Mr. Hepworth Dixon, who is already favourably known as the author of a
_Life of Howard_, has just published _William Penn, an Historical
Biography_. It is unquestionably a book of considerable talent; and even
those who may be most inclined to dissent from the {311} author's views of
the political principles of the Quakers (and we suspect many of the Quakers
themselves will be found among that number), will admit that in treating
him not as a mere Quaker, as preceding biographers had been too much
disposed to do, but as "a great English historical character--the champion
of the Jury Laws--the joint leader, with Algernon Sidney, of the
Commonwealth men--the royal councillor of 1684-8--the courageous defender
of Free Thought--the founder of Pennsylvania"--Mr. Dixon has succeeded in
the task which he had proposed to himself, namely, that of transforming
William Penn "from a myth into a man." His vindication of this great man
from what he designates "The Macaulay Charges" would not, however, have
lost one iota of its efficiency, had it been couched in somewhat more
measured terms.
Mr. Murray announces _The Grenville Papers; being the Private
Correspondence of Richard Grenville Earl Temple, his brother George
Grenville, their Friends and Contemporaries_, as in the press. It will
contain some letters from Junius, and Mr. Grenville's Diary, particularly
during his premiership, from 1763 to 1765. The fifth and sixth volumes of
Lord Mahon's _History of England from the Peace of Utrecht_ are also at
press.
Lady Theresa Lewis is nearly ready with a work which cannot but be of great
interest. It is entitled _Lives of the Friends and Contemporaries of Lord
Chancellor Clarendon, illustrative of Portraits in his Gallery; with an
Account of the Origin of the Collection; and a descriptive Catalogue of the
Pictures_. It will form two volumes, and be accompanied by illustrative
portraits.
Mr. Colburn announces a new library edition of Miss Strickland's _Lives of
the Queens of England_. Although revised and considerably augmented by new
materials which have been placed at Miss Strickland's disposal since the
appearance of the earlier impressions of her book, this edition is to be
comprised in eight monthly volumes.
BOOKS RECEIVED.--_The Buried City of the East: Nineveh._ A popular view of
the discovery of the remains of the great city, compiled principally from
Botta, and illustrated with numerous woodcuts, affords information enough,
perhaps, for those who may be unable to consult the stirring narrative of
Layard himself, but must send to his pages a great number of readers, in
whom it can only serve to waken a lively interest in this great triumph of
individual perseverance.--_The Iliad of Homer, literally translated, with
explanatory Notes_, by T. A. Buckley, B.A., is the new volume of Bohn's
_Classical Library_; and the Editor expresses his hopes "that it will be
found to convey, more accurately than any which has preceded it, the words
and thoughts of the original." The work has obviously been executed with
great care; and the notes, though brief, are to the point.
CATALOGUES RECEIVED.--John Miller's (43. Chandos Street) Catalogue No. XXI.
of Books Old and New; J. Russell Smith's (4. Old Compton Street) Catalogue
Part III. of Choice Useful and Curious Books, English and Foreign; and
Catalogue of a singular Collection of 25,000 Ancient and Modern Tracts and
Pamphlets, Part II.
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