I. What races of people built the ancient works in Amer ica ? II. Whence and how was America peopled? In answer to the first question we have given to us, first, the continuity of monuments from the Great Lakes to Peru, varying at different points, from causes which our author suggests; next, the tradition of the Delawares with regard to their coming to the country east of the Mississippi, and driving to the South the original possessors; then, the annals of Mexico and Peru, referring their origin to the North; and lastly, the want of any account, among the northern tribes, explaining the antiquities which were about them, and also their habits, which would never lead to the making of such works. From these facts, stated most briefly, our author draws the conclusion, that the identity of the race, which built the antiquities of the United States, with that of Mexico, and of both with that of Peru, is made so highly probable, as to throw the burden of proof upon him who doubts. Concluding, then, that all the antiquities of America were built by one race, and that, the race known to us in Mexico and Peru, our author next inquires as to the origin of this people. He brings forward and examines their language, anatomy, mythology, hieroglyphic system, astronomy, architecture and decorations, manners and customs, illustrating all by curious plates; and from all, clearly presented and fairly weighed, draws the conclusion, that the civilized people of America was identical with that of ancient Egypt and Hindostan, and our northern Indians the same with the Mongol race. But he does not rest here. He goes into an examination of the origin and migrations of the ancient inhabitants of Egypt and Hindostan, the family of Cush. This portion of Mr. Delafield's work contains much curious and very interesting matter, and some with which very few are acquainted. To present it in a condensed form would be to invade his copyright, for we could not hope to compress his clear, close statements. Let it be sufficient to say, that he traces the family of Cush to Egypt, and gives us the emigration from that land again, through Persia and Siberia toward Behring's Straits, along the line of which emigration we find the evidences of this peculiar race, the builders of pyramids, mounds, immense walls, and great cities. From Behring's Straits, our author traces the southward march of this strange people in America, by means of a Mexican symbolic map, which he gives, covering nineteen feet of paper, and thus puts the key-stone to his arch of evidence. We have, in this work, then, a brief, but very clear and fair view of the evidences which favor the theory, that the antiquities of America originated in the labors of a branch of the great Cushite family. The difficulties of the theory are not discussed, but the positive proof is certainly strong; and no one can read this work, without becoming interested in those inquiries, the main results of which it gives so ably and precisely. In addition to Mr. Delafield's argument, we have in this volume a Preface, by Bishop McIlvaine, respecting the bearing of such inquiries as Mr. Delafield's upon the Bible; and an Appendix, consisting of a curious paper, by Dr. James Lakey, of Cincinnati, upon the causes of man's superiority in the Northern Hemisphere over his fellow-man in the Southern. In short, a careful examination of this Western quarto proves it to be as well worthy of attention from the matter it contains, as from the beauty with which that matter is laid before us. It makes us look to the West with new interest, and increases our faith in her rapid and steady intellectual and moral progress; for the two must go together. She has intellect enough to place her high in useful exertion, and to give new vigor to the mind of all America, if her children can but stand enough aloof from business and politics for a fair exertion of their powers. Mr. Delafield has set them a noble example. 14. Desultory Reminiscences of a Tour through Germany, Switzerland, and France. By an American. Boston: William D. Ticknor. 8vo. pp. 364. THE young author of this work has shown a sound heart and good head. He has given us his recollections of a tour in Europe, carefully and leisurely prepared, and written out with considerable attention to style. Novelty is not to be expected in a work professing to treat of countries so long trodden by travellers' feet, as Germany, Switzerland, and France. Still an observant and honest tourist may furnish his readers with entertainment and instruction, by reviving the faded images imparted by others, or by putting familiar facts in new lights. The classical scenes, on which the great drama of European history has been enacted, and where the momentous work of civilization and art is still going swiftly on, can never lose their interest. The traveller's tale will always be eagerly read. We have, in this work, carefully-drawn descriptions of the most celebrated natural scenes in Europe. Works of art are treated with taste and feeling, and national manners are indicated with due discrimination. The author appears to have made himself familiar with the various objects, most deserving a stranger's attention, in the great capitals of Europe, and entered heartily into the enjoyment of whatever was beautiful and excellent in taste, or illustrious in historical fame. The city of Paris, in particular, is the subject of ample and minute detail. The book is written, as we have said, with considerable attention to the style; but it has faults, in that respect, which ought to be pointed out. The language is too stilted and monotonous, running into long and cumbrous sentences, and thereby bearing at times an inadequate expression of the author's ideas. It is overloaded with epithets, which weaken instead of strengthening it. It is deficient in terseness, and would be greatly improved by a pretty thorough thinning out of superfluous words, those weeds of language. Take, for instance, a sentence selected almost at random, "Gilded as were now its rippling eddies, by the rays of a setting sun, that bathed no fairer landscape in the warm flood of its descending splendor, it formed a scene, such as the glad eye could not weary in gazing upon." But the book is, notwithstanding, very readable and agreeable. 