Forel, A. Les fourmis de la Suisse. "At the end modestly comes a paper by Mr. Rhys "Mr. E. A. Freeman rescues the word 'loyalty' from its rather degrading association with courts, and shows how true loyalty is possible to a commonwealth." Spectator, Dec. 6. Fraser, J.B. Kuzzilbash, a tale of Khorassan. 3 v. Fraser's magazine, Dec. "The interesting article in this month's magazine is the Duke of Argyll's account of American landscape as it strikes a stranger." - Spectator, Dec. 6. Freeman, E: A. Historical essays. Frontaura, C: Galeria de matrimonios; cuadros humoristicos de costumbres. 3d ser. Funck-Brentano, T. Les sophistes grecs et les sophistes contemporains. and Sorel, A. Précis du droit des gens. Gaboriau, E. L'affaire Lerouge. 19e éd. L'argent des autres. (T. 1, 9e éd.; 2, 8e éd.) Stories with ingenious and complicated plots, similar in some respects to the novels of Wilkie Collins, Charles Reade, and to Dickens's detective stories. Geikie, A. Geology. (Science primers.) Zetland Islands in the year 1733; with an "Displays a degree of research that would do credit to the topography of any province. It is an excellent work." "Gifford's position as a native of Shetland, with a large property, and extensive connections as a merchant, gave him exceptional opportunities for understanding the circumstances of the country in his own day, and entitle his 'Historical description' to be received as an authority on all matters coming within the range of his observation. It is extremely interesting and valuable to the student of this portion of northern history." Goncourt, E. de. Les frères Zemganno. 6e éd. "Toute intrigue amoureuse est absente du livre." Polybiblion, juillet. Gordon, G: H. History of the campaign of the army of Virginia under J: Pope from Cedar Mountain to Alexandria, 1862. Gualdo, L. Un mariage excentrique. "Un roman très distingué, très original, et dont le style sort de l'ordinaire." - Rev. pol. et lit., 17 mai. Guthrie, M. Spencer's formula of evolution as an exhaustive statement of the changes of the universe. "Mr. Guthrie is so obviously candid-minded and honest, that we can only set down his numerous misapprehensions of Mr. Herbert Spencer's meaning to unintentional misreading, or to incomplete comparison of work with work." Acad., Dec. 13. Guyau, La morale anglaise contemporaine; morale de l'utilité et de l'évolution. "Ses réfutations de Bentham et de Stuart Mill peuvent être considérées comme définitives. Il montre avec une rare pénétration que l'harmonie des intérêts individuels, proclamée par les utilitaires et certains économistes, n'implique pas l'identité des intérêts, que cette harmonie n'est elle-même qu'approximative, qu'elle est plutôt une espérance pour un avenir encore indéterminé, qu'elle ne pourra jamais qu'atténuer, sans le détruire absolument, un antagonisme nécessaire. Il signale l'impossibilité, même théorique, d'une organisation sociale où chacun, ne poursuivant que le bonheur de tous, trouverait la satisfaction la plus complète de ses besoins et de ses désirs. Il a de bonnes raisons pour douter que l'éducation puisse un jour, comme le croient Helvetius, Owen, Stuart Mill, réaliser dans l'humanité un pareil idéal, ni qu'enfin le bonheur du genre humain soit susceptible de devenir, pour les générations futures, l'objet du sentiment religieux. L'intérêt, fût-il universel, n'a en soi rien de sacré. Une sympathie qu'il ne cherche pas à dissim uler l'incline vers l'évolutionnisme, néanmoins il en marque avec précision les côtés faibles, les explications insuffisantes. Il a notamment de belles pages pour montrer que ni l'amour de l'humanité ni l'amour du vrai ne sauraient logiquement trouver place, avec les caractéres qui leur sont essentiels, dans le système d'Herbert Spencer." - Rev. pol. et lit., 23 août. Haldeman, S: S. Tours of a chess knight. Harpers' Latin dictionary; a new Latin dictionary, founded on the tr. of Freund's Latin-German lexicon, ed. by E. A. Andrews; rev., etc., by C. T. Lewis and C: Short. Haupt, M. Französische Volkslieder. "M. Moriz Haupt s'occupait depuis longtemps à collectionner nos chansons rustiques, dont l'illustre philologue voulait faire l'objet d'une étude approfondie. Il a trop différé, s'est laissé absorber par des travaux d'un autre genre, et la mort l'a surpris avant l'accomplissement de ce qui était, paraît-il, son rêve favori. Pour tous renseignements, la table placée à la fin du volume indique où M. Moriz Haupt a pris chaque pièce. Nombre de gens se féliciteront que l'intérêt de la science ait ici cédé le pas, par accident, à l'intérêt de la poésie. Les notes bien faites sont un trésor précieux, mais la lecture d'une complainte ou d'une ronde sans notes