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WATTS’S LITERARY GUIDE. B E I N G A M O N T H L Y R E C O R D O F L I B E R A L A N D A D V A N C E D P U B L I C A T I O N S . I No. 59.] OCTOBER 15, 1890. [Price One Penny. N E W P U B L I C A T I O N S . Messrs. Watts & Co. are now issuing a cheap popular edition of Dr. Bithell’s “ Agnostic Problems” (2s. 6d.). When the work was first published some three years ago it was accorded a very favourable reception by the critics, notably by the Agnostic J ou rn a l, which pronounced it to be “ fascinatingly interesting, remarkably complete, and so thoroughly explaining the.Agnostic position that the merest tyro in metaphysics may grasp its contents.” The L iterary World, an organ not favourable to Freethought, generously recognised the merit of the volume, and commended it to the attention o f Christians “ as being calculated to give them fairer views of a position which it is possible grievously to misrepresent, but also because it contains many pages for which every earnest lover of truth must warmly thank the author.” The new edition is handsomely bound, and is in all respects equal to the original six-shilling edition. T hose interested in the question of a future life are under obligation to Messrs. Kegan Paul for issuing a little volume entitled “ Phantasms of the Dead from Another Point of View ” (3s.). The work consists of two papers by the Honorary Secretaries o f the Society for Psychical Research. Mr. Podmore is disposed to scepticism regarding the alleged phenomena, while Mr. Myers favours the idea that they have a certain objectivity, and are not explainable subjectively. Both writers are commendably free from dogmatism in the statement o f their views. A work will shortly be published by Mr. Henry Frowde which promises to be o f very great utility to the general reader and the student. It will consist of lists of books, giving at a bird’s-eye-view the leading treatises in a large variety of subjects. The number of books— good, bad, and indifferent— is now-a-days so enormous that the bewildered reader will feel grateful for a collection o f bibliographies which will enable him to find his way about the world of literature with the least possible trouble. A considerable number of specialists have contributed to the work, including Professor Max Müller, Dr. Garnett, Mr. Frederic Harrison, Sir John Lubbock, Sir George Grove, and Sir Henry Thompson. The price will be 3s. 6d. A new edition of Joseph Mazzini’s life and work, in six volumes (4s. 6d.), is being prepared for publication. Vols. i., iii., and v. will be entitled “ Autobiographical and Political,” and vols. ii., iv., and vi. “ Critical and Literary.” The first volume will be ready on the 27th inst., and the subsequent volumes will follow at monthly intervals. M r. C harles F. Holder will publish shortly, through G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a work entitled “ The Life and Work o f Charles Darwin ” (about 6s.) Messrs. K egan Paul announce in their list of forthcoming publications a new and cheaper edition of Gerald Massey’s “ My Lyrical Life,” in two vols.; and also a reply, from the orthodox standpoint, to Dr. Martineau’s recent book, “ The Seat of Authority in Religion.” Professor Green has published his lecture on “ The Birth and Growth of Worlds ” (is.). Messrs. Isbister & Co. will publish shortly in book form Mr. Gladstone’s series of articles in Good Words on “ The Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture.” Mrs. L aurence Oliphant has in an advanced state o f preparation “ Memoirs of the Life of Laurence Oliphant.” Mr. C harles Watts has just published another new pamphlet, “ Science and the Bible ” (8d.). Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein have issued Dr. Pfleidercr’s new work, “ The Development of Rational Theology in Germany since Kant, and its Progress in Great Britain since 1825 ” (10s. 6d.). Colonel Ingersoll’s magnificent paper on Count Tolstoi has been republished by Mr. Forder under the title of “ Love the Redeemer ” (2d.). A Biography of Miss Constance Nadcn is in the press. O U R L I B R A R Y S H E L V E S . It is no light task to read any of Mr. Herbert Spencer’s works, and especially “ F IR S T P R IN C IP L E S " (Williams and Norgate; fifth edition; 1887; 596 p p . ; 16s.). He who would master the argument must maintain unflagging attention. The practice of “ skipping ” is fatal. There is but one road to comprehension of this introduction to the “ Synthetic Philosophy,” and the road travels through every line of the work. Mr. Spencer aids the reader with abundant illustrations. But he is wanting in style and warmth. He speaks like the vocal statues o f mythology; his utterances are those of a philosophic genius, but they are impassive, severe, frigid. Perhaps, out of every hundred people who talk about Spencer’s system, only one may have read “ First Principles.” Nevertheless, Spencer towers supreme in the modern world of thought, and the student of the intellectual and religious changes o f the age must be willing to toil up these rugged heights, if he would gain some insight into the nature of the new reformation. Spencer was an evolutionist before and beyond Darwirr. Darwin, with amazing keenness of vision, discovered, on the tapestry of nature, the history of the development of plants and animals from a far-off ancestry; and the “ Origin of Species” forever dispelled the notion that God had created the zoologic tribes in occasional batches, as a German toy-maker turns out a gross o f dolls. But Spencer has mapped a much vaster field of evolutionary processes.

