1851.'




'MEN OF THE TIME.'


A neat little volume, well filled with information, has made its
appearance under this title;[2] the object being to present sketches of
living notables--men who, in their several walks of life, tread in
advance of the general multitude in this and other countries; and from
whose actions we may learn the character and aims of the passing era.
The idea of gathering together materials of this kind, and laying the
result in an accessible form before the public, is a good one. All will
depend, however, on the manner of execution. The attempt before us,
being the first of its kind, is perhaps necessarily imperfect, and we
may expect some improvements should the work realise the expectations of
its publisher. For example, we miss the names of various men of note, to
whom England owes many acknowledgments--such as Dr Neill Arnott, Mr
Edwin Chadwick, Archibald Alison, &c.--and in several instances, also,
the sketches actually given are very deficient in attainable facts;
while there occur notices of individuals whose names can scarcely be
said to be known to the public. With these imperfections, the work is a
handy biographic compendium, full of amusing particulars, that cannot
fail to be useful in the way of reference. To provincial libraries, the
book will be a cheap and agreeable accession. As a specimen of the
manner of execution, we present the following scraps of quotation:--

'Brooke, Rajah Sir James, is a Somersetshire man, born on the 29th of