Lafayette 1831 N. J. William W. 1790 N. J. Gilbert M., LL. D., and at Harv. 1832 N. J.-James F., Mr. Lauderdale 1624 Un. Walter E. Laforge 1797 Col. Samuel A., Mr. 1797 N. J. Samuel A., Mr., and at Yale '92 1800 N. J.-Samuel, Mr., and Yale 1827 Un. 1830 Un. Joseph E. Augustus Edward W. NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 1. A Discourse on the Life and Character of Nathaniel Bowditch, LL. D., F. R. S., delivered by Alexander Young, March 25, 1838. pp. 119. Eulogy on the Life and Character of Nathaniel Bowditch, LL. D., F. R. S., delivered at the request of the Corporation of the City of Salem, May 24, 1838. By Daniel Appleton White. pp. 72. Eulogy on Nathaniel Bowditch, LL. D., F. R. S., President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, delivered before the Academy, May 29, 1838. By John Pickering, Corresponding Secretary of the Academy. pp. 101. These pamphlets, making a very respectable volume of about 300 pages, may all be read with much interest. Mr. Pickering's Eulogy is almost entirely occupied in giving an account of the scientific labors of Dr. Bowditch. Mr. Young and Judge White dwell on his biography, his early life, and his various labors and duties. The Eulogy of the last named, however, having been composed some weeks subsequently to that of Mr. Young, and with the advantage on the part of its author of a long personal acquaintance with Dr. Bowditch, supplies an additional variety of interesting details and anecdotes. It is mainly from Judge White's performance, that we have compiled the following brief notices. We would copy with great pleasure some of the remarks of Mr. Pickering did our limits permit, and did the nature of our publication authorize us to go into the details of science. Nathaniel Bowditch was born in Salem, March 26, 1773. His ancestors, who were all inhabitants of Salem, were highly respectable. His father, at the close of the revolutionary war, becoming reduced in his circumstances, resumed his earlier occupation, which was that of a cooper. In this situation, he needed the assistance of his children in supporting the family. Nathaniel was thus early inured to difficulties, and taught the admirable lessons of self-reliance and self-exertion. At about seven years of age, he was admitted into what was considered the best school in the town. He was then very fond of the study of arithmetic. He had the inestimable advantage of an excellent mother, who inspired his mind with the best principles, and who attached all her children strongly to herself. At the age of twelve or thirteen, he entered the ship-chandlery shop of Ropes & Hodges, with whom he passed several years. Upon their relinquishing business, he removed to the similar shop of Mr. S. C. Ward, in which he remained till he became of age, when he performed his first voyage at sea. The moments of leisure which be found during the day were eagerly devoted to reading or study. Sometimes he exercised his philosophical ingenuity in the way of experiments. While with Ropes & Hodges, he made a curious kind of barometer. After quitting the school already mentioned, he had no direct instruction in literature or science, except a few lessons many years afterwards in French pronunciation. An apartment in the upper story of his boarding house was the scene of his summer's labors, while a large kitchen-fire-place afforded him a commodious place of study for his long winter evenings. His early familiarity with the best English authors, accounts for his pure English style, so remarkable in a self-educated man of science, for its perspicuity and beautiful simplicity. But mathematics and natural philosophy were the objects of his most ardent pursuit. He read through the whole of Chamber's Cyclopædia, in two large folio volumes. His want of books was a very serious impediment. There are now in his library twelve folio, and fourteen quarto volumes of MSS. from his own pen, including several volumes of original matter written at a later period. The first of these volumes bears the date of 1787, when he was fourteen years old, and contains a long treatise on algebra, another upon geometry, and a third upon conic sections. While in Ward's employment, he learned the Latin 40 VOL. XI. 66 language for the purpose of reading Newton's Principia, which he translated into English. In 1794, he was employed in taking a survey of Salem. On the 11th of Jan. 1795, he sailed on his first voyage. In 1803, he returned from his fifth and last voyage. Four of these voyages were to the Eastern Archipelago, and one was to Spain. He kept a particular journal of every voyage. His literary acquisitions were multiplied and matured. He made himself familiar with the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese languages. But his most important labor was the American Practical Navigator, which as a work of practical utility has hardly ever been equalled. It has conducted millions of treasures and of human lives in safety through the ocean. At the close of his sea-faring life, Mr. Bowditch was appointed president of the Essex Fire and Marine Insurance Company, which office he held till his removal to Boston in August, 1823, a period of twenty years. During three summers, he was employed in making a survey of the harbor of Salem and of others in its neighborhood. Being a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he contributed many able mathematical and philosophical papers to its Transactions. The most important mathematical and philosophical