but we should have preferred the unvaried text of the best manuscript, or at least should wish the variations marked.

Before the poem itself, we have an introduction which is designed to clear up some of the difficulties which would at first sight seem to attend Chaucer's versification, as well as to criticise and explain the origin of the poem itself. Mr. Corson's remarks about the accent and pronunciation are exceedingly good and well-timed. There is, however, one thing which he leaves in the dark. He nowhere states plainly of what number of syllables the verse consists. He does indeed speak of five heavy accents and that might give eleven syllables, but in his scheme of scanning he marks them as ten syllables. Now it is evident that the greater number of lines consist of eleven syllables, if the final e is pronounced as it should be. For if it is pronounced in the middle of a line why not at the end? Besides this there are some lines which compel the addition of this eleventh syllable, as 1. 2316-17, rhyming in lyten, smyten; 2379-80, maketh, taketh; 2383-4, she served, deserved; and 2391-2, brother, another. To speak any of these words as one syllable would be to force a disagreeable pronunciation; to leave the e off of the other words, would be to violate analogy. We have then left a few verses which are undeniably, as they now stand, of ten syllables. But here we think, a literal transcript of another text would give us the syllable, of which the blunder of the copyist has deprived us; or as to words where an additional e would be impossible, may it not be that catalectic verses occasionally occur to relieve the monotony, just as verses of more than eleven syllables are sometimes used. On this point we think the editor ought to have clearly spoken.

The notes are excellent. Perhaps some things are repeated a little too often, as that on meinie or many, but they all show a research which extends from the oldest to the latest poets. The notes on thewes and werdes are examples of this.

The book also has an index of every word explained or commented on in the notes.

THE SCHONBERG-COTTA FAMILY.*-This is the most pleasing work of fiction that has come from the press for many months.

* Chronicles of the Schönberg-Cotta Family. By two of themselves. New York: M. W. Dodd. 1864. 12mo. pp. 552. Price $1.50. New Haven: F. T. Jarman.

Under the form of a series of "chronicles" or diaries, which profess to have been written by the different members of the Schönberg-Cotta family, at the time of the Reformation, we have revealed to us, in their own experience, and that of their numerous friends, the feelings with which the progress of the work of Luther was attended in the hearts of the German people.

The great difficulty, in the case of most persons who attempt to make themselves acquainted with the history of the past, is a defect in the imaginative faculty. It is no easy thing to reconstruct for ourselves, though we may have the materials at our hands, any vivid idea of what must once have been the living reality. The writer of this book is one of the very small class of persons who are able to appreciate, and able to make others appreciate, the spirit of the distant past, and the characters and feelings of those who were actors in its memorable scenes. Who the author is, we are not reliably informed. The rumor is, that we are indebted for the book to an English lady.

The Schönberg-Cotta family are introduced to us as devout Roman Catholics, of the burgher class, who have their home in Eisenach. The father is a printer. In the family are numerous children, who are represented as quite intimate with Martin Luther at the time he was living in that town as a boy. This intimacy is kept up after Luther leaves Eisenach, and, in fact, it is maintained with scarcely any intermission during his whole life; so that we have, in the diary of one or another of the family, the whole story of his career, and so fully detailed that there are few incidents in his life, of which history has retained the memory, which are not interwoven with the thread of the story.

But the great interest of the book is in its very successful illustration of the gradual progress of that great change in the feelings of Luther on the subject of personal acceptance with God which brought on the Reformation. But this is by no means all. We have also the illustration of the effect of his new views respecting Jesus Christ, the authority of the papal hierarchy, and the dogmas of the Romish Church, upon the great variety of different individuals of widely different characters who are introduced in the story. The number of these characters is quite large; and each one is so skillfully drawn and so strongly marked, as to gain in the reader's mind all the freshness of distinct personality. We seem to have become ourselves acquainted with each

one, and to have seen and known the proud old Bohemian grandmother; the philosophizing father, with his even temper never disturbed by his repeated failures; "the little mother," so kind, so gentle, so patient, and loving; the practical Else; the generous Fritz; the blunt, uncompromising Christopher; the mild, contemplative, devoted Eva; the gallant and courteous Ulrich Von Gersdorf; the benevolent Herr Reichenbach; the nuns, Aunt Agnes, Catherine Von Bora, and sister Beatrice; the unhappy Priest Ruprecht Haller, and a host of others; while Melancthon, Staupitz, Eck, Tetzel, Erasmus, the elector, the emperor, the pope, and everywhere Dr. Martin Luther, are so introduced as to give an air of strange reality to all. We hope the book will be circulated by tens of thousands over the whole country.

POLITICAL.

