exercise the reason; and the latter of a young German nobleman living just before the awakening of the literary genius of his nation, and filled with dreams and desires to hasten its stir to life. He dies with hopes unfulfilled, leaving to others the glory of introducing the brilliant era of intellectual activity which culminated in the achievements of Goethe. THE "Memorials of William E. Dodge," compiled and edited by his son, D. Stuart Dodge, and published by A. D. F. Randolph, records the life of one who will always deserve grateful remembrance in the hearts of his fellow men. Endowed with the best qualities of a successful business man, he acquired a large fortune, which he used in giving the most generous aid to every deserving cause brought to his notice. The amount which he each year gave away is not known, but is believed to have exceeded $100,000. He once stated that he had educated one hundred and fifty men for the ministry alone. His great wealth and boundless charity made him the subject of incessant calls for assistance from every direction. He was thankful for every opportunity to lessen misery or advance the cause of education and morality, and no honest appeal was ever made to him in vain. The energy he displayed in business and charity alike was characteristic of his religious work. From the age of seventeen he was a zealous evangelist. As he served that led up to it, and a history of its remarkable career. It is startling to recall that for five years the execution of justice throughout California rested almost entirely in the hands of this Committee, aided and directed by an "Executive Committee," whose duty it was "to see that every person brought before it, accused of crime, should have a fair trial; that none should be convicted upon less testimony, setting aside legal technicalities and court clap-trap, than would suffice to convict in any ordinary court of justice." (Vol. I., p. 240.) Everything connected with the Committee was done under a perfect system. It was divided into companies and squads, each wellofficered and having its own special duty. The closest scrutiny was kept up over every person in the State, from the lowest and most abandoned criminal up to the governor himself; and woe to the offender who was brought before the tribunal of the Vigilants. Their marvellous power lay not so much in the harshness or cruelty of their measures, as in the swift and unfailing certainty with which they punished any infringement of the law. Mr. Bancroft's strong defence of the Vigi-humanity and the church, he also served his country. lants will doubtless be a surprise to readers in older and more settled regions, who can with difficulty conceive of such a state of society as is here portrayed. His work is written with all the ardor of an old Californian, and is doubtless to be taken as a fair and full exposition of Pacific coast sentiment on this subject. The volume is replete with accounts of the operations of the Vigilants, which form intensely interesting reading. The extraordinary story of these "Popular Tribunals" will be completed in the forthcoming volume of the series. BRIEFS ON NEW BOOKS. THE four "Imaginary Portraits" which compose Mr. Walter Pater's latest book (Macmillan) are carefully elaborated and finished productions. That which brings before us the figure of Antony Watteau as "The Prince of Court Painters" is exquisite in every particular. It purports to be made up of fragments from the diary of a girl whose young life was closely united with that of Watteau, and who loved him, vainly and silently, to the end of his life. The portrait is as delicate and graceful as one of his own paintings. The remaining portraits have a less living charm, addressing the intellect rather than the sympathies. "Denys L'Auxerrois " recalls to mind Hawthorne's "Donatello" and little "Pearl," although in no wise an imitation of either. It is a legend of the return of the spirit of the golden age in a mediæval town in France. It is a pure creation of the fancy, but displays the author's fine descriptive art and powers of invention. "Sebastian Van Storck" and "Duke Carl of Rosenmold" are studies in a similar vein; the former relating the career of a youth of an unimpassioned temperament, busied solely with questions which To the day of his death he was active and untiring in patriotic work. His memoir, prepared originally for private distribution, is an unpretentious, almost business-like document, but displays refinement and good taste. THE lady who published the estimable little history of "The Life and Times of Sir Philip Sidney,' nearly thirty years ago, modestly concealing her authorship under a series of initials, now reveals her identity on the title-page of a book of travels styled "Norway Nights and Russian Days," and signed by Mrs. S. M. Henry Davis. It is pleasant to greet again the author, who retains all her former charm, with a manner more attractive than before through the repression of its early exuberance. In the summer of 