all of Franklin's writing, the book is a model of simplicity, ease and force. The great, we may say, the almost universal fault, of American writers, is affectation of eloquence. Writing can never be of any permanent interest, except from the thought it conveys; and the more simply, and tersely, and sententiously, this thought is expressed, the better. Some of our leading writers, such as Franklin, Rush, Jefferson, and others, have been models in this respect. It has been said of Rush, for example, that a quotation from his works makes a bright spot on the page to which it is transferred. It is so with Franklin. He makes use of language, merely as a medium by which to convey his thoughts. Many other writers employ thought, only as a groundwork on which to display language.

Again, the letters are written in a great variety of circumstances, and relate to a great variety of subjects in common life; so that they teach wisdom, by a practical exhibition of it. No one can read them, attentively and thoughtfully, without learning lessons of prudence and good management from them. We give an example, by extracting a letter. The circumstances were these. Franklin was at Philadelphia, a printer, and he had interested himself in getting his nephew, whom he calls Benny, apprenticed to a printer in New York. In process of time, difficulties arose between the young apprentice and his master. The former complained to Franklin, and to his mother, at Boston; and this letter is an effort of our author's to allay the rising irritation. It is a model, worthy of the study of many a father and master, in our days. Firmness and good sense, united with good humor and dexterity, characterise his management. It seems, too, to have been successful. We insert this letter as a favorable specimen of the work; as our readers will probably desire one.

"Dear Sister,-I received your letter, with one for Benny, and one for Mr. Parker, and also two of Benny's letters of complaint, which, as you observe, do not amount to much. I should have had a very bad opinion of him, if he had written to you those accusations of his master, which you mention; because, from long acquaintance with his master, who lived some years in my house, I know him to be a sober, pious, and conscientious man; so that Newport, to whom you seem to have given too much credit, must have wronged Mr. Parker very much in his accounts, and have wronged Benny too, if he says Benny told him such things, for I am confident he never did.

"As to the bad attendance afforded him in the small-pox, I believe, if the negro woman did not do her duty, her master or mistress would, if they had known it, have had that matter mended. But Mrs. Parker was herself, if I am not mistaken, sick at that time, and her child also. And though he gives the woman a bad character in general, all he charges her with in particular, is, that she never brought him what he called for directly, and sometimes not at all. He had the distemper favorably, and yet I suppose was bad enough to be, like other sick people, a little impatient, and perhaps might think a short time long, and sometimes call for things not proper for one in his condition.

"As to clothes, I am frequently at New York, and I never saw him unprovided with what was good, decent, and sufficient. I was there no longer

ago than March last, and he was then well clothed, and made no complaint to me of any kind. I heard both his master and mistress call upon him on Sunday morning to get ready to go to meeting, and tell him of his frequently delaying and shuffling till it was too late, and he made not the least objection about clothes. I did not think it any thing extraordinary, that he should be sometimes willing to evade going to meeting, for I believe it is the case with all boys, or almost all. I have brought up four or five myself, and have frequently observed, that if their shoes were bad, they would say nothing of a new pair till Sunday morning, just as the bell rung, when, if you asked them why they did not get ready, the answer was prepared, 'I have no shoes,' and so of other things, hats and the like; or if they knew of any thing that wanted mending, it was a secret till Sunday morning, and sometimes I believe they would rather tear a little, than be without the

excuse.

"As to going on petty errands, no boys love it, but all must do it. As soon as they become fit for better business, they naturally get rid of that, for the master's interest comes in to their relief. I make no doubt but Mr. Parker will take another apprentice, as soon as he can meet with a likely one. In the mean time I should be glad if Benny would exercise a little patience. There is a negro woman that does a great many of those errands.

"I do not think his going on board the privateer arose from any difference between him and his master, or any ill usage he had received. When boys see prizes brought in, and quantities of money shared among the men, and their gay living, it fills their heads with notions, that half distract them, and put them quite out of conceit with trades, and the dull ways of getting money by working. This I suppose was Ben's case, the Catharine being just before arrived with three rich prizes; and that the glory of having taken a privateer of the enemy, for which both officers and men were highly extolled, treated, presented, &c. worked strongly upon his imagination, you will see, by his answer to my letter, is not unlikely. I send it to you enclosed. I wrote him largely on the occasion; and though he might possibly, to excuse that slip to others, complain of his place, you may see he says not a syllable of any such thing to me. My only son, before I permitted him to go to Albany, left my house unknown to us all, and got on board a privateer, from whence I fetched him. No one imagined it was hard usage at home, that made him do this. Every one, that knows me, thinks I am too indulg ent a parent, as well as master.