NEW EDITION OF THE FEDERALIST.*-The first volume of this new edition of the Federalist makes a very handsome octavo of over seven hundred and fifty pages. It contains a portrait of Alexander Hamilton; an historical introduction, (124 pp.); a synoptical table of contents; and the Federalist itself, complete. The editor, (Henry B. Dawson, Esq., of Morrisania, New York), states that the text which he has adopted is "that which the distinguished authors themselves originally gave to the world," and he evidently feels no little satisfaction in being able to say that it now appears in his pages, without addition, abridgment, or the least alteration, except where typographical errors were subsequently corrected by the authors themselves, or are apparent and unquestionable." The second volume, yet to be published, will contain "Notes," prepared by the editor, which are to embrace "the more important of the alterations and corruptions of the text, which have appeared from time to time; many of the manuscript notes which have been found on the margins and blank leaves of the copies which were formerly owned by Mr. Madison, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Ames, Chancellor Kent, and other friends of

*The Federalist: A Collection of Essays written in favor of the new Constitu tion, as agreed upon by the Federal Convention, September 17th, 1787. Reprinted from the original text. With an Historical Introduction and Notes by HENRY B. DAWSON. In two volumes. Vol. I. New York: Charles Scribner. 1863. 8vo. pp. 757. Price $3.50. New Haven: Judd & White.

the respective authors; and such other illustrative matter" as the editor has supposed "will be useful to those who may examine the text of the Federalist; together with a very complete and carefully prepared Index to the entire work."

It will be seen that Mr. Dawson has aimed to furnish the public with an edition which shall be perfectly satisfactory; and it is evident that he has spared no pains to illustrate, in the most suitable manner, this series of political papers, the most able ever given to the American people.

We are disposed to award our praise to the editor for what he has attempted, and what he has done, as far as the republication of the original text of the Federalist is concerned. This he has endeavored to do with all exactness, and to give it without note or comment. Such is undoubtedly the best plan; although the reasons alleged seem to have in his mind altogether an exag gerated importance. Still, as we are promised, in the forthcoming volume, whatever verbal alterations the different authors at any time made or suggested, all parties will be completely satisfied. This edition, then, "the twenty-first in book form,"-as the results of much investigation authorize Mr. Dawson to call it will now undoubtedly be accepted as of standard authority, at least as far as the text itself of the Federalist is concerned.

But we regret to say that in this first volume we find certain blemishes, which pertain to minor matters, to be sure, but which are none the less blemishes; and are surprised, also, to discover some really important errors of statement in the historical introduction which are inexcusable.

For instance, we protest against the spelling of the time honored and familiar words "federal," and "Federalist," which has been adopted. As will be seen by reference to the title given below, these words are spelled invariably with a diphthong, so as to read thus-"fœderal," and "Fœderalist." Now no reason that we can imagine as possibly deciding the editor to make this innovation. seems at all satisfactory, and we have yet to see the first person who does not think that such a spelling in such a work is an unpardonable affectation. It is a constant offense to the eye-bad enough in this book; but insufferable when we think that it will soon be setting a thousand tyro contributors to the daily press to repeating it every day. The same thing is true of the form in which the name of Mr. JAY appears. It is invariably printed

with the acute accent over the letter A. We protest against these innovations, and urgently submit the question to the editor whether it is not yet possible, before the appearance of the second volume, to make a change in these words.

But to pass to matters of more moment. In the introduction, Mr. Dawson makes several extraordinary statements which we have not room to quote in full. One or two paragraphs must suffice. He says:

"Within the borders of New York, and among her members, had originated the greater number of the measures which led to the War of the Revolution; and, inspired by her example, and encouraged by her success,—not unfrequently, also, directed by her popular leaders,—her twelve associates had learned, at an early date, to look to her as to a leader, in the assertion of their own political rights, as well as in the more decided opposition which, from time to time, they had made to her representatives and to the measures of the sovereign." p. 10.

It is evident that Mr. Dawson is laboring under the impression that before and during the Revolution, the State of New York already held the position among her twelve associates of the "Empire" State. Now this whole paragraph, in its separate statements, and in its general tone, is so notoriously at variance with facts, that it is not worth the space to spread out on our pages a refutation. Who were the citizens of the State of New York, during all this period, whom Mr. Dawson will call the "leaders" of the illustrious men who are usually supposed to have exerted the greatest influence at this crisis? Mr. Dawson's own subsequent pages show conclusively that he had in mind neither John Jay or Alexander Hamilton. To whom, then, does he refer? But to pass over many other statements, which are calculated to convey a wrong impression, we will give one more illustration of the editor's manifest ignorance of the times about which he writes:

"At length, wearied with the continued short comings of her sister States, and, probably, aroused by the frequent insults and threats of dismemberment which had been freely indulged in by more than one of her immediate neighbors,—all of whom had envied her rising greatness, without at any time aspiring to her fidelity to the Fœderal compact-on the suggestion of one of the most distinguished and most patriotic, but most maligned, of her citizens, New York had been the first to propose measures for a complete revision of the Fœderal Constitution."

Here it is very evident that Mr. Dawson supposes that in 1782—which is the time he is speaking of; i. e. the time when the