has no parallel out of this kingdom. The great schools are ten-Eton, Winchester, St. Paul's, Merchant Taylor's, Charterhouse, Harrow, Rugby, Shrewsbury, and Christ's Hospital, and of these Mr. Staunton gives a full and lucid account. He divides his subject into three parts. In the first place he gives an historical survey of the school from its foundation to the present day, noting succinctly the changes it has undergone and the improvements recommended; he then devotes a chapter to statistical and miscellaneous information, such as the constitution of the school, the governing body, the scholars, the masters, the course of studies, the customs and practices of the place; and, finally, he supplies a list of the alumni who have achieved eminence in the world as statesmen, warriors, men of letters, churchmen, lawyers, or otherwise. This last division will be of interest to others, besides those who have been connected with the schools. The percentage of distinguished men in all departments who have been educated at one or other of these celebrated endowed schools, is surprising. In Mr. Staunton's pages we alight upon famous names whom we never imagined had the advantage of being educated at these schools, and the author, by supplying biographical notes, enhances the value of his work. The original scheme of the volume comprehended only the ten Great Endowed Schools of England. In compliance, however, with numerous requests, Mr. Staunton has appended a brief account of the four chief modern Proprietary Schools-Cheltenham, Marlborough, Russell, and Wellington, which have almost attained the dignity enjoyed by the ten. An account of Dulwich College-rapidly becoming one of our most important educational establishments and brief notices of the endowed Grammar Schools of England and Wales, complete the volume.

LES PIERRES, ESQUISSES MINÉRALOGIQUES.*

HERE is another volume from the French press,
similar in character to others already noticed.
M. Simonin has invaded the domain of the geologist,
the mineralogist, and the metallurgist, and reveals
to us its wonders just as the authors of "The
Universe" and "The World of the Sea" reveal
to us the marvellous facts which respectively came
within their scope.
The work does not profess to
be profound, not even to be purely scientific, but
it does profess to be, above all things, interesting,
and we think M. Simonin has not failed in his
object. If "Les Pierres" will not be of much
service to the professional geologist and mineralo-
gist, it will fully satisfy the needs of that large
class which desires to inform itself of the pro-
perties, history, and location of the most important
species of the mineral kingdom. The book is
divided into two parts, the first treating of stones,
separated into groups, and the second giving a
history and description of certain stones. Under
the one heading we have, after an introductory
sketch of the subject generally, an account of the
origin of the earth, its subsequent condition till

Les Pierres, Esquisses Minéralogiques. Par L. Simonin. Paris: Hachette et Cie.)

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the appearance of life on its surface, and the changes it has experienced during geological ages down to the present day. Then follows a description of the coal and iron mines of France; and, next, concluding the first part, a slight sketch of "Les Pierres du Globe," arranged under the heads of "Carbon," Metallic Substances, Building Stones, "Precious Stones," "Earths and Salts," Petroleum and Subterranean Waters." The second part treats of mines and mining industry, and, like the preceding, comprises four chapters-"The Gold and Silver Deposits of America," "The Marble Quarries of Italy," "The Iron Mines of Elba," and "The Coal Mines of Central France." As will be seen, M. Simonin occupies a wide area, and in travelling over the ground he gives a clear and intelligible account of what is passed on the route. He wisely selects those points which are capable of amusing as well as instructing those who follow him, and thus secures for himself attention from first to last. Much assistance in the understanding of the work is furnished by the illustrations. Of these, 21 are chromo-lithographs or coloured plates, and 91 woodcuts. All of them are creditable specimens of art, and however defective, in the eye of the man

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