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WATTS’S LITERARY GUIDE. B E I N G A M O N T H L Y R E C O R D O F L I B E R A L A N D A D V A N C E D P U B L I C A T I O N S .

I

No. 59.]

OCTOBER 15, 1890.

[Price One Penny.

N E W P U B L I C A T I O N S .

Messrs. Watts & Co. are now issuing a cheap popular edition of Dr. Bithell’s “ Agnostic Problems” (2s. 6d.). When the work was first published some three years ago it was accorded a very favourable reception by the critics, notably by the Agnostic J ou rn a l, which pronounced it to be “ fascinatingly interesting, remarkably complete, and so thoroughly explaining the.Agnostic position that the merest tyro in metaphysics may grasp its contents.” The L iterary World, an organ not favourable to Freethought, generously recognised the merit of the volume, and commended it to the attention o f Christians “ as being calculated to give them fairer views of a position which it is possible grievously to misrepresent, but also because it contains many pages for which every earnest lover of truth must warmly thank the author.” The new edition is handsomely bound, and is in all respects equal to the original six-shilling edition.

T hose interested in the question of a future life are under obligation to Messrs. Kegan Paul for issuing a little volume entitled “ Phantasms of the Dead from Another Point of View ” (3s.). The work consists of two papers by the Honorary Secretaries o f the Society for Psychical Research. Mr. Podmore is disposed to scepticism regarding the alleged phenomena, while Mr. Myers favours the idea that they have a certain objectivity, and are not explainable subjectively. Both writers are commendably free from dogmatism in the statement o f their views.

A work will shortly be published by Mr. Henry Frowde which promises to be o f very great utility to the general reader and the student. It will consist of lists of books, giving at a bird’s-eye-view the leading treatises in a large variety of subjects. The number of books— good, bad, and indifferent— is now-a-days so enormous that the bewildered reader will feel grateful for a collection o f bibliographies which will enable him to find his way about the world of literature with the least possible trouble. A considerable number of specialists have contributed to the work, including Professor Max Müller, Dr. Garnett, Mr. Frederic Harrison, Sir John Lubbock, Sir George Grove, and Sir Henry Thompson. The price will be 3s. 6d.

A new edition of Joseph Mazzini’s life and work, in six volumes (4s. 6d.), is being prepared for publication. Vols. i., iii., and v. will be entitled “ Autobiographical and Political,” and vols. ii., iv., and vi. “ Critical and Literary.” The first volume will be ready on the 27th inst., and the subsequent volumes will follow at monthly intervals.

M r. C harles F. Holder will publish shortly, through G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a work entitled “ The Life and Work o f Charles Darwin ” (about 6s.)

Messrs. K egan Paul announce in their list of forthcoming publications a new and cheaper edition of Gerald Massey’s “ My Lyrical Life,” in two vols.; and also a reply, from the orthodox standpoint, to Dr. Martineau’s recent book, “ The Seat of Authority in Religion.”

Professor Green has published his lecture on “ The Birth and Growth of Worlds ” (is.).

Messrs. Isbister & Co. will publish shortly in book form Mr. Gladstone’s series of articles in Good Words on “ The Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture.”

Mrs. L aurence Oliphant has in an advanced state o f preparation “ Memoirs of the Life of Laurence Oliphant.”

Mr. C harles Watts has just published another new pamphlet, “ Science and the Bible ” (8d.).

Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein have issued Dr. Pfleidercr’s new work, “ The Development of Rational Theology in Germany since Kant, and its Progress in Great Britain since 1825 ” (10s. 6d.).

Colonel Ingersoll’s magnificent paper on Count Tolstoi has been republished by Mr. Forder under the title of “ Love the Redeemer ” (2d.).

A Biography of Miss Constance Nadcn is in the press.

O U R L I B R A R Y S H E L V E S .

It is no light task to read any of Mr. Herbert Spencer’s works, and especially

“ F IR S T P R IN C IP L E S "

(Williams and Norgate; fifth edition; 1887; 596 p p . ; 16s.). He who would master the argument must maintain unflagging attention. The practice of “ skipping ” is fatal. There is but one road to comprehension of this introduction to the “ Synthetic Philosophy,” and the road travels through every line of the work. Mr. Spencer aids the reader with abundant illustrations. But he is wanting in style and warmth. He speaks like the vocal statues o f mythology; his utterances are those of a philosophic genius, but they are impassive, severe, frigid. Perhaps, out of every hundred people who talk about Spencer’s system, only one may have read “ First Principles.” Nevertheless, Spencer towers supreme in the modern world of thought, and the student of the intellectual and religious changes o f the age must be willing to toil up these rugged heights, if he would gain some insight into the nature of the new reformation.

Spencer was an evolutionist before and beyond Darwirr. Darwin, with amazing keenness of vision, discovered, on the tapestry of nature, the history of the development of plants and animals from a far-off ancestry; and the “ Origin of Species” forever dispelled the notion that God had created the zoologic tribes in occasional batches, as a German toy-maker turns out a gross o f dolls. But Spencer has mapped a much vaster field of evolutionary processes.

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