est une jouissance devenue rare de nos jours." Rev. pol. et lit., Sept. 15, 1877. Higginson, T: W. Short studies of American authors. ཉ Clas "Delightful as a record of travels and historical reminiscences, the light-hearted incoherence and rollicking geniality which prescrve every page from dulness, are not favorable to more solid merits. Mr. Mahaffy is evidently much too impressionable à traveller not to feel himself a politician when he is on political ground, but, if he wished others to share the impression, he would have attained his object much better by preserving a grave and mysterious silence." Examiner, March 30. Mason, G: C. Life and works of Gilbert Stuart; with selections from Stuart's portraits. "Biography of the celebrated American portrait painter, b. 1755, d. 1828, written at the request of Miss Jane Stuart, the only surviving member of the family; contains facts of his life, numerous characteristic anecdotes, a history of the Washington portraits (painted by him), anecdotes of Washington in connection with the sittings, etc. A list of portraits painted by G. S. (the first effort made to trace and locate his works). Index." Masson, G. Early chroniclers of Europe: France. Meredith, G: The egoist. "The author of 'Richard Feverel' and 'Harry Richmond' is a man of genius, who so far has succeeded in hiding his own merits from the common eye. At its best, his work is of the first order; at its worst, it is brilliant, but tedious. One of the very few moderns who have the double gift of tragedy and comedy, he is one of the wittiest men of his generation, and an original humorist to boot; he has a poet's imagination, and he is a quick observer. But with all this he fails of acknowledged pre-eminence in his art. And the reason appears to be that he writes for himself alone. Extremely clever, he seems to prefer his cleverness to his genius. Of course it is a good thing to be the author of 'Rhoda Fleming' and Beauchamp's career', of Richard Feverel' and 'Evan Harrington', of 'Vittoria' and 'Harry Richmond' and 'Emilia'; for with all their faults these books are so many works of genius, and works of genius are not common. But it would have been a better thing so to have written them as to have made them intelligible to. the world at large. Those who read the book as it deserves and there is not a sentence in it but is worth attention will find that, whatever its pretensions as a piece of pure comedy, it contains an abundance of fine wit and humor, remarkable insight into human motive and human character, an infinity of brilliant dramatic speech, a great many passages of reflection and analysis of very high order, and several characters that are among the best of Mr. Meredith's creations." Pall Mall gazette, Nov. 3. Nineteenth century, Dec. "The paper which will be most attractive is Mr. Payn's on the 'Literary calling'."- Spectator, Dec. 6. Ober, F: A. Camps on the Caribbees; the adventures of a naturalist in the Lesser Antilles. The infinitely minute. - Mystery of gravity. - End of many worlds. — Aurora borealis. Lunar halo. Moonlight. The planet Mars. Jupiter. - Saturn. Fancied figures among the stars. Transits of Venus. Reumont, A. von. Biographische Denkblätter nach persönlichen Erinnerungen. "Der ausgezeichnete Kenner Italiens, welcher den grössten Theil seines Lebens in Florenz und Rom zugebracht hat, bietet uns in diesem Bande eine Reihe von kurzen Biographien und Charakteristiken bedeutender Persönlichkeiten deren Bekanntschaft er gemacht hat und mit denen er theilweise in freundschaftliche Beziehungen gekommen ist. Da alle Geschilderten, theils im Staats- oder Kriegsdienst, theils auf dem Felde der Literatur und Wissenschaft, sowie in gesellizen Verhält nissen, eine hervorragende Stellung eingenommen haben, so repräsentieren sie ein Stück Zeitgeschichte." — Lit erarisches Centralblatt, 22 Nov. - "Sixteen years ago Reumont published a volume of sketches of 'contemporaries', and of this the present volume is to be regarded as a continuation. It introduces us to all kinds of people a queen, a reigning duchess, an English nobleman, diplomatists, and men of letters, Italian, Danish, German and French. Many of the recollections carry us back thirty or forty years; but the last name in the book is that of Count Slopis, who died only the other day. Herr von Reumont's sympathies are not strongly with the Italy of the present." Acad., May 10. Rowbotham, T: Art of sketching from nature. (Putnam's art handbooks.) Thrupp, G: A. History of coaches. Tissandier, G. Histoire de mes ascénsions; récit de 24 voyages aériens. 