a yellowish crimson day, and on the setting of the yellow sun, a purely crimson daylight. In such a planet the nights would be of course rarely more than evening, as all three suns could hardly be invisible together. But,what a variety of shades of feeling and eighth of the visible vault, stretching over tells us, in which planetary astronomers the sky so as to cover (say) the whole must have far more curious and complicated heavens behind and above the river, through phenomena to observe, than any known to all the reaches from Vauxhall Bridge to the us even by inference. Take, for instance, Thames Tunnel,- and seeing it grow so the case of double or even triple stars, or rapidly that in five hours it increased from suns, of different colours revolving round a mere brilliant line, the arc of a quadrant their common centre of gravity. On a on the horizon, to such a mighty plain of planet of any one of these, you might have light as this, and then dwindled again at the in one part of its course orange days, in same rate. Moreover across this vast sur- another red, in another blue, in another face of light you would see the mighty belt perhaps two or even three distinct dawns, of shadow cast by the rings, as the tourist -a yellow sun's dawn, a red sun's dawn, on the Brocken sees his own gigantic and a blue sun's dawn, the three colours shadow on the western clouds at break of blending when all were above the horizon, day. And such an observer, when his mighty and making a yellowish white light; then moon was setting and his own day coming, on the setting (say) of the blue sun, leaving would almost invariably have to forego a large part of it, owing to the necessary solar eclipse which the great shadow of the planet would inflict upon him as he came round to face the sun. Then, if you suppose him to be at the same time a witness of the terrible game at bowls which is sup- association would be produced by the multiposed to be the permanent condition of plicity of lights and combinations of light unSaturn's rings, and which might make Rip der which the landscapes of such a planet van Winkle himself tremble, we may easi- would be seen! Probably every additional ly conceive that the astronomical phenome- external aid to the discrimination of seasons na with which we are acquainted are child's and periods would produce a new complexity play to those witnessed by the astronomers of intellectual organization, and a planet with of the Saturnian rings. There are besides changes so various, with such cross-lights eight outside moons, their phases, and their and cross-shadows of different colours, would, eclipses by the planet, to observe, in addi- in all probability, have wholly different gention to the mighty planetary moon and its era and species of plants and animals from rings; and the nearest to Saturn of these those of worlds in which the great agency outside moons passes round the outer ring of light is uniform. To such a world we so rapidly that its motion minute by minute can imagine that Turner may have gone is more visible than that of the minute hand receive, in addition to the one talent which of a watch. Of all such marvels, M. Amè- his profound study of our poor colours had dée Guillemin and his gorgeous illustrations give us a far more vivid conception than any popular handbook of astronomy known to us. Nor is it only in our own system that the subordinate situations seem to have so great an advantage in astronomical opportunities, and variety of phenomena, over the central ones. There are other systems of which the book which has suggested this article to multiplied into ten, ten talents more. But the magnificence of the celestial scenery which such books as these suggest is far too great for the dimensions of any newspaper article, and we must leave our readers to refer to the magnificent work we have noticed, for hints of celestial scenery even more various and wonderful than any we have attempted to describe. A THANKSGIVING.J. For ignorant hopes that were No. 1143. Fourth Series, No. 4. 28 April, 1866. POETRY: Abraham Davenport, 210. Once upon a Time, 221. The Backwoodsman, 253. Trust and Rest, 268. SHORT ARTICLE: Death of Gordon Cumming, 236. PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BY LITTELL, SON, & CO., BOSTON. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. FOR EIGHT DOLLARS, remitted directly to the Publishers, the Living Age will be punctually forwarded for a year, free of postage. But we do not prepay postage on less than a year; nor where we have to pay A commission for forwarding the money. Price of the First Series, in Cloth, 36 volumes, 90 dollars. Second 66 The Complete work 20 "6 50 " " 80 "" 88 220 "" " Any Volume Bound, 3 dollars; Unbound, 2 dollars. The sets, or volumes, will be sent at the expense of the publishers. CORRESPONDENCE.. WITH the best intention of keeping out of religious controversies, we can hardly ignore them entirely. They are thoroughly ingrained in the English literature of the time. We are not afraid that Mr. Parker's followers will take offence at the leading article of this number, and perhaps the "rest of mankind" will be willing to read what is here said of him, in the same spirit as the writer has. The Contemporary Review, from which the article is taken, may be quoted as of the "Broad-Church" school. We have marked a very able article, on the more general view of the subject, for a future number. The crater's sides from the red hell below. Roosted; the cattle at the pasture bars To hear the doom-blast of the trumpet shatter looked The great importance of the coming trade from the East has attracted our attention from the time of the first discov-A loving guest at Bethany, but stern As Justice and inexorable Law. eries of gold in California. The railroad, or the railroads, which are to connect the Pacific coast with the Atlantic, will cause a vast increase of the settlements in the West, and along the middle passage, now so terrible. We commend the second article to the readers' attention. Lady Hester Stanhope has long had a romantic interest for us. It is the greater as forming a connection between this generation, and that of William Pitt. The Passion of Martin Holdfast has not so tragical a dose as is usual in afflictions of the kind, at least in fiction. The Crisis in Europe still commands our attention, appealing to the interests of every man in business, as well as to all who love their fellow-men. As the President has shown an interest in Gipsies, that article is apropos. Meanwhile in the old State-house, dim as Sat the lawgivers of Connecticut, I Then, by the flaring lights the Speaker read, Save the nine Arab signs, yet not without Between the pauses of his argument, |