15.- Treatise on the Contract of Sale. Translated from the French of R. J. POTHIER, by L. S. CUSHING. Boston: Charles C. Little & James Brown. 1839. 8vo. pp. 400. THE accurate translation of this standard work by so good a writer as Mr.Cushing, is a valuable service, alike to the professional and general reader. A contract the most frequent and important is here satisfactorily discussed, upon the broad authority of good conscience and equity, as well as upon the more limited principles of municipal law. The train of reasoning is such as naturally passes through intelligent and thinking minds; and, void of artificial elements, it leads to principles which not only do justice, but secure therefor the approbation of common sense. Thus the treatise on Contracts, like that of the same author on Obligations, is not only a good book of law, but an excellent book of morals. That distinguished writer and advocate, Mr. Alison, has justly remarked, that "Pothier, by an astonishing effort of mental vigor, has extracted from the heterogeneous mass of the old laws and customs of France, the element of general jurisprudence, and followed out the ingrained principles of the Roman Law, with a power of generalization, and clearness of expression, to which there is nothing comparable in the whole annals of legal achievements." The treatise on Contracts is an important portion of those works, which elicited such a warm and merited eulogium from the English lawyer. Though this treatise can possess, in America, none of the authority and weight of statute laws, and their judicial expositions, it richly furnishes those scientific and equitable considerations, which lawyers and judges, however able in native resources of intellect, or however much relieved from responsibility by inflexible precedents, wish ultimately to repose upon in forming conclusions, which, from their practical effect upon the interests and happiness of their fellow-men, must needs be justified as well at the bar of conscience as of public opinion. Besides, it is clothed with the authority of common law for those portions of America which were formerly under the jurisdiction of France, as Louisiana and Lower Canada. This, in common with all translations, is marred by some inherent defects, impossible to be removed, because founded in the very elements of thought. The frequent occurrence of Latin words and phrases, concentrating in their signification whole laws and principles, more or less unknown to the foreign reader, abates much of the point and force of the general reasoning. It must be owned, too, that some doctrines are laboriously discussed, which have become, by a change of circumstances, and the diffusion of knowledge, scarcely worthy of even a formal statement. Poems. By GEORGE LUNT. New York: Gould & THE largest poem in this volume is of the didactic or philosophic kind, written in the good old couplet of Pope. It is called "Life," and is an attempt to unfold and illustrate the truth, that Christianity is necessary to the full developement of the nature of man. We are inclined to the opinion, that didactic poetry is the most difficult achievement of genius, when wrought up to its highest perfection. To carry on a train of philosophical meditations, or to support a succession of reasonings and inferences, with all the restraints of metre and rhyme, and with all the ornaments of poetical illustration, must task the understanding, the imagination, and the power of expression, to their utmost. And in truth we find, as might be expected, in most attempts of this kind, little more than a series of unconnected truisms, sometimes expressed with point and terseness, but most frequently, on a close analysis, assuming the form of a caput mortuum. If we say, that Mr. Lunt has not produced a didactic poem of the first class, we question neither his taste nor his genius. In the first place, the subject he has chosen is one of the greatest magnitude and importance. Treated thoroughly, it would require years of toil, almost endless knowledge, and the highest philosophical as well as poetical powers. It is the great subject of speculation in modern times. Apart from its claims as a system of religious truth, imparted to man by Divine Revelation, Christianity, in its political, social, and intellectual relations, is the one great, stupendous phenomenon in modern history. Mr. Lunt has given us a very pleasing poem, touching upon the leading topics of this high argument, and written generally in a polished and melodious style of versification. There is one fault, very common in the heroic couplet, which Mr. Lunt occasionally falls into; that is, the use of unnecessary epithets, to complete the rhythm, and to balance the hemistichs. It is curious to observe, how frequently in this poem (and almost every other written in the same measure), the first half of the line contains an adjective, necessary perhaps both to the sense and rhythm, and, after the cæsural pause, comes another see-sawing with it, wholly superfluous, except for the melody. Thus. "Where burning words instinct with living fire." Besides, is it not tautological to call "burning words instinct with fire ?' Again, mere surplusage. "The same dark passions fire his owing breast." |