should not be read and discussed because the author, while claiming to be a believer in the fundamental dogmas of Christianity, seems to be at heart one who doubts that the universe is the work of an allwise Creator. Such doubts, if they really exist, avail nothing. Suffice it to remember that in addition to what reason teaches even the most ordinary observer, not one out of every hundred of the world's greatest thinkers have entertained the slightest doubt that the universe is the work of a Divine Artificer, who is also its Ruler. 1. Illustrated Catalogue of Optical Instruments. 8vo. Brochure. 2. Illustrated Catalogue and Descriptive Manual of Meteorological and Philosophical Instruments and School Apparatus. 8vo. 3. Illustrated Catalogue of Magic Lanterns, Stereoscopticons and Dissolving View Apparatus. New York and Philadelphia: JAMES W. QUEEN' & Co., Manufacturing Opticians. 1873. WHILE by no means claiming to be an adept in the use of even the majority of the instruments described in these catalogues, we know sufficient of them to make us feel that we could not regard ourselves as true friends of education, capable of appreciating the value of knowledge, did we fail to present them to the attention of such of our readers as may have no adequate idea of the power they place in the hands of those who learn to use them intelligently and efficiently. This, of course, presupposes that the instruments are good specimens of their kinds, respectively; a fact which, however, we should be sorry to vouch for merely from their descriptions in the catalogues, although were we to accept the word of any manufacturers as to the qualities of their own goods, we certainly would accept that of the gentlemen who issue the brochures before us. But we always prefer to see and judge for ourselves. It is precisely because we have pursued that course in the present instance that we now take up the catalogues. We have spent hours in seeing some of the most important and most interesting optical and philosophical instruments tested by gentlemen connected with the establishment of Messrs. James W. Queen & Co., who, before occupying their present position, had been well and favorably known as teachers. And how well we were pleased with the results may be inferred from the fact that we have purchased as large a variety of the Queen instruments, ourselves, as we have felt that our limited resources would justify us in purchasing. To this we cheerfully add that the more we have used the articles we have selected the more we have been convinced of their excellence; so that at this moment we should almost as soon think of parting with our favorite copies of Virgil and Homer as with the instruments from which we have already derived so much pleasure and instruction. We are quite aware of the opinion so prevalent among a certain class, that when editors commend even philosophical instruments they do so because they are paid for it. Whether this charge be well or ill-founded, in general, we can say for ourselves, without fear of contradiction, that we have never asked or accepted any pay for our editorial opinions. And had it been otherwise, we certainly would have made an exception in favor of those who, like the manufacturers and importers of these instruments, not only facilitate the acquisition of knowledge by their skill and enterprise, but also afford the student a means of delightful recreation. Nor have the gentlemen who issue these pamphlets ever asked us to say one word of their instruments, or of themselves. We can truly say, then, that we have no more mercenary object in inviting attention to the great improvements made within the last three or four years in the manufacture of philosophical instruments, in this country, and to the increased enterprise evinced in the importation of the best European instruments, than we have in taking up and discussing, for a similar purpose, the works of the great thinkers of antiquity. To us it is, we confess, a veritable treat, after a hard day's toil, to spend an hour among those instruments-those silent, yet eloquent, interrogators of nature-especially when made to feel that we are not intruders, but the welcome guests of men who have devoted more than an apprenticeship, in the school-room, to the labors and duties of successful teachers. Whether one has a preference for electricity, galvanism, magnetism, meteorology, or optics, he has an equal opportunity of gratifying his taste. If astronomically inclined, he may use a much finer instrument, and one of greater power, than that with which, as Milton tells us, the "Tuscan artist,"* viewed the moon: "At evening from the top of Fesole Or in Valdarno, to descry new lands, It is not alone in colleges, polytechnic institutes, academies and schools that the most important of those various kinds of instruments are used in all the principal countries of Europe. Among the cultivated classes in France, England, Italy, and Germany, no private residence is regarded as fully furnished without, at least, two or three philosophical instruments, especially optical instruments.† Indeed, with few * Galileo. + We are pleased to notice also in this country the increasing demand for works of artistic elegance and taste. This seems to be especially great in Philadelphia, if one may judge by the large importations of elegant articles of taste from all parts of the world, by S. A. Harrison, whose extensive collection of works of art have given his establishment the soubriquet of "The Vatican." exceptions, the very best to be found in any of those countries, are not in public institutions, but in the observatories, or libraries of private gentlemen; for it must not be supposed that Lord Rosse is the only nobleman who owns a better telescope than any, even of the great scientific schools. Within the last decade the spectroscope, also, has found its way into a large number of the families of the wealthy and refined, especially in France and Italy. As for the microscope, it has secured a permanent place among the Penates, and is deemed as indispensable among the more intellectual of the nobility of those countries as the butler or footman-not a small microscope that costs a few shillings, but one of the best and most valuable kindoften one worth a coach-and-four, and which costs as much. Now, we see no reason why a similar taste may not be developed in this country, especially as quite a considerable number of American gentlemen have already adopted that highly exemplary European habit. It is certain that by no other means could they render the acquisition of knowledge more attractive to their sons or daughters-by no other means could they enable them to enjoy so much harmless, refined pleasure, while storing their minds with interesting and instructive facts. APPENDIX-INSURANCE: GOOD, BAD AND INDIFFERENT. 1. Fourteenth Annual Report of the Superintendent of the Insurance Department, State of New York. Part II. Life and Casualty Insurance. 8vo. 1873. 2. Seventeenth Annual Report of the Insurance Commissioner of the State of Massachusetts. January, 1872. Part II. Life and Casualty Insurance. 