A name; a date; a craving pray'r;
A red-rose tree that scents the air;
Brown, spectral leaves; and, buried there,
Dust, mould'ring dust.

And these-these-all I gaze upon?
Yea, thou art gone-for ever gone:
Earth knows thee not; and I must on
To where thou art.

O would I call thee back again,
To face once more life's stormy main;
Once more the bitter draught to drain
GOD's favour'd share?

No, no! sleep on, thou tempest-tost;
Life's howling waves, at length, are crost:
Mine, to give thanks: O lov'd and lost!
Sweet peace is thine.

Mine to give thanks, yet heart-struck weep,
Lone voyager upon the deep,

Whose sadden'd eyes, turn'd westward, keep
Watch for the land:

The land where never more is pain;
Where grief is not, nor hope, in vain;
Where sever'd Friends shall meet again,
No more to part.

ELIZABETH SHERIDAN CAREY.

The Lady's Literary Circular.

SCRIPTURAL PARAPHRASES.

By A LAYMAN.

In the Press, and will shortly appear. (Edinburgh: Caledonian Press. London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green.)

We have been favoured by the Publishers with a sight of the above work in loose sheets, and are therefore able to take advantage of the circumstance, to give an early notice of the scope and character of a book in which, we are confident, our readers will take considerable interest.

The result of some twenty years of labour, "SCRIPTURAL PARAPHRASES" contains the kernel of diligent research through this long period, made by a student who loves his task.

We lay stress upon the length of time since the work was commenced, for a particular reason, which is to claim the originality of a system lately adopted in a valuable edition of the Bible.

"The Commentary wholly Biblical" adopts the plan of elucidating one passage of Scripture by quotation of the biblical words from another portion of Holy Writ; consequently the whole commentary is in pure Bible language.

Reference is made to the above work, recently published by Messrs. Bagster, to say, that exactly the same plan has been adopted by the author of "SCRIPTURAL PARAPHRASES," who, by a happy choice of subject, has selected those portions of the Bible and the Prayer Book, which are generally allowed to include as many of the vital truths of the Christian religion as can be included in a similar space.

These are the COLLECTS, EPISTLES, and GOSPELS of the Book of Common Prayer, and "a Layman" takes these, and, in the colloquial form of question and answer, he answers every inquiry that arises out of their text, by a reply quoting those passages of the Bible which immediately refer to and explain the subject. This work, therefore, may be generally recommended to people of all opinions, who accept the Bible, for it is not written to defend or advocate the doctrine of any sect whatever.

The character of "SCRIPTURAL PARAPHRASES," moreover, from its selection of the Collects, etc., for a text, constitutes it a manual of the Festivals of the Church, explaining their origin and meaning. This, Dr. Hook, the well known Dean of Chichester, had performed in a pocket volume, which has been found widely acceptable by the public.

On a future occasion we trust to have the pleasure of giving a page quotation from "A LAYMAN'S WORK, to show its style, and consecutive simplicity of its questions and answers. Quotation will do this better than description, and we must therefore now content ourselves with a critical reference to its immediate aims and distinctive character.

It is a novel kind of composition calculated to impart a general knowledge of the Holy Scriptures in a sound yet enlightened form; enabling the Christian to read them, as it were, in the pure light of God's Holy Word, through continued quotations of that Word, confirmed by marginal Scriptural references.

In this biblical illustration of it, recourse has been had to a colloquial style, better adapted than lengthened dissertations would be to render interpretations of difficult passages in Scripture intelligible; while, to prevent if possible, that dry discussion, which still often accompanies works of research, the Author has selected the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, for the purpose of disseminating them in a form that he hopes may prove not only useful, but also frequently interesting.

Moreover, he has considered, that by adopting the plan of detached Paraphrases, reference may at any time be made to the scriptural reading of a Collect, Epistle, or Gospel, without necessarily involving the further perusal, at any one time, of a work composed but of quotations from Scripture, confirmed by marginal biblical references.

From this description our readers will be enabled to form some idea of "SCRIPTURAL PARAPHRASES." It has evidently been written but with the view of inculcating, if possible, a system of Christian piety, that would aim at being free from either the taint of superstition or the blast of infidelity; and as a Book of Bible doctrine, we unhesitatingly recommend the Author's years of labour, which have made easy to the Reader an explanation of the Scriptural mine out of which the treasures have been collected. As a text book for families and teachers, its use may be universally and confidently accepted.

Our Orchestra Stall.

SEPTEMBER 7.-OLYMPIC THEATRE.

“An Awful Rise in Spirits," by Mr. Tom Taylor, produced. The piece refers to the present gathering of sprites in most of the thronged resorts of the metropolis and elsewhere. Two professors repair to a church-yard in search of ghosts suitable for their purpose, when they are surrounded by all the traditional spectres of the older dramatists. The conclusion of the piece is disfigured by personal reference to the management of other theatres, and in general condemnation of "ghost" dramas.