works published in Europe, he procured for his own use. Among these was the Mécanique Céleste" of La Place. Of this great work, he early determined to make a complete translation, and to accompany it with a full and clear commentary, supplying the intermediate steps of the author's demonstrations, and elucidating the whole work. He entered upon this undertaking in 1815, and accomplished it in two years. The commentary and notes, accompanying the translation, exceed in extent the original work. The whole is printed in four large quarto volumes, with a beauty of paper and typography corresponding to the intrinsic dignity of the work. The first volume was published in 1829, the second in 1832, the third in 1834, and the last was completed to the thousandth page, at the time of the author's death. The London Quarterly Review, remarks, that, "it is, with few and trifling exceptions, just what we could have wished to see, an exact and careful translation into very good English, exceedingly well printed, and accompanied with notes appended to each page, which leave no step in the text of moment unsupplied, and hardly any material difficulty either of conception or reasoning unelucidated." By the publication of this great work, his fame throughout the scientific world was fixed on an immoveable basis. He sustained the expense of publication entirely himself. On his removal to Boston, Dr. Bowditch became the Actuary of the Massachusetts Hospital and Life Insurance Company, a situation of high responsibility. The duties of this office he continued to discharge with great ability and fidelity, till his death, which took place March 16, 1838. His remains were placed in the family tomb beneath Trinity church in Boston. An appropriate monument is to be raised to his memory at Mount Auburn. We here bring this short sketch to an end with a beautiful closing paragraph from Mr. Pickering's Eulogy. "His strength gradually failed; his physical powers refused their office; but his living intellect still shone bright and unclouded; and like the sun in the firmament, whose radiant orb he had so often watched in mid-ocean, from the splendor of its meridian beams to the softened lustre of its evening decline upon the waters of the fathomless deep, his serene and tranquil spirit gently sunk to repose, in cloudless majesty, upon the bosom of the ocean of eternity." 2. A Discourse delivered at the opening of the Providence Athenaeum, July 11, 1838. By Francis Wayland, D. D., President of Brown University. pp. 37. Reports made to the Providence Athenaeum, at the Third Annual Meeting, Sept. 24, 1838. pp. 24. Catalogue of the Athenaeum Library, Providence. pp. 120. The three pamphlets printed by Knowles, Vose & Co. The discourse of Dr. Wayland is one of the most interesting and eloquent which we have seen from his pen. The style is pure and glowing, and the arguments convincing and to the point. The author illustrates with great beauty and cogency the advantage of the universal diffusion of knowledge among our citizens, and the absolute necessity of a high degree of intelligence, when we consider the nature of our government, our position in respect to the other nations of the earth, and particularly the position of New England in relation to the rest of the United States. The whole address shows how a highly disciplined and cultivated mind can adapt itself to any exigency, can feel an interest in and promote the well-being of the great mass of the members of the community. The Providence Athenaeum seems to have commenced its course under most encouraging auspices. It has erected a chaste and beautiful edifice for the accommodation of the library and the collections. About 7,000 volumes, selected with the greatest care, and comprising a most valuable portion of the literature of the English language, and to a small extent of the French, etc., have been procured. Among them are the entire Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, in 53 vols. 4to., Buffon's Natural History in French, 30 vols., 4to., the great French work, The Description of Egypt, and The French Museum. The property of the institution amounts to about $35,000. The number of proprietors is 375. Library Committee, William G. Goddard, F. A. Farley, Thomas H, Webb; Librarian, Stephen R. Weeden. The whole undertaking shows the most excellent spirit, and furnishes a fine example for all our large towns. 3. An Historical Discourse, delivered by request before the citizens of New Haven, Ct., April 25, 1838, the 200th Anniversary of the First Settlement of the Town and Colony. By James L. Kingsley. New Haven: B. & W. Noyes. 1838. pp. 115. This Discourse is such as might be expected from Professor Kingsley's habits of learned and patient research, and discriminating and sound judgment. It does not possess the glow which is diffused over some kindred addresses which we might mention. It does not abound in rhetorical flowers, nor with impassioned appeals. But it has more substantial qualities. The reported facts with which the professor had to deal are sifted to the bottom, and the truth is stated perspicuously and fearlessly. Even Dr. Trumbull, with all his knowledge and accuracy, is found not to be immaculate. We are glad to see that the professor has given Mr. Samuel Peters his due,-the author who wrote what he called The General History of Connecticut," but which might have been styled "A General Collection of Falsehoods." 