2e éd. Vega, F: de la. Mesa revuelta; coleccion de articulos de costumbres. Verne, J. The Begum's fortune; tr. by W. H. G. Kingston. Vilar y Pascual, L. Diccionario histórico, genealógico y heráldico de las familias ilustres de la monarquía española. 8 v. Vine, J. R. S. Eng. municipal institutions; their growth and development, 1835-79; statistically illust. Wadsworth, H. A. History of Lawrence, Mass., with portraits and biog. sketches, etc. Walker, G: H., & Co. Atlas of Plymouth Co., Mass. Waring, E: J: Bibliotheca therapeutica. Vol. 2. (New Sydenham Soc. Pub., v. 82.). Wesley, C: C: Wesley seen in his finer and less familiar poems. Williams, W. Art of landscape painting in oil colors; ed. by S. N. Carter. (Putnam's art handbooks.) Nos pères; mœurs, et coutumes du temps passé. "Ce livre contient, sous une forme attrayante et littéraire, une foule d'indications curieuses. L'auteur ne quitte guère le nord de la France que pour faire quelques pointes sur Paris. L'histoire des premières voitures publiques et particulières, des tournois, des cérémonies funèbres, des duels, de la magistrature, des corporations ouvrières, de la vie des gentilshommes dans leur manoors et à l'armée, des costumes, etc., tout cela est détaillé et appuyé sur des temoinages solides." — Polybiblion, juillet. Benham, Rev. W: Catharine and Craufurd Tait, wife and son of A. Campbell, Archbp. of Canterbury; a memoir. "Many old Rugby boys will remember the time when their head master brought home his young wife to the school-house. There could be but one opinion about that beautiful and gracious lady. Her sweet and noble nature continued to the end. In the deanery at Carlisle, at the Palace of Fulham, or at Lambeth, with responsibilities constantly widening, her sympathies were strong and generous as ever. She could not but make friends wherever she went."- Athenæum, Sept. 20. Bigelow, M. M. Placita Normannica; law cases from William 1. to Richard I., preserved in historical records. "Although the interest of the book is principally legal, it has at the same time great value for the student of constitutional and general history. This is especially the case at the close of the Introduction, where the author takes up the subject of the various royal courts and their relation to one another, passing over, however, the popular courts of the county, hundred, etc., without discussion. It is to be hoped that the anticipated volume will help us to an understanding of the relation of the two sets of courts the instrumentality and method by which the entire legal procedure of the country was woven into one harmonious system; a feature in which, as much as in any, we find English institutions of the middle ages contrasted with those of France. We have also incidentally, p. 41, a highly important paragraph upon the existence of military tenures in the reign of the Conqueror. This volume forms, in one sense, a continuation to Mr. Adams's Essay on Anglo-Saxon law; for the appendix of that volume contains a complete collection of Anglo-Saxon cases." - · Nation. Blackburn, H: Breton folk; an artistic tour in ... Brittany; with illustrations by R. Caldecott. "It is difficult to say which part is the more charming the pleasant reading or the delightful sketches. Mr. Caldecott's vigorous sketches are chiefly of the people. They are quaint and racy. But so true an artist as Mr. Caldecott must more than once have seen and been touched by the pathos and inborn dignity visible in some of these rugged peasant faces. Yet he has almost invariably allowed his tendency to caricature to overpower the grace which we are sure would come just as easily to his skilled pencil." - Exam., Nov. 15. Bourloton, E. L'Allemagne contemporaine. Brassey, Mrs. A. Sunshine and storm in the East; or, Cruises to Cyprus and Constantinople. Brassey, T: Foreign work and English wages considered with reference to the depression of trade. 2d ed. "In these days of depressed trade and general despond. ency it is a pleasure to meet with so thorough an optimist as Mr. Brassey. He has a good word for everything British: the British workman is unrivalled for the excellence, finish, and speed of his work; the British manufacturer is first in all fields where enterprise, power of organization, and command of large capital are needed. Mr. Brassey speaks well even of the weather and climate of the British Isles."