THE QUARTERLIES. MR. JAMES WILSON. 71 very various points of view,-religious, social, commercial, and scientific, there are in Mr. Ferguson's work more diversified and authentic details than any ordinary tourist could supply; whilst his bright and cheerful spirit, and his sympathy with "whatsoever things are honest, and whatsoever things are lovely," render him a delightful fellowtraveller. Mr. M'Gilchrist's "History of the Turks" is an animated sketch of a wonderful story, rehearsed with conversational vivacity, and sufficiently comprehensive for all ordinary purposes. We are delighted to recognise a new poet in Mr. Stewart Lockyer, the author of "St. Bartholomew's Day, and other Poems." For music, freshness of fancy, and depth of feeling, we have seldom read anything finer than "Tintoret and his Daughter," "The Church Bell," "The Monks of Burnside," and "Stradella." A delightful feature of the age is the tone of our highest periodical literature. With contributors like Rogers and Stanley, a wonderful change has come over the "Edinburgh" and "Quarterly" since the day that the one jeered at all faith, and the other at all religious earnestness. For the last twelve years two younger contemporaries have done good service to the cause of Christian progress; the "British Quarterly" with a succession of papers, the most admirable antidotes to modern infidelity which have appeared in England, and the "North British," as profound in mental philosophy as it is masterly in physical science, and bold in grappling with the social problems of the age. And we have now to welcome in the "London Quarterly " another, which, judging from its recent numbers, promises to contribute equal talent to the same great cause. The variety, the vigour, and the eloquence of its articles, can hardly fail to secure for it fame and permanence. Many of our readers have a lively remembrance of little monographs on "Parrots," "Humming-Birds," and "Pigeons," which have from time to time appeared in our pages. The keen fond eye, which watched the habits and revelled amid the chromatic splendours of the winged creation, can observe them no more; the cunning hand which described them is cold. Little more than a fortnight after the publication of the last of these papers, viz., on the 17th of May, Mr. James Wilson died at Edinburgh. He was an adept in nearly all the departments of physical science; and most of the articles on Natural History in the "Encyclopædia Britannica" are, in part or in whole, from his pen. Refined, sagacious, witty, full of information and kindheartedness, he was a perfect Christian gentleman; and no compositions of the kind could be more delightful than his "Yacht-Voyage round the Coasts of Scotland," and his contributions to the "North-British Review" on Birds, Fly-fishing, and similar subjects. From an interesting sketch in "The Witness" newspaper, we find that "shortly before his death he calmly arranged all his affairs, leaving messages for his friends, and mingling with them announcements of his faith in Christ crucified as the only ground of hope. Among the passages in Scripture he last dwelt upon were the words, Faint, yet pursuing,' and 'Looking unto Jesus.' A few hours before his death, he said, 'There is no darkness in the valley; all is brightness.' . . . ' Christ the hope of glory.' There is none other name given under heaven, whereby men can be saved.' In a few minutes he added, 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.' And not long after uttering these words, at early dawn on Sabbath he fell asleep in Jesus, so calmly that those around him knew not when he departed, to be for ever with the Lord." ... In medium 8vo. price 11. 8s. bound in cloth, lettered, THE LONDON CATALOGUE OF BOOKS PUBLISHED IN GREAT BRITAIN, WITH THEIR SIZES, PRICES, AND PUBLISHERS' NAMES, FROM THE YEAR 1831 to 1855. This Edition has been carefully and completely revised. The whole is printed in one alphabet, and contains upwards of 20,000 Additions, Changes of size, price, edition, &c. The demand for cheap issues of standard works in nearly every branch of our literature has caused so many alterations and additions, that this Book may be considered entirely new; and in its compilation, there has been a great deal of toil, application, and anxiety, to make it valuable and useful. The Third Edition, small 8vo. price 48. 6d. bound in cloth, lettered, with red edges, THE NEW TESTAMENT. Translated from Griesbach's Text. By SAMUEL SHARPE, Esq. Author of the "History of Egypt," &c. The following extract from the article on Biblical Literature in the Edinburgh Review for October, 1855, shows that Mr. Sharpe's method of printing his Testament has been approved and recommended by the reviewer: "It might have been fairly expected that, in publishing a work which is of such momentous consequence to us all, both here and hereafter, the text would have been fairly divided into paragraphs according to the sense; that what was spoken would have been placed between inverted commas; and that all passages, taken by one sacred writer from another, printed in italics, or in some easily intelligible manner distinguished as a quotation In the Press, CRITICAL NOTES ON THE AUTHORISED ENGLISH VERSION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. By SAMUEL SHARPE, Esq. Being a Companion to the Author's "New Testament." "Every Note begins with the words of the Authorised Version; to which are added the Greek words, always taken from Griesbach's text; and then the Author's translation of them in italics. These are followed, when necessary, with reasons to support the proposed translation."-Preface. London: THOMAS HODGSON, 13 Paternoster Row. ASSURANCE SOCIETY. Established 1831. The ANNUAL MEETING of the above SOCIETY was held in EDINBURGH on the 6th MAY. The Report by the Directors stated that the number of policies issued during the year ending 1st March last, was 638, the sums assured thereby being £293,950, and the annual premiums thereon £9120. The result of the investigation for the triennial division of profits was then announced. The surplus ascertained to have arisen amounted to £183,839, which wholly belongs to the members, but of which one-third (£61,279) must, by the laws of the Society, be set aside as a reserve for allocation at the next triennial division in 1859. 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