melancholy, his heart-burnings and haughty indifference, his tenderness and devil-may-care, shine out before us along with his associates of twenty years, his patrons and cronies, his butts and bores, Ainslie and Rankine, Jean and Luath, the impressive Hornbook, the insufferable Blair. Nor could anything more exactly express the nature of the man on its serious side than the words put into his mouth,-'I dare sin, but I dare not lie;' or on the other side the words (when his wife has sung 'My Nannie, O'), 'Ay, ye may weel clap your hands, Ainslie. A finer singer-or a finer song-weel, we'll no praise oursels.' Trust one canny Scotchman to find out in another that affectation of being vain, which is three parts affectation and one part real vanity. The author's faculty is unique for insinuating himself into these half-conscious moods, and turning them inside out; all of which is much helped, and often suggested, by his strong sense of humour. In 'Sleeping Beauty' we have another phase of the same fact, the Spirit of Grace, like the moonlight in Turner's 'Dudley,' struggling with the despotism of trade, and the influence of modern competition, cant, and rascality. The moral purpose of the volume is at its highest in this noble prose poem. But we have a quaint variety of

it in the article on ladies' full dress, which is a delightful union of dexterous argument with sound sense. In point of general, literary merit, the book is superior to anything Dr. Stirling has published. The most perfect in form and most original of the poetical pieces are the Universal Strike' and 'I am That I am,' which we take to be the most luminous piece of metaphysical poetry in existence. 'Venetian Madeline' and Belshazzar's Feast' are rich in Venetian colour and Oriental sumptuousness. But all have a poetical individuality, and an imaginative grasp which enables us to indorse the opinion expressed of the author's first prose work, that his powers in this direction were sufficient to stock an aviary of popular poets.'"

Post Card from W. T. HARRIS, LL.D., Editor of The Western, of the Journal of Speculative Philosophy, Superintendent of Public Schools, etc., St. Louis.

"Oct. 29, 1878.-I read through BURNS IN DRrama, night before last, beginning it at 9 P.M., and finishing it at 4 A.M., reading slowly and making references to the Cyclopædia and

to my copy of Burns as I went along. I was intensely interested in it. It beats any biography, or even Carlyle's famous Essay on Burns. I am writing a notice of the book to-night."

From the Rev. Joseph Taylor Goodsir.

“I quite agree with W. T. H. in his conclusions. Having read Carlyle's essay again on purpose, I have no hesitation in saying that there is all the difference between his representation and yours that there is between a plain daguerrotype and a firstrate stereoscopic view. The details, too, are admirable; ex gr., the duel between the 'High Kirk Orator and the Poet.'

From Dr. William Veitch, Author of the Clarendon Press
Treatise on the Greek Verb.

"I rejoice that there is a Scot abroad,' na¡ ¿uveròs nai ow@gwv. It would be humane and patriotic to subscribe a trifle to send a few of our little big men to the New Country to relume 'the sacred fire.""

From the Journal of Speculative Philosophy.

"This small volume, from the distinguished author of 'The Secret of Hegel,' will prove of unusual interest to those who have read his philosophical writings. His intense, fiery style, his profound absorption in his theme, his amazing gifts at description of subtle psychological processes, rendered his book on Hegel what the Germans call an 'epoch-making' one. He seizes the reader's attention from the start, and holds it by his power to throw the interest of personal adventure into his portrayal of the struggles and disappointments incident to discovering the thought of a great philosopher. . . . Dr. Stirling is certainly the most successful of philosophers in his literary presentation of the steps of philosophic experience. This has been realised by a multitude of old and of young who have read his books. These persons will welcome the 'Saved Leaves' as a desired completion to the biography of a true man, who has laboured, with no mean success, to become MAN-the generic type, to realise his race. . . . Most of the scenes of the first three acts would make a lively impression on the stage. The fourth and fifth acts follow the life of Burns into richer, nobler

developments, but which cannot be presented with adequate stage effects because of their internality. . . . The characters are portrayed in a few masterly strokes, showing the very essence of their humanity. . . . No essay on Burns, or biography of him, gives such vivid pictures of the man as does this 'drama.””

