Message of the President of the United States, trans- mitting a Report from the Secretary of State, with Copies of Correspondence with the Government of 1. Remarks, Critical and Historical, on an Article in the Fortyseventh Number of the North American Re- view, relating to Count Pulaski. By the Author of 2. A Reply to Judge Johnson's Remarks on an Ar- 1. The Constitution of the Reformed Society of Israelites, for promoting true Principles of Judaism, according to its Purity and Spirit. Founded in Charles- ton, South Carolina, sixteenth of January, 1825. 2. A Discourse delivered in Charleston, South Caro- lina, on the twentyfirst of November, 1825, before the 1. De verâ Naturâ atque Indole Orationis Græcæ Novi Testamenti Commentatio, Auctore H. Planck. 2. Clavis Novi Testamenti Philologica, Auctore M. C. A. Wahl. 3. Grammatik des Neutestamentlichen Sprachidioms. Von G. B. Winer. 4. Lexicon manuale Græco-Latinum in Libros Novi Testamenti, Auctore C. G. Bretschneider. 5. A Greek and English Lexicon of the New Testa- ment, from the 'Clavis Philologica' of C. A. Wahl. By Edward Robinson. 6. A Greek Grammar of the New Testament, trans- lated from the German of G. B. Winer. By Moses Stuart and Edward Robinson. The Songs of Scotland, Ancient and Modern; with VIII. POPKIN'S DALZEL'S COLLECTANEA GRECA MAJORA ̓Ανάλεκτα Ελληνικά Μείζονα, sive Collectanea Græca Ma- 1. The Pioneers, or the Sources of the Susquehanna; a Descriptive Tale. By the Author of Precaution.' NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW. No. LII. NEW SERIES, NO. ХХУП. JULY, 1826. ART. I. A General Abridgment and Digest of American Law, with occasional Notes and Comments. By NATHAN DANE, LL. D. Counsellor at Law. In eight volumes. 8vo. Boston. Cummings, Hilliard, & Co. 1823-4. THE utility of abridgments, in all departments of learning, will scarcely be doubted by any person, who is accustomed to due reflection on the subject. The vast extent and intricacy of some branches of knowledge, the minute distinctions and details of others, and the perpetual accumulations of all, present obstacles to a thorough mastery of them, which are not easily overcome by the most powerful genius, or the most retentive memory. Those, who are to learn, must be assisted by steps, by general principles, by succinct elucidation, and by compendious abstracts, before they are able to engage in the task of comprehensive analogies; and those, who are themselves instructed, find that memory is often treacherous, and that the constant demand for knowledge compels them to use many helps, in order to facilitate their recurrence to exact principles, or exact facts. The details of a whole science, at least in our day, are probably beyond the immediate grasp of any single mind, however gigantic. Recollections must be constantly refreshed, and the obscure traces of past acquirements carefully retraced, if we aspire to anything like a vigorous command of that department of knowledge, to which we are most devoted. VOL. XXIII.-NO. 52. 1 Dr Priestley, whose various scientific, as well as general knowledge, will scarcely be questioned, has somewhere stated, that he made use of many mechanical aids, in the course of his own studies, some of which might be thought so humble, as to excite a smile, or even a doubt of the abilities of the author. Indeed, the general auxiliary of most students used to be a commonplace book, in which the various readings and accumulations of their learned hours were collected, sometimes with and sometimes without method. In whatever shape these were preserved, they had the good effect of fixing the impressions of many important truths, and of saving many hours of fruitless research to regain what was lost from the memory. Before the invention of printing, this labor must have been very great, among the learned; and it has been gradually lessening, only because the press has, in the principal departments of learning, by means of indexes, digests, compends, concordances, dictionaries, and other abridgments, supplied their place, and brought within a reasonable compass, the mass of those references, which are most useful to the scholar, the professional gentleman, and the scientific student. It is true, therefore, what of old was said, Qui compendianam alicujus artis sive scientiæ viam indicat, is gemino beneficio juvat studiosum; primum, ut maturius quo tendit pertingat, deinde ut minori labore sumptuque quod sequitur assequatur. But whatever may be thought of other cases, it is certain, that in the department of law, abridgments are indispensable. Before Reports of adjudged cases were published, no other adequate means existed of acquiring the science of jurisprudence, than what were furnished by a faithful attendance upon the courts, and a diligent collection of the substance of their decisions. The early professors of the common law were compelled to resort to commonplace books, and personal reports of cases, falling under their own observation. Many manuscripts of this description are still extant, exhibiting a patient industry, care, and accuracy, worthy of all praise. The labor indeed of these venerable jurists, almost transcends the belief of students of the present day. They noted every case, in all its points and principles; they abstracted, from records, and general treatises, and private manuscripts, often obscure and crabbed, everything that could be found to aid them in study or in practice. They gathered voluminous collections of special pleadings, and unusual writs and judgments, to suit the exigencies of their : |