1886, Mrs. Davis, with two female companions, made a tour to the North Cape to view the midnight sun, and, passing through Sweden and Finland on her return, spent a considerable period among the novel scenes of St. Petersburg and MosCOW. Every circumstance favored the purposes of her journey, fair weather, comfortable accommodations, and courteous attendance; she therefore is able to relate her experiences in the most amiable spirits. An acquaintance with everything of prominent interest in other parts of Europe prepared her for a proper estimate of whatever was striking and important in these northern countries. Her account of them is entertaining and instructive, mingling facts and observations with the tact and discrimination of a cultivated and thoughtful woman. volume is published by Fords, Howard & Hulbert. The ures of Home," and "The Pleasures of Travel." One of the most interesting is a talk about "The Choice of Books," in which is given a list of a hundred works most frequently approved by discriminating readers. The addresses are largely composed of quotations, which, although from the best authors, produce a rather patchy effect. It is encouraging to read the defence of the nineteenth century, so much complained of as imposing excessive toil and anxiety in the struggle for existence. Hard work is not an evil, he declares, and to offset it there exists a degree of freedom and security never before enjoyed. Never were books so abundant and knowledge so accessible, and never were there such facilities for travel or for making our homes comfortable and pleasant. MR. W. CAREW HAZLITT'S "Gleanings in Old Garden Literature " appears in the pretty little series "The Book-Lover's Library (George J. Coombs) in which the same author's "Old Cookery Books" has already had place. It is not alone a knowledge of gardens which we get from these "Gleanings," but a knowledge also of their owners; and some of the most eminent and interesting of men have delighted in the cultivation of their grounds, big or little. It is pleasant to know how Bacon, and Evelyn, and other worthies, relaxed the tension of their faculties by light work among their primroses and gilliflowers, their berries and peaches, their turnips and pumpkins. Neither is it time lost to read of the fruits and flowers and vegetables which in the great Elizabethan era enriched the tables and decorated the homes of the upper classes and the common people, and of the methods then used in gardening, so much ruder than our own. It is a part of the story of the world's progress, and therefore of definite importance. THE collection of short sketches by Victor Hugo, expressively entitled "Things Seen" (Harper), cover a variety of subjects which came under the notice of the great Frenchman between the years 1838 and 1875. A striking example of their picturesqueness and dramatic power is afforded in the first brief article on Talleyrand, written two days after the diplomatist's death. Hugo ends the book with the following: "I have had sometimes in my hands the gloved and white palm of the upper class and the heavy black hand of the lower class, and have recognized that both are but men. After all these have passed before me, I say that Humanity has a synonym-Equality; and that under Heaven there is but one being we ought to bow to-Genius; and only one thing before which we ought to kneelGoodness." There are over thirty sketches in the book, giving portraitures of prominent persons, descriptions of notable events, reports of interviews, snatches of conversation, all dashed off with a few rapid, brilliant strokes. A VOLUME of nearly six hundred closely printed pages on the subject of "Romantic Love and Personal Beauty" (Macmillan) presents a formidable aspect. Only the young and sentimental could take it up without forebodings of weariness. Yet the serious-minded, also, may find here matter not unworthy their attention. The author, Mr. Henry T. Finck, has not treated the theme from the lofty level of Emerson or Thoreau, but he has displayed almost infinite ingenuity and industry in the exposition of its myriad points and bearings. Love and beauty are potent factors in the history of mankind. What have been their character and influence in different ages and among different races and nations; what tends to purify them and heighten their effect; the pertinent reflections of the wisest men and women relating to the matter; statistics drawn from many sources regarding the health and condition of both sexes; all this, and much more, Mr. Finck includes in his survey, which has ranged through the whole realm of literature and life. IT is nearly forty years since Susan Fennimore Cooper, the daughter of the great novelist, published a collection of notes on those little events in the life of nature which to all but the loving student of her intimate and varying moods pass unobserved. This book, named "Rural Hours," appears in a revised edition (Houghton, Mifflin & Co.); and notwithstanding the multitude of works of a similar