- Ath., Oct. 18. Bright, W:, D.D. Chapters of early English church history. ... "One of the most interesting and important periods in the religious history of western Christendom. Graphic and interesting. The latter half of the volume is the more general and sustained in its interest, being mainly occupied with the history of Wilfred, Bp. of York, the refuter of the Celtic heresies, the energetic church builder, the evangeliser of Sussex and Frisia, the upholder of the most advanced theory of the Petrine prerogatives." Academy, July 27, 1878. Brocher, C: Nouveau traité de droit international privé, au double point de vue de la théorie et de la pratique. Burton, Mrs. I. Arabia, Egypt, India. "Has all the special characteristics of its author. There is the same sense that the writer has discovered the keystone of European, Asiatic, and African policy; there is the same burning desire to put everybody and everything right, from Lord Beaconsfield to the directors of Austrian Lloyd's; there is, finally, the same genuine belief that she and her husband are the objects of the whole world's suspicion, envy, or admiration. Fortunately there is also the same animation and instinct for seizing on the picturesque point in a landscape or an incident." Sat. rev., March 29. Cadol, E: La diva. 2e éd. "On y trouve un assez vigoureux crayon des hauts et puissants seigneurs de la fin du second empire. Il y a là des scènes à la fois tristes et plaisantes qu'on dirait prises sur le vif. L'action est dramatique, quelques scènes sont vigoureusement menées. Le style n'est pas celui des 'Inutiles': que voulez-vous? Le roman demande qu'on aille vite."- Maxime Gaucher in Rev. pol. et lit., 2 août. "The vicissitudes of an artist's career in Paris during the Second Empire amusingly described." - Sat. rev., Oct. 4. Cameron, M. E. House of Achendaroch; an old maid's story. "Miss Cameron does not yet share Mr. Black's fame, but she shares, in no small degree, his sympathetic power of describing nature. So far at least "The house of Achendaroch' bears the brand of the best type of Scotch novel written by a Scotch hand. For the rest, no Colombi, marchesa. In risaia; racconto di Natale. "A powerful story of peasant life. This history of the trials and temptations of a village girl gives a graphic picture of the struggle for existence in the rice growing districts of Piedmont. The dialogue is full of clever touches, showing us the strange workings of the peasant mind and the still stranger mixture of self-sacrifice and selfishness." - Acad., Mar. 8. Compton, C: and E: Memoirs of H: Compton. H. Compton, whose original name was Charles Mackenzie, was a prominent English comedian. Contemporary review, Jan. "Opens with a brilliant sketch of England in the 18th century by that acute observer and graceful writer, Karl Hillebrand. He shows, and to our mind conclusively, that the political, religious and literary development of England in that much decried century was one of the most active and fruitful which even our history records. The number is enriched by a really fine poem from the pen of Mr. Robert Buchanan, entitled 'Justinian', which to our mind deserves to rank with his most finished productions. Prof. Calderwood attacks the most recent embodiment of Mr. Herbert Spencer's 'Data of ethics'. Another valuable article is by Prof. Lotze, of Göttingen, on the philosophy of the last forty years." Exam., Jan. 3. Hillebrand's article appeared first in the Rundschau for Dec. "For the first time the actual Naples, the real Neapolitan as distinct from the stage puppets usually dangled before our eyes. The merits of this book and its abounding charms of style will win the favor of most lovers of Italian literature."- Acad., Aug. 3. Giustinian, A. Dispacci, 1502-05; pub. da P. Villari. 3 v. Gomez, D. Casilda. 2a ed. 2 v. Güell y Renté, J. Leyendas de un alma triste. Philippe 11. et don Carlos devant l'histoire; orné de portraits par A. Muraton. "The work is well done even strikingly well. His style is moderate and manly, yet capable upon occasion of a flush of color and a ring of pathos. The characters are firmly outlined and discriminated. The hardest problem of all in such an attempt, that of making people so alien and remote both in time and place talk with simplicity and animation, has been almost triumphantly solved. We listen without impatience, and upon the whole we believe. Then, too, the story interests." Atlantic, Sept. Hausrath, Dr. A. History of New Testament times; tr. from 2d German ed. by C: T. Poynting and P. Quenzer. Vol. 1. Hawthorne, J. Sebastian Strome. "Not exactly a masterpiece; one does not look for masterpieces on every bush. But it is, taking it altogether, a better novel than any of the novelties of the year." Acad., Nov. 29. "Taken merely as a work of art, 'Sebastian Strome'which is not so exaggerated as 'Idolatry', and does not drag like 'Garth' - - may be pronounced the most wonderful novel Mr. Hawthorne has ever written. Indeed, we may go further, and say that not many more remarkable novels by any author have appeared of late.” — Ath., Nov. 15. - It is