Literary Notices. AT HOME AND ABROAD: or Things and Thoughts in America and Europe. By Margaret Fuller OSSOLI. Boston: Crosby, Nichols & Co. THOSE who have read Margaret Fuller's sprightly volume entitled "Summer on the Lakes," which was published about a dozen years ago; or who recollect her "Letters from Europe," which appeared in the New York Tribune during the years 1846-1849, extending over the period of the Italian Revolution, need not be urged to procure the book. It includes "Summer on the Lakes," the Tribune Letters, now for the first time collected, and a third part containing her private letters home down to the time of her leaving Europe, and an account of her melancholy death by shipwreck, on the voyage home. It is one of the most readable books out. For sale by Pease. FAUST: A TRAGEDY. Translated from the German of Goethe. By CHARLES T. BROOKS. Boston: Ticknor & Fields. In this translation of the greatest work of the greatest German Poet, Mr. Brooks has done English readers a good service by preserving the exact meter of the original, line for line, and, at the same time, giving a rendering which is almost perfectly literal. We commend this book to the attention of those who wish to gain the best possible idea of Goethe without reading the original text. This is, no doubt, the best translation extant, as it is the only one which gives us any notion of the structure of Goethe's verse. To be found at Pease's. CONVERSATION: Its Faults and its Graces; or the Best Manner of Speaking, Writing, and Pronouncing the English Language. By the Rev. A. P. PEABODY. Boston: James Monroe & Co. For sale by T. H. Pease. In this manual of Conversation, the Author has given very many valuable hints to those who, by inattention or carelessness, have fallen into bad habits of speaking or writing. While we cannot accede to some of the minor corrections in the book, we can yet commend it upon the whole as worthy of careful study. We hope that it may meet with the extensive circulation it so richly deserves. LAYS OF ANCIENT ROME. By T. B. MACAULAY. Boston: James Monroe & Co. For sale by T. H. Pease. This is a new and beautiful edition of those wonderful Lays which "stir the soul like the sound of a trumpet." As Professor Felton : ever observes in the Introduction to the volume before us, they have, " since their first appearance, held one of the highest places in popular estimation and their position in English Literature may be considered permanently fixed." The thanks of the public are due to the publishers for this neat little volume. It is prefixed by a well-executed likeness of Macaulay. COLLEGE MUSIC.-We are glad to learn that Messrs. Skinner and Sperry will soon publish our beloved "Lauriger Horatius," in splendid shape. It is arranged as a solo with piano accompaniment, and again as a quartette. It gives the good old Latin words for those who choose them, and a fine translation for those who do not. Buy it, by all means, and if you have a musical sister or pretty "cousin," send her a copy too. Memorabilia Valensia. SOCIETY elections and such momentous occurrences have not transpired among us since our last issue, consequently we respectfully ask to be excused from making any Memorabilia on that head. There are some other matters, however, which may be of interest. THE YALE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. In 1834 several students, with a few other persons in town, who had given their attention to different branches of Natural History, formed an association for mutual assistance and improvement in these studies. "The Yale Natural History Society" met with encouraging success, for among its founders were such men as Professors B. Silliman, Sen., Olmsted, Dana, E. C. Henrrick, Esq., Prof. B. Silliman, Jr., and many others who have since contributed largely to the advancement of Natural Science, some of whom, we believe, first appeared before the public in the published papers of this society. By the year 1842 the Society was possessed of a very good cabinet of specimens and a small library, with a fund for its increase, yet, owing to the different engagements of the most active members in this year an adjournment sine die was made. Since then the Cabinet -in one of the rooms of the Medical College-has been entirely neglected, and probably much injured. We are glad to say, however, that the institution seems likely to be revived. On Saturday, the 6th inst., a meeting was held at the house of Dr. Eli Ives, who is President of the society, on which occasion about thirty members were elected, who promise to restore the society its former usefulness. This is a good move, and we trust it will meet with all success. Profs. Salisbury and WHITNEY, with their families, left for a tour in Europe, about two months ago. Many good wishes go with them. PORTRAIT OF PROF. GIBBS.