"I shall tire you, perhaps, with the length of this letter; but I am the more particular, in order, if possible, to satisfy your mind about your son's situation. His master has, by a letter this post, desired me to write to him about his staying out of nights, sometimes all night, and refusing to give an account where he spends his time, or in what company. This I had not heard of before, though I perceive you have. I do not wonder at his correcting him for that. If he was my own son, I should think his master did not do his duty by him, if he omitted it, for to be sure it is the high road to destruction. And I think the correction very light, and not likely to be very effectual, if the strokes left no marks.

"His master says farther, as follows:-'I think I can't charge my conscience with being much short of my duty to him. I shall now desire you, if you have not done it already, to invite him to lay his complaints before you, that I may know how to remedy them.' Thus far the words of his letter, which giving me a fair opening to inquire into the affair, I shall accordingly do it, and I hope settle every thing to all your satisfactions. In the mean time, I have laid by your letters both to Mr. Parker and Benny, and shall not send them till I hear again from you, because I think your appearing to give ear to such groundless stories may give offence, and create a greater misunderstanding, and because I think what you write to Benny, about getting him discharged, may tend to unsettle his mind, and therefore improper at this time.

"I have a very good opinion of Benny in the main, and have great hopes of his becoming a worthy man, his faults being only such as are commonly

incident to boys of his years, and he has many good qualities, for which I love him. I never knew an apprentice contented with the clothes allowed him by his master, let them be what they would. Jemmy Franklin, when with me, was always dissatisfied and grumbling. When I was last in Boston, his aunt bid him go to a shop and please himself, which the gentleman did, and bought a suit of clothes on my account dearer by one half, than any I ever afforded myself, one suit excepted; which I don't mention by way of complaint of Jemmy, for he and I are good friends, but only to show you the nature of boys.*

"The letters to Mr. Vanhorne were sent by Mr. Whitfield, under my

cover.

"I am, with love to brother and all yours, and duty to mother, to whom I have not time now to write, your affectionate brother,

"B. FRANKLIN."

The first part of the volume is occupied chiefly with letters to the various branches of his family, and were written previously to his first going to England, on political business. While in England, he resided in the family of Mrs. Stevenson, whose daughter seems to have been a favorite with him. The volume contains many of his letters to her, on a great variety of topics, amusing and instructive.

As years move on, the correspondence becomes gradually involved with political events; and many of the letters on these subjects, written in France, are highly interesting, especially those relating to the movements and operations of the celebrated John Paul Jones.

The volume is concluded with what are called Miscellaneous Pieces-chiefly arguments, and memoranda of arguments, on the political controversies in which Franklin was engaged. The spirit and force of his writing gives interest to what would othererwise, now, deserve little attention; and the whole closes with a very amusing article, entitled the "Craven-street Gazette," in which the occurrences of a few days, in the family in which he resided at London, are pompously described, in the technical phraseology used by the newspapers, in recording the measures of a ministry. The whole is highly interesting and instructive, and of decidedly good moral tendency.

9.-Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; design

ed for Sunday school teachers and Bible classes. By Albert Barnes. In two volumes. pp. 396 and 544. New York Jonathan Leavitt. Boston: Crocker & Brewster. 1833.

MR. BARNES says, in his preface, that "his object has been to express, in as few words as possible, the real meaning of the gospels; the results of their critical study, rather than the process by which these results were reached. He wished to present to

Benny after this appears to have done well.

Sunday school teachers, a plain and simple explanation of the more common difficulties of the book which it is their province to teach." The work is also designed for a harmony of the gospels. The different narratives are brought together, particularly in the notes on Matthew, on the principle, that the sacred narrative of an event is what it is reported to be, by all the evangelists. Throughout the whole, references to parallel passages of scripture, are made an essential part of the explanation of the text.

