Reviews Of New Books.

land as well as with those of classic Greece ancl Rome ; that they think the history of England , of France , and of Germany as valuable ancl instructive as the records of Thucydides , of Tacitus , or of Xenophon ; and that they even think it of equal importance that he should have a knowledge of the geography of Great Britain , her colonies , and her nei ghbours , as of the art of constructing sapphics , alcaics , and hexameters . So at least thinks Bro . Bellew , and excellently ivell does he discourse upon this head : —

" It is determined to give equal importance to the English as to the Greek and Latin and French classics ; aud so effectually aud regularly to point out tho beauties in our own noble literature , as to imbue our scholars with a becoming respect and love for the English authors who have p ' ourcd forth their wisdom , then- poetry , then-genius , in vigorous language inferior to none , aud only hitherto disregarded because insufficiently known—and only insufficiently known , because , in the times of the now happilbygono infancy of our nationIVO undervalued

y , our nation's teachers . Even in our school tuition , wc seem almost to have forgotten , that the grandest , purest , and wisest authors whom tho world has yet seen , have written their immortal works in our simple , expressive , and gradually allabsorbing Anglo-Saxon tongue . This is au element iu an Englishman ' s education which lias been grossly aud shamefully neglected . AVhy should a boy bo required to understand a play of Sophocles or Euripides , and know nothing of Shakespeare , Miltonor Addison ? Look at our public schools now . Those books are

scholas-, tic-lily unknown and unread . All a schoolboy knows of Shakespeare is a chance visit at holiday time to the theatre ; but lie can say tho ( Edipus , or Medea hy heart . So in literature and so in history . He knows all about the battle of Marathon , but nothing of Blenheim or tho Boyne—he can describe Hannibal crossing the Alps , but not JNapoleon—he can toll when Ctcsar landed in Britain , but never heard of the Normans at Pevensey Castle . "

AA e cannot too highly praise the tone of this inaugural address throughout . Rs sentiments are manly , sensible , and pious , and the language in which they arc expressed is nervous and eloquent . Seldom has a speech been delivered upon an occasion of importance , so divested of verbiage , and so ivell calculated to arouse the sympathy and co-operation of its hearers . AVe sincerel y trust that our reverend brother ' s efforts will he crowned with the success which is due to honest and enthusiastic perseverance . AVe wish

this address may have an extensive circulation beyond the district to which it is more immediately addressed ; for we arc sure that fathers and schoolmasters generally , may derive profit and gratification from its perusal . Among the greatest advantages , beyond all doubt , which accrue to the English bojr educated at our great public seminaries arc the cultivation' and development of physical training . The manl y sports ancl athletic amusements of Harrow , Winchester , and Eton have done as much to form the statesmen and heroes of old England , as all the book-lore that was there acquired . On this subject hear 15 ro . Bellew : —

" I am one of those who think , that the intellectual vigour of children has very frequently been impaired by hours of study too much ]_ rolongecl , and by want of fresh air , and athletic sports . This has been tbe vice of private schools . For myself , I ivould borrow the idea of ' muscular Christianity , ' and say—let us have muscular education . The boy who distinguishes himself in our noble and national sports at cricket , rackets , or foot-ball , or can win a match at swimming , is in my opinion deserving of great respect ; and my experience tells me that such a boy makes a far more useful citizenactive member of societand judicious parent in

, y , after life , than thoso brow-beating scholars , with faces ' sicklied over with the pale cast of thought , ' who are incapable of the sinewy exertion which best becomes an Englishman , I do not want my children to be walking editions ol old books , but men , strong in purpose , and in power to carry out their purposes . I firmly believe in the vigorous intellect being wedded to the vigorous frame— ' mens nana in corpore saw . ' "