-A portrait of Prof. Gibbs by F. B. Carpenter of New York, has been recently placed in Trumbull Gallery. It was paid for chiefly by those who have been Prof, G.'s pupils in the Theological School. It is considered a very fine picture, and is a worthy tribute to a worthy man. Prof. Dana's course of Lectures on Geology before the Senior Class is now completed. They have been listened to with the greatest interest throughout, and his pupils may well congratulate themselves on being able to hear the subject treated by one who is recognized as among the very first scientific men of the world. We take pleasure in calling the attention of our readers to the prospectus for a new edition of Prof. Dana's "Geology of the Pacific and other regions visited by the U. S. Exploring Expedition, in the years 1836-1842." Only 200 copies of this Government Report have hitherto been printed, and the work has become so scarce as to sell for $40.00. The new edition, to be issued on condition 250 copies or more are, subscribed for, will be furnished for ten or twelve dollars. Those who wish to provide themselves with the work now that it is possible so do so, can leave their names at the College Library. On the evening before Thanksgiving the youth Yalensian had a goodly tempus. Both Societies met in the Brothers' Hall, when, according to custom, the smallest man in the Freshman Class was appointed Chairman, and the largest man in the Class, Secretary. After laying various diminutive aspirants on the table and measuring them with a string and yard-stick, Master George Chalmers was declared the lucky "indiwidual." There were several rivals for the Secretaryship, but owing to difficulties of measurement in the directions of al titude and azimuth, it was impossible to come to any decision in the case. The Charades, Model Splurges, Phrenological Lectures, Legal Arguments, Songs, Nigger Concerts and "Giasticutus" exhibitions which followed, will not be forgotten. Also, along in the small hours people danced "a few," and got along as well as anybody could-under the circumstances. PHI! AI! AI! PHI BETA KAPPAI This immortal body held their annual meeting in the President's Lecture Room on Thursday evening, Dec. 4th. The following officers were elected for the year: President,-Prof. James D. Dana. Cor. Sec.,-Rev. Wm. T. Eustis. Various other business was also transacted, which we must not tell of, for you must be aware, dear reader, Phi Beta Kappa is secret, and besides we know no more about it than you do. To those of our readers who have survived Thanksgiving Dinner, and such other gastronomic trials as the flesh is heir to in this eating community, we make our grand Editorial salaam, in this position; To those who have paid their subscription, we offer our hand, thus; To those who buy the LIT. and read it, we extend our hand, thus; To those who neither buy nor read it, we point the finger of scorn, thus; To those who promise to pay "next week," but don't do it, we say, Look out for your heads! for we intend to heap a fire coal-on, thus; To those, generally and finally, who have any regard for us and ours, we say, Hang out the latch string of your pocket, good people! (just see how our treasury is vanishing into the rat-hole above, and that "$25 Gold Medal " lying on the table, too, all unpaid for!) patronize MAGA. and her "five poor orfles," or we shall in a body, and in the body, betake ourselves to the indis criminate use of the following daggers: †††††, and bring our feeble existence to a final period, like this; It" occurred," once on a time, that one of the members of our Sanctum "plied the calling" of a pedagogue away out on the Western "pra-i-ries." As a matter of course, he initiated the "young learners" into the unfathomable mysteries of "Composition," and as a specimen of his success in that line, we give the following production of one of his pupils,-a tall wood-chopper of two and twenty. It is a bona fide copy from the original document in our archives. stanzy 1 stanzy 2 stanzy third stanzy four stanzy 5 6 stanzy last "ON DETH How mity art thou o deth To the All nations deliver there breth nor dare any person say as thou cummeth along Thou can Enter into a famely whenere thou pleas Can we not stop the as thou cummeth along Can thou not be perswaded to rest a weak or a single day you cant me from my dooty with hold But i with arder to My laber hast Nor dare i go to sleep & my preshus time to wast my chariot wheels is on the wings of timb &i the great Gehovah mind My prey is on the childern of men Nor do i to there Bitteres crys attend i kin enter into a fammely whenere i pleas & hirry them into one common seppilkir & you cant with hold From me Them that the grate creater wants in eternety" The Nine Muses evidently nabbed that young man at his birth,-" or thereabouts." Great curiosity has been expressed throughout the "College world" to obtain a glimpse of those mysterious beings who, under the names of "The Corporal," "Meerschaum," "The Doctor,” “Mishkan” and “Shanghai," are supposed to preside over the destinies of the Yale Lit. We are at length, owing to the steps which have been taken by the Class for procuring steel engravings, enabled to present our readers with accurate Portraits of the Editorial Board, together with fac-similies of their hand writing. We assure our patrons that the like |