66 On examining the more prominent statements of Peters," says Mr. Kingsley, "not one has been found, which is not either false, or so deformed by exaggerations and perversions, as to be essentially erroneous. To prove a truth upon the leading portions of his history, would be, it is believed, an impossible task." In reference to the current story respecting the celebrated "Blue Laws," Professor Kingsley remarks as follows. "The application of the general rules of righteousness' was often made with excessive rigor, and in a way to harden, rather than to reclaim offenders; but that there were any sumptuary laws, laws regulating dress, or encroaching on the prerogative of fashion, I have never discovered the slightest evidence." In the Appendix, there is an extended note on this interesting point. At the close of his Address, the author briefly sketches the characters of Theophilus Eaton, John Davenport, Gen. David Wooster, Col. Nathan Whiting, Roger Sherman, Eli Whitney and James Hillhouse. In the Appendix is an account of the celebration, containing the noble hymn written for the occasion by William T. Bacon, B. A. 4. An Address delivered before the Union Literary Society of Miami University, Ohio, at it Thirteenth Annual Celebration, Aug. 8, 1838. By John C. Young, President of Centre College, Danville, Ky. pp. 29. The subject of this Address is the following, "Rectitude in national policy, essential to national prosperity." Political rectitude does much to secure to a nation its independent existence. The respect of mankind is an element of national prosperity secured by the observance of a righteous policy. Political rectitude augments national wealth. It is promotive of national intelligence. The observance of the principles of justice, in their public acts and institutions, promotes private morality and religion among a people. The whole address is conceived in the spirit of stern and Christian morality, and expressed in that fearless and independent manner, which does honor to the head and heart of the author. Such truths as this address embodies, can never be too often reiterated or too deeply felt. 5. The Choice of a Profession: An Address delivered before the Society of Inquiry in Amherst College, Aug. 21, 1838. By Rev. Albert Barnes. Amherst: J. S. & C. Adams. pp. 29. The object of this Address is to discuss the question, "On what principles a profession should be chosen." The author first considers the importance of the inquiry, secondly the dangers of error, and thirdly the principles which should guide a young man in his choice of a profession. The principles which are stated and illustrated are, that the most should be made of life that can possibly be made of it, and that that profession or calling should be selected where life can be best turned to account; that where there is a fitness for either of two or more courses of life, a young man should choose that in which he can do most to benefit his fellow men; that he should select that profession where he can call most auxiliaries to his aid, either those already existing in society, or which he may be able to originate for the accomplishment of his plans; with the conviction that American liberty is to be preserved, that the Christian religion is to be perpetuated, and that the whole world is to be converted to the Christian faith. It will readily be seen that the preceding statements furnish an excellent outline for a subject to be presented to young men at a college. Mr. Barnes has well filled up this outline. The thoughts are weighty and are well expressed and illustrated. We have been struck with the air of candor and earnestness which pervade every part of the address. The multitudes of young men in our land preparing for public life, would do well to weigh the truths which Mr. Barnes has here presented to them, as those of the utmost importance. 6. Ancient Chronology Harmonised; or the perfect agreement of the true Biblical, Egyptian and Chaldean Chronologies proved. By A. B. Chapin, M. A. New Haven. pp. 16. This article was published in the Christian Spectator for December, 1838. It is now published in a separate form. In the Spectator for June, 1837, Mr. Chapin published an article whose object was to rescue the fragments of the Universal History of Egypt by Manetho, from the suspicion and contempt which had been thrown upon them, to restore the true reading of his ex and to sho, that when so restored, it harmonizes, to a great degree, with the chronology of the Bible. In the present article, Mr. C. attempts to show, that Manetho himself considered the whole of the first fifteen of the Egyptian dynasties, as set down by him, fabulous, that he has in effect so described it, and that when corrected and restored, his chronology harmonizes, to a still greater extent with the Scriptural chronology, than was intimated in the first article. The whole discussion seems to be characterized by much learning and research. 7. Appeal to the American Churches, with a Plan for Catholic Union. By S. S. Schmucker, D. D., Professor in the Theological Seminary of the General Synod of the Lutheran Church, Gettysburgh, Pa. pp. 100. This Appeal was first published in the eleventh and twelfth volumes of the American Biblical Repository. We read the whole discussion at the time when it came out. We were then struck with its candor, honesty, thorough and learned research, and eminently catholic and disinterested spirit. In further consideration of it, and also by conversation with the excellent author, we cannot but hope that it will receive the serious attention |