From Patrick Proctor Alexander, Esq., M.A., author of "Moral Causation," "Mill and Carlyle," "Life of Alexander Smith," &c.

"As to the bleaching-green scene, I have no doubt it was pretty well just that that did take place."

From J. Scot Henderson, Esq., of “Globe" and " World,” &c., &c.

"I do not think, in all the innumerable contributions to Burns literature, I ever met anything that is at once so truthfully characteristic, so pre-Raphaelitically realistic, so to speak, and yet so discriminative of the best ideal tendencies of the man and poet both. You have lived yourself into his central individuality-if I may say so. This notice is to the point, and expresses what I felt most strongly about the Burns -you have restored to us the very personality of the man."

From Mr. Cupples.

"Burns in Drama' is, beyond question and opinion, masterly --a first-rate piece of work. It is thorough poetical representation-sets the man there-enters into him and all his surroundings. Wilson, to my mind, is better than Carlyle on the subject. But you do, I think, in far less space and few words, what he does with much oratory—and, besides that, you give what no one else ha given, to me at all events; you reproduce and represent, and also give touches that are absolutely clairvoyant. In Burns's case these have a peculiar value, for to understand and appreciate him, personality is first, indispensable, essential. 'Sleeping Beauty' is exquisitely well done; it reminds me of Shelley when he is at his best. The descriptive touches

throughout the volume are often exquisite, always indicative of unusually accurate observation as regards Nature, still more so where any human concern is involved, e.g., ‘there are men working on a hull; you see the hammer fall-soundless-but with an echo,' as 'the steamer' passes with this one hearer amidst a babbling crowd of Glasgow Down-the-water. The pictures of Wales are uncommonly full of such graphic touches. 'Ogrebabe' is a very powerful sketch, but not pleasant to read of a night. The allegorical, or rather the symbolical and hieroglyphic force of meaning in 'Aihai,' and in the various poems, is of a quality that places them far above mere off-hand estimate by journalists."

From the late Douglas Jerrold.

"I was very much struck with the peculiar freshness and vigour of your first paper (the Novelist, etc.); it had thought and sinew in it."

From January Searle, author of "Life of Ebenezer Elliot," &c., &c.

"It is a graceless office, however, to find fault, especially where there is so much to admire. I think the reader will agree with me that 'Merla' is full of nature and beauty, and that it is woven in the woof of genius and poetry. It contains sea-pictures and sea-voices, such as one does not often find in literature."

From the late George Gilfillan.

"I am reading your 'Leaves' with continued interest: 'Ariel' is a piece of genuine poetic beauty."

EDINBURGH OLIVER AND BOYD.

EXTRACTS FROM GENERAL TESTIMONIALS, &o.

From Professor Zeller, of Berlin.

“All that I have read of the philosophical writings of Mr. James Hutchison Stirling has convinced me that their author is distinguished not only by a comprehensive and thorough knowledge of ancient and modern philosophy, but also by an accurate understanding and appreciation of its import and history, as well as by a clear, animated, and universally intelligible style in the statement of it."

From Professor Erdmann, of Halle.

"That his knowledge of philosophy as a whole is not restricted to Kant and Hegel, has been demonstrated by him in the annotations with which he has adorned his translation of Schwegler's 'Handbook' . . Every word that seems not to breathe the greatest esteem for Stirling is wrongly read, and must be replaced by another at choice."

From the late Professor Ueberweg, of Königsberg.

'Through my colleague, Rosenkranz, who bears you in mind with great recognition, I became acquainted with the first edition of your translation of the introduction-generally acknowledged to be excellent in its kind-by which Schwegler, too early lost to us by a premature death, rendered an inestimable service to the study of the history of philosophy. The speedy demand for a second edition testifies to the approbation which this useful book finds in your country also. The completion of the notes in your second edition enhances the interest of the work.

It affords me, too, great satisfaction to see a system so complete in its kind as is the system of Hegel, made by you more accessible to the English mind."