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moment.-A work of industry and labour, written with a good purpose.A bird's-eye view of the subject that I will revive the recollections of the scholar, and seduce the tyro into a longer course of reading."-Athenæum.

This work contains more information on the subject, and more references to the present position of Italy, than we have seen in any recent production."-Foreign Quarterly Review.

"In reference to style, the work before us is altogether extraordinary, as that of a foreigner, and in the higher quality of thought we may commend the author for his acute, and often original, criticism, and his quick perception of the grand and beautiful in his native literature."-Prescott (in the North American Review.)

"The work before us consists of a continuous parallel of the political and literary history of Italy from the earli

est period of the middle ages to the present time. The author not only penetrates the inner relations of those dual appearances of national life, but possesses the power of displaying them to the reader with great clearness and effect. We remember no other work in which the civil conditions and literary achievements of a people have been blended in such a series of living pictures, representing successive periods of history."-Algemeine Zeitung.

"An earnest and eloquent work.”— Examiner.

"A work ranking distinctly in the class of belles lettres, and well deserving of a library place in England.”— Literary Gazette.

"A work warmly admired by excellent judges."-Tait's Magazine.

"An admirable work written with great power and beauty."-Prof. Longfellow. (Poets and Poetry of Europe.)

18s.

"For some time past the most extraordinary interest has been excited in New York by a series of lectures delivered by a Mr. A. J. Davis, while in a state of mesmeric sleep........ The lectures, though thus delivered while Mr. Davis is sound asleep, occupy from an hour to an hour and a half in the delivery, and are enunciated with a fluency and ease never surpassed by the most accomplished speaker. They embrace every variety of scientific subject, cosmology, ethnology, astronomy, geology, physiology, languages, &c. What makes the matter the more extraordinary is the fact, that on all the subjects on which Mr. Davis lectures when in a state of mesmeric sleep, he is profoundly ignorant in his waking moments."-London Observer.

"I am fully prepared to be a witness to the fact of his making correct use of a multitude of technical terms appropriate to the theme of science, which he is wholly unable to define, in his waking state, and which would naturally occur only to one who had been long familiar with the subjects, and with their peculiar nomenclature. Indeed, I have been sometimes amused at his bungling attempts, on casually reading the manuscript, even to pronounce accurately the words, which he utters with entire freedom and correctness in the

I can

mesmeric delivery; and which are taken down verbatim by a scribe with a view to ultimate publication. also testify that, having been occasionally present at some of these lectures, I have heard him quote Hebrew, Greek, and the Latin languages, of none of which he has the least knowledge in his normal condition. He has also quoted long extracts from the Sanscrit, the substance of which I have been able to verify from a French translation of the Vedas. Whether the same thing exists in an English version I have not learned; but I am entirely confident he has never read it in any translation.

"Taken as a whole, the work is a profound and elaborate discussion of the Philosophy of the Universe, and for grandeur of conception, soundness of principle, clearness of illustration, order of arrangement and encyclopediacal range of subjects, I know of no work of any single mind that will bear away from it the palm. To every theme the inditing mind approaches with a certain latent consciousness of mastery of all its principles, details, and technicalities; and yet without the least ostentatious display of superior mental powers."-Dr. Bush, Professor of Hebrew in New York.

"In whatever view the work is regarded, it is a very remarkable production, and will assuredly attract

extensive attention here, as it already has in America."-Morning Advertiser.

"The book has excited so much interest in America, that though large, consisting of 800 pages, 900 copies were sold in one week."-Family Herald.

"Viewed as one will, the book is one of the most remarkable literary curiosities ever heard of."-Massachusetts Quarterly Review.

"The main idea is skilfully sustained and developed, and there is a great deal in the book that we admire, and have long admired in other connexions."American Christian Examiner.

"Judged by the usual principles of criticism as the work of an unaided shoemaker, not two-and-twenty years of age, we may safely pronounce it the most surpassing prodigy of literary history." The Harbinger.