SEPTEMBER 12.-DRURY LANE THEATRE.

"Nature's above Art," the new comedy by Mr. Falconer, the lessee, brought out. We had thought the day had long gone by when a dramatist would found a comedy on the inequality of birth-claiming for good blood, inherent virtue and high principle; whilst an obscure child, although, by mischance, raised to a high station, retains all the baseness which is supposed to belong to low birth. This groundwork is all the more behind the age since the action is during the present day. The comedy, however, although sustained by clever acting and very good scenery, is too indifferent to keep a place on English boards beyond the first nights it can be made to run; so this last trespass on modern enlightenment may be dismissed to its deserved obscurity.

SEPTEMBER 12.-VICTORIA THEATRE.

"The Trail of Sin," a drama by Mr Leslie, brought out. The merit of scenery, writing and acting in this capitally arranged piece should give it a long success. The present "West End" lessees of this "over the water" theatre have now, for a long season, successfully introduced a class of entertainment which might be given with applause in any house in London; generally providing, the names and social position of the characters of the play were changed to suit the better dressed and richer patrons of the West End theatres. "The Trail of Sin" reveals the old story which Bulwer-Lytton and other novelists adopt-namely, a sin, almost a venial sin all things considered, is committed in early life by a thoughtless or wilful youth; and his bad accomplices dog him through all his after-life, extorting money, intruding their company on him, and really making his existence a curse. The "Trail of Sin" shows the many struggles and episodes of a good man thus situated; his crime of a moment had been succeeded by immediate remorse, and the fruits of his repentance had been a life of usefulness as a doctor, and of high-principled respectability as a man. But his old accomplice still haunts him, until, in sheer abhorrence, the now wealthy gentleman defies the low "vampyre" to do his worst. This worst is attempted, but proves less than was expected, as the supposed murdered man is found to be living; and thus the drama ends in the happiness of the hero, who gives his hand, unstained with blood, to the heroine.

SEPTEMBER 21.-DRURY LANE THEATR.

"The Deal Boatman," called a serio-comic drama, by Mr. Burnand, produced. The action is nearly the same as the episodes in "David Copperfield," in which the pretty Emily, Old Peggoty, Ham, and the "villain" take part. In the present piece, the said villain is a much better character than the Steerforth of Dickens's

novel; and he, as he should do, makes all things end well by marrying the heroine. Those who can read the signs of the times see in this excellent piece a new direction of public taste towards the natural rather than the exaggerated events, which, of late, have had the theatres to themselves.

STRAND THEATRE.

"Where's your Wife?" the disagreeable farce of an agreeable and usually clever writer, Mr. J. V. Bridgman, brought out. The piece turns on the absences of husbands in places where they ought not to be, but where they are met by their own wives; so that events transpire which compel the lords and masters to make terms at the end of the piece, which place them under the ridiculous disadvantage of submitting to defeat by their own weapons.

OCTOBER 1.-ADELPHI THEATRE.

"Leah," a new drama, introduced as the heroine Miss Bateman. The scenes and time of "Leah," rather indicate the plot of a grand opera than Adelphi play. goers would expect at that merry honse. Those who may have seen "Deborah," by Rosenthal, in which Madame Ristori played the principal part, will recognise the new Leah as the old Jewish character. In a small Christian village of Styria, where the Jewish race are accounted accursed, the events of the drama transpire. Leak is the unhappy maiden who loves Rudolf, and is, in her passion and reasonable convie tions, at heart a Christian like her lover. Affairs, however, so turn out that Rudolf marries another, Madalena, through the machinations of friends and the antipathies of race. Thus a fine opportunity is found for "turning love to hate," and the Jewish Leah curses the lovers in very strong and poetical language, though, in after years, on learning Rudolf's loyalty to her until he had believed her mercenary and cold, she very properly annuls her curse, which hitherto had been singularly harmless, and bestows her blessing instead on husband, wife, [and children. Leah is an oldworld martyr of circumstances, and is in herself, and in the sorrows that emphasize her life, an interesting type of heroic womanhood. The drama was well received, a feeling which shows the re-action in theatrical matters, has taken a legitimate direc tion here as in some other of the London houses.

NEW ROYALTY THEATRE.

"Ixion; or the Man at the Wheel;" brought out by the author of the "Deal Boat. man." As that piece was a domestic drama, the above being a classical burlesque, proves Mr. Burnand to be a two-handed composer, who is likely to make a name on the stage.

The old mythological legend is closely followed, and Ixion, the guest of Jupiter, falling in love with Jupiter's Queen, enables the author to mix up fable and modern life very successfully. Indeed, so successfully, that the burlesque is the "talk" of London, and cabs and carriages carry play-goers to Dean Street, Soho, who have never before been inside the little box of a theatre. Rather too much accent has been laid on the novelty of this farce. French authors have long since set the example in these classical subjects as well as in social. Nevertheless, Mr. Burnand's great success is one that his clever writing deserves.