Those who have shared our regret, that the brilliant notices of books which occasionally appear in the columns of _The Times_ should be presented in a form which scarcely admits of their being preserved, and also our satisfaction when Mr. Murray put forth his selection from them under the title of _Essays from the Times_, will be glad that the same publisher has issued in his _Railway Reading_ a Second Series of them, comprising fourteen articles. We may remind all lovers of beautiful illustrations of Mediaeval Art, that Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson will sell by auction on Monday next the entire stock of the magnificent publications of Mr. Henry Shaw, F.S.A., whose _Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages_ are a type of the whole. Such an opportunity of securing copies at a reasonable rate will never occur again. While on the subject of sales, we may mention that Messrs. Puttick and Simpson announce a sale of _Photographs_. This is the first instance; but we may be sure, with the growing taste for these accurate and, in many cases, also artistic transcripts of nature, every season will see many similar sales. At the anniversary of the Society of Antiquaries on Monday last, Admiral Smyth moved a vote of thanks to MR. BRUCE, on his retirement from the Treasurership, for his zeal and indefatigable exertions in that office. The manner in which the gallant Admiral's remarks were received showed, first, that the reforms advocated by Mr. Bruce now meet the general approval of the Society; and secondly, that the warmth of feeling which they had called forth on both sides has entirely disappeared. BOOKS RECEIVED.--_Conde's History of the Arabs in Spain, translated from the Spanish_, by Mrs. Jonathan Foster, in three volumes, Vol. I. Mr. Bohn deserves the best thanks of all lovers of history for this English translation--the first which has ever been made--of the admirable work of Conde. It is one of the most important volumes which he has published in his _Standard Library.--The Diary and Letters of Madame D'Arblay_, Vol. II. The second volume of this amusing, gossiping, and egotistical work, comprises the period 1781-1786.--_Pantomime Budgets, &c._, a clever pamphlet in favour of prepaid taxation.--_John Penry, the Pilgrim Martyr_, 1559-1593, by John Waddington. A violent anti-church biography of Penry, whose share in the Marprelate Controversy Mr. Waddington disbelieves on very insufficient grounds. * * * * * BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES WANTED TO PURCHASE. LINGARD'S ENGLAND. Foolscap 8vo. 1844. Vols. I. to V., and X. and XI. THE WORKS OF DR. JONATHAN SWIFT. London, printed for C. Bathurst, in Fleet Street, 1768. Vol. VII. (Vol. VI. ending with "Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift," written in Nov. 1731.) BYRON'S WORKS. Vol. VI. of Murray's Edition. 1829. The Volume of the LONDON POLYGLOTT which contains the Prophets. Imperfection in other parts of no consequence. CARLISLE ON GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.