"His (Davis's) demonstrations of the existence of a God and of the immortality of the soul, are inexpressibly admirable."-New York Sunday Dispatch. "In saying explicitly that we cannot conceive of a more captivating and absorbing book, (to us, far more so than any novel we have ever read)-we have no need to express, one way or another, an opinion as to the supernatural quality of the 'Revelations'. To an unbeliever it will be a most delicious and far-reaching work of imagination, written with a vast background of scientific and philosophical knowledge, while, to the

believer, it will be, of course, like converse with an archangel on the comparison of other worlds with ours."-Home Journal, written by N. B. Willis.

"I am one of hundreds, who have seen and will testify to multiplied instances of his powers, which will admit of no explanation, save the exalted and abnormal condition of mind which he claims."-Troy Budget, written by Rev. T. Harris.

View it in whatever light we may, whether as a production of untainted imagination taking its flight in the Universe of Romance, or as the clear impressions of a mind in that condition which is analogous to angelic life, it comes to the mind as something which transcends its understanding of possibilities."-Truth's Telegraph.

"A very wonderful book, exhibiting everywhere a gigantic grasp of thought." -Critic.

"Let our readers distinctly understand that we do not on any supposition regard this book as common place, or easily explained. Be it fraud, delusion, or mixture,-be it mesmerism, or newly invented communication from the spiritual world, or downright revelation, be it any one of these, or anything else, it is very curious. As soon as the right name is found for it, we will be the first to call, of that name, extraordinary,very extraordinary."- Athenæum.

"None of the poets of the Romantic School of Germany, with perhaps the exception of Novalis, have identified themselves with nature as Brentano has done. He possesses in a wonderful degree all their beauties and eccentricities, and is, nevertheless, one of its most distinguished members."--Introduction.

Though, as we have observed, the subject of this little story is full of exciting incident, yet we may fairly agree with the translator when he says, "the whole is kept so unaffectedly noble and simply true, that, at the present time, when authors are vying with each other in displaying in their works the most violent contrasts, and in portraying the most vulgar and pernicious realities dug up from the very dregs of large cities, this little work stands as a beautiful model in literature."-Manchester Examiner.

"This tale is one of Brentano's most perfect compositions, presenting all his poetical and imaginative beauties, without the extravagance that too often deformed them. It is a right wholesome fiction, and at this time, when a taste for unwholesome romances so much abounds, it appears opportunely to show the public by contrast the pleasure of a pure creation, such as this, compared with the unnatural extravaganzes for which there is such a demand."-Critic.

"A most touching tale."-Nonconformist.

"Brentano's story of The brave Caspar and the fair Annerl,' is one which has notably taken its stand among the romances that give a portraiture of lower life in Germany, and like most of the works of its accomplished author, ranks high in public

estimation there. We do not think it likely to lose any of its popularity by its English dress. It is a melancholy and very touching story. Those who are unacquainted with the writings of Brentano will find a good account of them, together with a short biography of the author, in the introduction."Examiner.

"A little story worthy to take rank with Auerbach's Village Tales and other delineations of the peasant life of Germany, which have lately been received with so much favour in Eng. land. Its author is as yet scarcely known here; we therefore feel grateful to the translator both for his having put into an English dress a charming little tale, and also for introducing to an English audience one whose name perhaps many of them had never before met with, notwithstanding that his family have been rendered illustrious by their connexion with genius. The little tale before us is one of Brentano's latest works, and was published at Berlin in 1835. It is evidently his most finished production, and contains passages which will find an echo in all hearts. In the words of his biographer, in this story Brentano's muse is displayed in her fairest aspect, and entirely divested of his usual extravagant fancies. The delineation of the tale recals to one's memory the ingenious arabesque characters in the M.S.S. of the middle ages, and indeed many of the details are really taken from popular tradition. But the whole is kept unaffectedly noble and simply true. We must not make extracts from this little volume, but can honestly say that it is admirably adapted for a Christmas Present or New Year's gift.-Westminster and Foreign Quarterly Review.

Thoughts on the Poets.

The