kind which have been produced by skilled and vigilant naturalists since its original issue, it has not been superseded. Miss Cooper's observations, arranged in the form of a journal, follow the procession of the seasons, and mark the changes in rural scenes throughout the year. THE Collection of short papers by Louise Chandler Moulton on 66 Ourselves and Our Neighbors" (Roberts) cover a diversity of social topics-as, for example, "Rosebuds in Society," "The Gospel of Good Gowns," "The Fashion in Poetry, "Motives for Marriage," "Courtesy at Home," "Caprices of Fashion," etc. On all these themes Mrs. Moulton writes with her usual grace, uttering sound truths and relieving them of triteness by the sprightly and fluent way in which they are delivered. The essays are rightly denominated "Chats" in their general sub-title, being light and informal, well adapted to the exigencies of idle moments or hurried readers. MISS HALE'S "Little Flower-People " (Ginn & Co.) is a fairy-story for children in which flowers and grasses and ferns are the actors. The author has aimed to give the most important facts in the life of a plant in such a way as to interest the youngest child. Her plan is an ingenious one. Through her story the child may learn the different functions of the roots and leaves and stems of a plant, together with many of the distinguishing features of the different families and orders. TOPICS IN LEADING PERIODICALS. SEPTEMBER, 1887. Am. Geographical Names. A. C. Coxe. Forum. Books That Have Helped Me. A. Jessop. Forum. China, Will there be a New? Selim H. Peabody. Dial. Democratic Party's Outlook. H. Watterson. No. American. 104 Donnelly's (Ignatius) Comet. Alexander Winchell. Forum. Human Instincts. Wm. James. Popular Science. Lincoln, Abraham. Hay and Nicolay. Century. Mayas, The. Alice D. Le Plongeon. Mag. Am. History. Nile, The. E. L. Wilson. Scribner. Randolph, Edmund. M. D. Conway. Lippincott. Kandolph, Edmund, An Unpublished Paper of. Scribner. Shoshone, Camping in the. W. S. Rainsford. Scribner. Thackeray Letters. Scribner. Union, Secession, Abolition. Mag. Am. History. Varnum, James M. A. B. Gardiner. Mag. Am. Hist. BOOKS OF THE MONTH. [The following List contains all New Books, American and Foreign, received during the month of August by MESSRS. A. C. MCCLURG & Co., Chicago.] BIOGRAPHY-HISTORY. Boswell's Life of Johnson, including Boswell's Jour. John Keats. By Sidney Colvin. 12mo, pp. 229. “English E. Dodge. Compiled and edited by E. Stuart Dodge. 8vo, pp. 407. A. D. F. Randolph & Co. Net, $1.00; by mail, net, $1.15. By Lydia H. The Girls' Book of Famous Queens. Farmer. 12mo, pp. 495. Illustrated. T. Y. Crowell & Co. $1.50. By Mrs. M. E. W. Portraits. D. Lothrop Co. Royal Girls, and Royal Courts. Sherwood. 16mo, pp. 236. $1.25. Outlines of a Gentle Life. A Memorial Sketch of Ellen P. Shaw. Edited by her sister, Maria V. G. Havergal. 12mo, pp. 183. A. D. F. Randolph & Co. $1.00. Half-Hours With American History. Selected and arranged by Charles Morris. 2 vols., 12mo. Gilt tops. J. B. Lippincott Co. $3.00. Things Seen (Choses Vués). By Victor Hugo. 16mo, pp. 235. Boards. Portrait. Harper & Bros. 75 cents. ESSAYS-BELLES-LETTRES, ETC. The Complete Works of Benjamin Franklin. Including his Private as well as his Official and Scientific Correspondence, and numerous Letters and Documents now for the first time printed, with many others not included in any former collection; also the uninutilated and correct version of his Autobiogra8vo. phy. Compiled and edited by John Bigelow. half leather. To be completed in 10 vols. Vols. 1 to 4 now ready. (The edition is limited to 600 copies., numbered.) G. P. Putnam's Sons. Per vol., net, $5.00. From the Père Goriot. Scenes from Parisian Life. With six illustrations French of Honoré de Balzac, Large 8vo, pp. 348. by Lynch, engraved by E. Abot. Boards. Edition de Luxe, limited to 500 copies, numbered. G. Routledge & Sons. $4.00. The Waverley Novels. By Sir Walter Scott. New library edition. To be completed in 25 vols., 8vo. Gilt tops. Vols. 1-20 now ready. J. B. Lippincott Co. Per vol., $1.75. The Works of W. M. Thackeray. Edition de Luxe, limited The Works of W. M. Thackeray. Pocket edition. The London. Romantic Love, and Personal Beauty. Their Development, Casual Relations, Historic and National Peculiarities. By H. T. Finck. 12mo, pp. 560. & Co. $2.00. Macmillan Paper, 25 Illus. The Pleasures of Life. By Sir John Lubbock, Bart, A Chautauqua Idyl. By Grace Livingston. cents. 50 Beecher. Representative Selections from the Sermons, Lectures, Prayers and Letters of H. W. Beecher. With a Biographical Sketch. By T. W. Handford. Portrait. 12mo, pp. 318. $1.25. Belford, Clarke & Co. POETRY-THE DRAMA. Underwoods. By R. L. Stevenson. 16mo, pp. 138. Gilt top. Boards. C. Scribner's Sons. $1.00. By A Blot in the 'Scutcheon, and other Dramas. Robert Browning. Edited, with notes, by W. J. Rolfe, A.M., and Heloise E. Hersey. 16mo, pp. 245. Portrait. Harper & Bros. 56 cents. 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