We have examined portions of these volumes, and are satisfied of the fidelity and accuracy of Mr. Barnes's labors. In respect to the interpretation of various passages, the appositeness of an illustration, or the legitimacy of an inference, there will be, of course, diverse opinions. With the general character of the book, for industry, skilful exposition, honest intention, and strong desire to write as become the oracles of God, there can be but one sentiment.

While on this subject, we cannot forbear to say, that, in our opinion, biblical geography demands far more attention than it now receives in our Sabbath schools and Bible classes. It is a source of unfailing interest. It stimulates inquiry, in respect to the present site of places mentioned in the Bible, the character of their inhabitants, and all the discoveries of modern travellers bearing on the subject. It is essential to the right interpretation of some passages, and to the perfect elucidation of many others. Not a few educated men, who are habitual readers of the Bible, are sadly deficient in close, accurate knowledge of the geography of the scriptures.

10.-The Iliad of Homer, from the text of Wolf; with English Notes, and Flaxman's Illustrative Designs. Edited by C. C. Felton, A. M., College Professor of Greek in Harvard University. Boston: Hilliard, Gray & Co. Cambridge: Brown, Shattuck & Co. 1833. pp. 478.

THE text of this edition of the Iliad is an exact reprint of the Leipzig edition, published by Tauchnitz, in 1829, after a most severe revision. A reward was offered for the detection of every error, and a text, comparatively immaculate, was thus obtained. In the preparation of the notes, Mr. Felton has selected those passages for comment, which appeared, from several years' experience in the class-room, most to require it. Among other commentators, Heyne and Trollope were freely consulted. A portion of the notes are designed to call the attention of the reader to the intrinsic poetical beauties of the Iliad.

The illustrations of Flaxman, designed originally for bas-reliefs, were enthusiastically welcomed on their first appearance, and have been repeatedly published in England, Germany, France and Italy. He has penetrated, says the London Quarterly Re

view, with a far deeper sense of the majesty of Homer, into the Iliad and Odyssey, than Canova, who dedicated his whole life to the renovation of the antique, nor has he failed to catch the peculiar inspiration of whatever poet his fancy selected for publication. To the aid of his art, he brought a loftier and more poetical mind, than any of the preceding English sculptors. He has the same grave majesty and severe simplicity, as his great originals. Flaxman died in London, in 1829, at an advanced age. We rejoice that an individual, so well qualified as Mr. Felton, has brought out a new edition of Homer. The text is printed with a full and distinct type, on strong and durable paper. The notes occupy about eighty pages, and are inserted at the close of the volume. We quote one passage from Mr. Felton's preface.

"The splendor of the Homeric dialect is worthy of the greatest admiration. There is a certain point in the progress of every people, when their language is most fitted for poetical composition. It is when they have risen above the state of barbarism to a condition of refinement, yet uncorrupted by luxury, and before the intellectual powers have been given much to specu lative philosophy. Then the rudeness of language is worn away, but the words are still used in their primitive meanings. They are like coins, lately from the mint, with the impressions unworn by long and various use in the manifold business of life. The numerous secondary meanings which the ever-increasing intricacy of the social relations, and the new views and abstract ideas of science, impart to words, sometimes to the concealment of their original senses, have not yet confused or effaced the impressions. Such was the condition of our own noble language in the time of Elizabeth. The words of Shakspeare and Massinger have a truth to nature, a clearness and graphic power, a simplicity, force, and freshness, which few subsequent writers have been able to rival. Such was the condition of the Greek language in the age of Homer. Formed under the genial influences of a serene and beautiful heaven, amidst the most varied and lovely scenery in nature, and by a people of a peculiarly delicate organization, of the keenest susceptibility to beauty, and of the most creative imagination, the language had attained a descriptive force, a copiousness, and harmony, which made it a fit instrument to express the immortal conceptions of poetry. Its resources were inexhaustible. For every mood of mind, every affection of the heart, every aspect of nature, it had an appropriate expression, and the most delicate imagery. Its words and sentences are pictures; in such living forms do they bring the thing described before the reader's eye. The metrical harmony of the Iliad has never been equalled. The verse flows along freely and majestically, more like the great courses of Nature, than any invention of man."