8vo. Ar a crisis like the present, when defalcations and failures are occurring in all sorts of establishments, whose chief claim to public patronage and public confidence is their supposed wealth and stability, —their ability to accommodate business men with large sums of money-it would not be fair to select the insurance companies as particular subjects of censure and condemnation. The injustice of such a course would be enhanced in no slight degree by the fact that the worst of those companies will compare favorably with parties who have deceived and defrauded the public in many other kinds of business. It is but just to remember that the failure of two or three bankinghouses, which have closed their doors recently, has done more mischief to the country than all the failures of insurance companies that have occurred in several years. In other words, a much larger number of persons have been deceived and ruined by the failures of bankinghouses which have occurred in three or four days, than have been deceived and ruined by the failures of insurance companies in as many years. At the same time no sensible, intelligent person denies that banking-houses are useful institutions. No merchant or business man will be prevented from making deposits in our banks, though half of them should fail, and we have always held that the failure of a certain number of insurance companies should not be viewed in any more unfavorable light. It would be absurd to regard all banks as unsafe because a few have failed, and ruined some of their depositors; but it is still more absurd to regard all insurance companies as unsafe because a few have failed, and perhaps, defrauded their policy-holders, since, as already remarked, the injury done by the failure of an insurance company is comparatively trifling in its general results. We need not remind our readers that none have criticised the speculators and sharpers among underwriters more or oftener than we. None have more freely denounced them; none have more earnestly warned the public against their machinations; nor is it necessary for us to claim that our denunciations and warnings have proved but too well founded, for not a single life company has failed within the last five years whose failure we had not often predicted, as a necessary result of its lack of resources, its lack of honesty, its lack of intelligence, or of all combined. But all this is no reason why we should regard the insurance sharpers and cheats as if there were not still worse sharpers and cheats than they. Whenever we have seemed to evince particular ill-will toward them we have been prompted to it by the contrast which those persons present to those of our underwriters who fairly represent the profession in America. Probably the worst of the insurance sharpers would not have seemed to us particularly bad had they connected themselves with other branches of business; the same as men who shock public decency by their conduct as clergymen or physicians would scarcely have been noticed for the same conduct or even worse, had they connected themselves with the guild of butchers, of liquor dealers, of whiskey-shop politicians. In short, it is because we have always regarded legitimate life insurance as essentially beneficent in all its tendencies, that we could hardly imagine any worse men than those who, for sordid gain, would destroy its prestige by habitual deception and fraud. We can all the better afford to pass over this class at the present crisis, from the fact that it required no general financial crisis or panic to cause their false pretences to fall to the ground, and exhibit themselves to the world in their true character, as a warning to all who would imitate their example. Nor can any one who calmly reflects on the downfall of these men, and the course of conduct which rendered it inevitable, have a whit the less faith in the advantages of life insurance on account of that downfall. It may seem a paradox to say that so natural and logical a termination of the career of such underwriters should be regarded far more as a vindication of legitimate life insurance, than as any argument against either its advantages, or its permanence and stability. Instead, therefore, of indulging in any extensive criticisms this time, we will present our readers the views of the New York superintendent and the Massachusetts commissioner in regard to the past, present and future of insurance. We cannot say that the views of either are very profound, but both seem honest men, and honesty in a public functionary is better than profundity. Speaking of the progress of life insurance the superintendent proceeds: "Table No. 1 gives a history of the growth of Life Insurance, as compiled from the records of this department, since its creation in 1859. By reference to that portion of it which gives the combined figures of all the companies doing business in the State, it will be seen that in that year, fourteen companies reported they had in force 49,608 policies, insuring $141,497,977.82; and that, of gross assets, they had $20,536,084.58; that their gross liabilities, excepting capital stock, were $15,464,936.44; thus leaving them a surplus as regards policy-holders of $5,071,148.14. In 1870, eleven years later, there were seventy-one companies doing business here, having 747,807 policies in force, insuring $2,023,884,955, with $269,520,440.76 gross assets, and having gross liabilities to the amount of $221,032,146.22, thus leaving a surplus of $48,488,294.54. This growth had been very uniform, and was most remarkable. Year by year the number of policies, the amount insured, the gross assets, the gross liabilities and the surplus, each and all, steadily and astonishingly increased. But during the years 1868 and 1869, alarming perturbations were noticed, and immediately thereafter indications became clear and unmistakable that the tide had turned. Thus, while the number of companies doing business here had increased fourteen during the year 1869, but two companies entered the field of competition in 1870, and in 1871 there was a falling off of three companies, while in 1872 the number decreased eight more. This reduction in the number of companies very naturally caused a corresponding diminution in the yearly addition to the number of policies in force at the end of each previous year. Thus, in 1869, there was an addition of 118,978, in 1870 there was an addition of but 91,235; 1871 added but 37,553, 1872 but 19,084. The amount insured in 1869, over the amount of 1868, was $307,633,133.65; in 1870 there was an addition of but $187,267,136.03; 1871 added but $77,576,879, while 1872 added but $13,280,757. In 1869 the assets of the preceding year were increased by $52,204,695.86, while in 1870 they were increased but $41,753,425.19; 1871 added but $33,037,758.47, while 1872 added but $32,610,343.47. In 1869 the liabilities of the previous years were increased $44,507,013.17, while in 1870 they were increased but $40,718,174.86; 1871 added to former liabilities but $33,519,634.97; while 1872 added $33,775,825.59. The surplus, over that of the year previous, also, which in 1869 was $7,997,682.69, in 1870 was increased but $1,035,240.33; 1871 presented a |