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New publications

'The Protector; a vindication'; by J. H. Merle D'Aubigne, D. D.; (Robert Carter, 58 Canal Street, New York.). A zealous defence, this, of the character of one of the men in history whose life marks an era in time, in character, and in government—we mean Oliver Cromwell. The character of Cromwell has been too much covered with odium, through the one-sided accounts which have come down to us through the sycophantic writers after the restoration. We hail with pleasure every attempt to clear up the truth, and to present that really noble reformer in his true colors.

Wiley & Putnam, 161 Broadway, New York, have just published what has long been desired among our schools in the way of teaching children the first stages of a very pretty accomplishment.—We allude to 'Coe's new drawing cards,'1 a series of practical lessons containing numerous elementary studies, cottages with rocks, trees, fragments of landscape, picturesque buildings, birds, animals, rustic figures, and finished landscape; designed to assist the pupil in writing, and to furnish him with useful studies in drawing. We recommend this cheap means of instruction for our Brooklyn schools.

'Water-drops' is the title of an elegantly printed volume, written by Mrs. Sigourney, and published by Robert Carter, 58 Canal street, New York. It contains forty-eight sketches, poems, etc., all of them, in some method, illustrating the beauty of temperance, and the horrible results of dissipation. Some of these sketches are of remarkable interest and pathos. Of the poems, the world is already capable of judging the merit.

'Lectures to young men;' by Abiel Abott Livermore, (Boston, James Munroe and company—Brooklyn, for sale by T. D. Smith, 202 Fulton st.). A very serviceable and excellent little work, whose object is pourtrayed in its title. What Mr. Livermore says of amusements is particularly happy and correct.

'Fruit of western life; or Blanche and other poems'; by David Reeve Arnell: (J. C. Riker, 129 Fulton street, New York.) A very prettily printed volume. The ideas of the author, however, seem to be vague. We should think he would, by great attention, succeed better in prose.

'The American citizen; his true position, character, and duties': by Theodore Sedgwick. This pamphlet, published by Wiley & Putnam, 161 Broadway, New York, is a discourse delivered at Union college, in July of the current year. It is a noble discourse!

'The champions of Freedom, or the mysterious chief'; by Samuel Woodworth, (W. H. Graham, Tribune buildings, New York.) This is a patriotic romance with the following choice extract from Montgomery as its motto: "Miracles our champions wrought, Who their daring deeds shall tell? O how gloriously they fought! How triumphantly they fell!"

The tale is laid during our war of 1815.

Harper's Pictorial England continues to be issued rapidly by the great firm in Cliff street. Number 32, we believe, is now out.2

Number 182 of Littell's Living Age, (Berford & co., 2 Astor house,) has eighteen splendid full articles, besides poetry and scraps.

Even yet one must laugh, with all the gusto of childhood, over that funny comic pictorial yclept 'The Adventures of Batchelor Butterfly' as issued, price 25 cents, by Wilson and co., 15 Spruce street, New York.

The Parlor Magazine for November (E. E. Miles, 151 Nassau street, New York,) should have before been noticed by us. This work is now under the editorial management of J. T. Headley. Its articles are choice and varied, and the engravings quite always good.3 Price $2 per annum, in advance.

'La belle Savoyarde,' a dashing bit of polka music, by Gustave Blessner, has been published by our friend Holt, from his place 156 Fulton street, New York. Go there, and buy either it or something else.

'History of the pirates, and of the Bucanneers and Freebooters of America'; (Wilson & co., 15 Spruce street, New York.) A melo-dramatic affair, full of blood, wounds, and horror! The style is concise, fluent, and unusually good for works of this kind. In this little book, the reader sees evidence enough that "truth is stranger than fiction," indeed.

'Benjamin, the Jew of Granada'; by Edward Maturin, (Richards and company, 30 Ann street, New York.) Mr. Maturin is, we believe, considered among good critics as a deserving writer. His stories are generally full of incident.

Hunt's Merchants' magazine, for November, has a sterling paper entitled "State debts," written by T. P. Kettell. It has four commercial articles, evincing great research and assiduity in collecting facts—besides the usual "Mercantile law cases," and the "Commercial chronicle and review."

The Democratic Review, for November, contains a well executed picture of Nathaniel Greene,4 postmaster at Boston. This number has some eighteen articles, all of them well written, and some of remarkable merit.

The Young American's magazine, (George W. Light, 3 Cornhill, Boston,) number 5, for November, has a variety of articles by such writers as Greeley, Lowell, and enthusiasts of that order. It is a well printed periodical.


Notes:

1. Connecticut-born artist Benjamin Hutchins Coe (1799–1883) published many popular drawing manuals between 1840 and 1858. His drawing cards were part of a national effort to teach drawing as a skill in the schools while also elevating aesthetic taste. On drawing in the schools, see especially Marzio, The Art Crusade, 59–62. [back]

2. For Whitman's review of The Pictorial History of England see August 10, 1846, "Literary Notices," Brooklyn Daily Eagle. [back]

3. The Christian Parlor Magazine reproduced a variety of secular and religious engravings in each issue. Joel T. Headley (1813–1897) was a clergyman, historian, and later New York Secretary of State. [back]

4. Nathaniel Greene (1797–1877), son of the Revolutionary War general of the same name, was a journalist before becoming the Boston postmaster. His full-page portrait introduces the November 1847 issue of The United States Magazine and Democratic Review. [back]

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