Brief Notices of New Publications.

"THE REPUBLICAN COURT OF SIXTY YEARS AGO.'-Pending an elaborate review of this superb gift-book, which we have prepared for our January number, we present the annexed brief notice from a contemporary. Nothing like this work has ever before appeared in America. It must command an immense sale:

"THE most splendid volume ever issued from the press of this country, is the national souvenir for the present season, The Republican Court, or American Society in the Days of Washington,' by Rurus W. GRISWOLD. It presents a view of the higher social life of the United States, from the close of the Revolution to the end of WASHINGTON's administration, in 1797; and in its four or five hundred ample quarto pages, we have in succession the leaders of society-the men and women of fashion, the belles, and dames, and dignified public characters of that period, as they appeared at the levees, in the drawing-rooms, and in domestic circles. The character of this magnificent production is in a degree indicated in a dedicatory letter to Dr. FRANCIS, in which Dr. GRISWOLD observes: The subjects treated undoubtedly admitted of easy and striking embellishments of fancy, but it seemed to me that the volume would be upon the whole, far more acceptable if, in its preparation, I confined myself, in even the most trivial details of narrative, delineation, and suggestion, to what was clearly warranted by unquestionable authorities. And of such authorities, fortunately, I have had an ample collection. Beside those which are printed and accessible to every student of American history, I have had in my possession more than two thousand unpublished private letters, of which some three hundred were by WASHINGTON, and great numbers by Mrs. ADAMS, Mrs. JAY, Mrs. CUSHING, Mrs. PINCKNEY, the families of WOLCOTT, MCKEAN, LIVINGSTON, BOUDINOT, WILLING, and others who participated in the life I have attempted to describe.' The illustrations of the work, consisting of twenty-one portraits, engraved by the first artists of the day, make us acquainted with several of the celebrated beauties of the last century. Among these are Mrs. WASHINGTON, Mrs. HAMILTON, Mrs. ADAMS, Mrs. EATON, (daughter of CHARLES CARROLL of Carrollton, and mother of the late DUCHESS OF LEEDS, the MARCHIONISS OF WELLESLEY, etc..) Mrs. MADISON, Mrs. JAY, Mrs. KING, Mrs. RANDOLPH, (daughter of THOMAS JEFFERSON,) the Countess D'YRUJO, (daughter of Governor McKEAN of Pennsylvania,) Mrs. SEDGWICK, (mother of the eminent authoress,) Madame GENET, the daughter of Governor GEORGE CLINTON,) and Mrs. BINGHAM, who, from her great wealth and high connections, was at the head of our fashionable world.'

'AFRAJA; OR, LIFE AND LOVE IN NORWAY,' is the title of a work translated from the German of THEODORE MUEGGE, by EDWARD JAY MORRIS, of Philadelphia. A new page of romance, so far as American readers are concerned, is shown in this remarkable book. It is the oppressive march of the superior race, the Norman, treading down in its remorseless progress the unfortunate Lapps. Blond maidens and dark-eyed, jettyhaired young witches, a chivalrous Dane, ruthless Norman traders, the grand old sorcerer-king AFRAJA, love, quarrel, oppress, or suffer throughout the two volumes. The scene is laid on the blue, yacht-covered fiörds, or among the frozen floes, or the caverns and shattered crags of the wild Norland; and we have seen no book of so high a literary merit, so filled with weird, wonderful romance, which, while it pervades the whole work, takes nothing from the perfect humanness of the characters. Whoever reads 'AFRAJA' will get greater pleasure and instruction from it than are necessary to repay him for his outlay of money and time. The mechanical execution of the book is good. The publishers are LINDSAY AND BLAKISTON, Philadelphia.

THE ROMANCE OF AMERICAN LANDSCAPE, is the title of a very handsome gift volume from the press of Messrs. LEAVITT AND ALLEN, Dey-street. It contains sixteen large engravings on steel, with which is interwoven a running story or narrative, very pleasantly written by our friend, T. ADDISON RICHARD3, the painter, who has also furnished many of the illustrations. It is an elegant, and will prove a popular book.

BARNUM'S AUTO-BIOGRAPHY.-The indications are, that this book, concerning which so much has been said of late, is likely to have a wider sale than any work ever published in this country. The orders from booksellers and travelling agents for it have reached the extraordinary number of ninety odd thousand copies. The orders received by each mail vary from six hundred to three thousand, verging more frequently upon the latter than the former; and all this without the slightest prospect of abatement. Five pages of small type, including book - notices, Gossip,' etc., 'stand over' until

our next.

Every subscriber, old or new, who sends three dollars to SAMUEL HUESTON, 348 Broadway, New-York, for the Knickerbocker for 1855, will receive a Certificate of Membership in this Association.

THE LITTLE PILGRIM:

A Monthly Journal for Girls and Boys.

EDITED BY

Grace Greenwood & Leander K. Lippincott.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DEVEREUX AND OTHERS.

The second volume of this popular Periodical will commence on First of January, 1855. Among the Contributors will be found some of the most famous writers of both England and America; such as-MARTIN F. TUPPER, MARY HOWITT, MISS PARDOE, MRS. NEWTON CROSLAND, H. W. LONGFELLOW, J. G. WHITTIER, HENRY GILES, BAYARD TAYLOR, JAMES T. FIELDS, MRS. L. H. SIGOURNEY, MRS. ANNA CORA RITCHIE (MRS. MOWATT), ANNA H. PHILLIPS (HELEN IRVING), MRS. FRANCES D. GAGE, and many others, all of whom will furnish original articles. GRACE GREENWOOD will write almost exclusively for The Little Pilgrim.

TERMS: Fifty Cents a year for single copies, or ten copies for Four Dollars, payable invariably in advance.

Specimen copies furnished free of charge.

A few hundred copies of volume first can still be supplied.

Address, post-paid,

LEANDER K. LIPPINCOTT, 66 South Third St., Philadelphia.

THE INDEPENDENT.

The Largest Religious Paper in the World. EDITED BY PASTORS OF CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES IN NEWYORK AND VICINITY.

Among the contributors to its columns are

REV. HENRY WARD BEECHER, REV. GEORGE B. CHEEVER, D.D., MR. CHARLES L. BRACE, MRS. HARRIET BEECHER STOWE, "MINNIE MYRTLE," and many other celebrated writers.

CORRESPONDENTS from all sections of the Union; from England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the Holy Land, contribute to enrich the columns of this journal.

IN ADDITION to its being the largest, it is also the cheapest religious paper in the world; and being published solely with the view of advancing the cause of religious truth, it is sold at the cost price. Its proprietors are entirely independent of the paper as a means of support, (being engaged in mercantile business) and are determined to spare no expense to make it unsurpassed either in the variety, richness, or extent of its matter; it will be sold on the following

TERMS.-$2 per annum by mail: $2.50 by carrier, if paid in advance; if not paid within three months, 50 cents will be added. Orders for the paper, accompanied by the money, addressed to the publisher, and pre-paid, will be considered at our risk.

NOW IS THE TIME TO SUBSCRIBE,

WHETHER YOU wish for the paper immediately, or at a future date. We are daily receiving subscriptions to begin with January 1, 1855. Those who wish to commence then should send in their names early, and thus insure the reception of the first numbers of VOLUME SEVENTH. ADVERTISEMENTS.-A limited number will be taken.

EXCHANGES.-We will exchange with any paper which will give this advertisement two insertions, including this notice.

OFFICE, No. 22 BEEKMAN STREET, NEW-YORK.

JOSEPH H. LADD, Publisher.