ed from treating the events of this crisis as a philosophical
historian; they are too fresh, and his own share in them was too decided
to allow him to undertake that successfully. He accordingly does little
more than simply report the transactions in a compendious way, with all
the documents necessary to a full understanding of the subject. Whoever
wishes for a thorough apprehension of the German tragi-comedy, may
derive aid from his work.

* * * * *

The resources of philology have just been enriched by the publication at
Tubingen of a dictionary of six of the dialects of Eastern Africa,
namely, the Kisuaheli, Kinika, Kikamba, Kipokomo, Kihian, and Kigalla.
This is accompanied by a translation of Mark's Gospel into the Kikamba
dialect, and a short grammar of the Kisuaheli. The author of these works
is the Protestant minister Krap, who has been for fifteen years in
Ethiopia, and has collected and presented to the University at Tubingen
a considerable number of most valuable Ethiopian manuscripts.

* * * * *

A notable and interesting book is BEHSE'S _Geschichte des preussischen
Hofes und Adels_ (History of the Prussian Court and Nobility) of which
the two first volumes have just been published at Hamburg by Hoffman &
Campe. The whole work will contain from thirty to forty small volumes,
and will treat all the states of Germany, only some half dozen volumes
being devoted to Prussia. The two now published bring the history down
to the reign of Frederic William II. They abound in most curious
historic details. For instance, the acquisition of the title of King of
Prussia by the Elector of Brandenburgh, Frederic III., is narrated at
length. It seems that this prince, who was deformed in body, but as
politic as he was ambitious in spirit, after many fruitless efforts
obtained from the Emperor at Vienna the grant of the royal dignity, by a
bribe of two hundred thousand thalers, paid to the Jesuit Father Wolff,
as a compensation for the influence of the Society, whose members were
flattered that the most powerful of the Protestant princes of Germany
should solicit their assistance. The whole cost of the grant was six
millions of thalers, an enormous sum for these times. The Papal Court
refused to recognize the new king, and did not until Frederic the Great.

* * * * *

We believe a general _Biographical Dictionary of Illustrious W