ne imagination, all under the control of an exquisite
taste, with more success than that of any other American writer, IRVING
perhaps alone excepted. The authorities upon which he relies for his facts
are uniformly given in notes, and the fullest information is presented in
the same form, on all points which concern the accuracy and completeness
of the work. We read the following passage in our author's preface with
profound regret: 'For one thing, I may reasonably ask the reader's
indulgence. Owing to the state of my eyes, I have been obliged to use a
writing-case made for the blind, which does not permit the writer to see
his own manuscript; nor have I ever corrected, or even read, my own
original draft.' Mr. PRESCOTT may well consider this as an ample excuse
for any errors of typography; of which, by the way, we have not discovered
even one. We were already aware, on the best authority, that WASHINGTON
IRVING had prepared to take up the ground so ably occupied by our author;
a fact to which Mr. Prescott alludes in the following graceful terms:

'It was not till I had become master of my rich collection of
materials, that I was acquainted with this circumstance; and had
he persevered in his design, I should unhesitatingly have
abandoned my own, if not from courtesy, at least from policy;
for though armed with the weapons of Achilles, this could give
me no hope of success in a competition with Achilles himself.
But no sooner was that distinguished writer informed of the
preparations I had made, than with the gentlemanly spirit which
will surprise no one who has the pleasure of his acquaintance,
he instantly announced to me his intention of leaving the
subject open to me. While I do but justice to Mr. IRVING by this
statement, I feel the prejudice it does to myself in the
unavailing regret I am exciting in the bosom of the reader.'

We cannot take leave of this splendid book without making mention of the
truly elegant style in which it has been issued by its liberal publishers.
It yields in no respect to the finest issue of the Boston, and we had
almost added, of the London press. The three volumes are large octavo, of
about five hundred pages each, containing elegant portraits and
illustrative maps; and yet the whole is sold for six dollars!

THE AENEID OF VIRGIL, WITH ENGLISH NOTES, CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY; a
Metrical Clavis and an Historical, Geographical an