written in the grand style of Mr. Matthew Arnold, with all Mr. Arnold's well-known paraphernalia. Like Mr. Arnold, Mr. James makes a pièce de résistance of a French criticism on his subject. Like Mr. Arnold, he dwells much on the 'provincialism' which he discovers in his author, indeed dwells more on it than that characteristic in itself warrants. Like Mr. Arnold, he is very lofty indeed in dealing with Puritans, 'half-starved fanatics' he terms the colonizers of New England, even while he patronizingly expresses the pride which New England feels in their great political achievement. And like Mr. Arnold he rather likes to stretch a helping hand to his author, — graciously to extend to him, as it were, his literary protection. Now, all these characteristics are very likely as indigenous in Mr. Henry James as in Mr. Arnold himself. Still, they suggest, perhaps untruly, the notion of imitation, and now and then give an air of rather borrowed majesty to the book. For clearly Mr. Henry James is as fine a writer as Mr. Arnold himself. His insight is as just, his style as lucid and incisive, his outline as vigorous, his judgment as delicate. - Not one of these little books, we imagine, has surpassed Mr. Henry James's 'Hawthorne' in charm, and very few have equalled it. If that too Olympian manner of his, that way of speaking as an oracle of European culture, that condescending demeanor, especially when he has anything to say in relation to the conscience, which Mr. Arnold and he agree to smile upon with genial patronage, that frank air of conferring distinction whenever a word of true appreciation is uttered, had but been absent, it would be difficult to find a fault with Mr. Henry James's 'Hawthorne'." Spectator, Jan. 3. Janiszewski, J. Histoire de la persécution de l'église catholique en Prusse, 1870-76. Krause, E. Erasmus Darwin; tr. from the German by W. S. Dallas; with a preliminary notice by C: Darwin. "To German industry, which is deterred by no difficulties, not even by a want of familiarity with local and personal particulars, we are indebted for what many will view in the light of a discovery. Mr. C: Darwin is justly proud, not only to be the grandson of Dr. Erasmus Darwin, but to be also the heir of his high intellectual qualities, and, in a sense, of his opinions and theories. He can point to himself as a conspicuous example of. heredity, progressive improvement, selection by rule of strength, and adaptation to favoring circumstances. this way he represents a family, a school, and a position in the world of science. Accordingly, he has hastened to present to the English reader an account of the scientific works of Erasmus Darwin, by Ernst Krause, accompanying it with a very interesting preliminary notice." London times, Nov. 22. Lanfrey, P: History of Napoleon 1. Vol. 4. M. Lanfrey died Nov., 1877, æt. 49. In "M. Lanfrey begins and ends with the doctrine that violence settles nothing, but only aggravates the old disorders and introduces new. The career of Napoleon I., in his judgment is the standing illustration of the final superiority in public affairs of slow-footed and lawfearing action. Besides the enforcement of this underlying general theorem, M. Lanfrey has in view the presentation in his true character of a man, the real meaning of whose exploits has been the object of sys. tematic falsification by writers of every kind, from rhetoricians without definite moral principles, like M. Thiers, down to that one-eyed giant of Republicanism, Victor Hugo. To M. Lanfrey, the founder of the Empire is a violent and selfish adventurer from the beginning, a born adept in the hateful art of making other men's passions the instruments for advancing his own interests; calculating, cruel, inveterately false. The course of selfish calculation and mean lying which marked Napoleon's career from boyhood down to the overthrow of the Directory, is tracked by M. Lanfrey with an unflinching severity, but it is severity that lies in the cold and almost reserved arrangement of undeniable facts, and not in fire or bitterness of invective. Never has the mask been withdrawn from a hideous figure with more consummate art. No stroke is wasted, because each stroke is a fact, placed by the side of another fact." Pall Mall gaz., Aug. 11, 1871. London. Corporation. Analytical index to the records known as the Remembrancia, 15791664. Neil, R. Arabella Stuart; The heir of Linne; Tasso. "Unusual poetical perception and power of expression, combined with insight into character, and the faculty of giving form to this insight by making the personages of the author's invention reveal themselves unconsciously to the reader." Sat. rev., Oct. 11. Nicholson, E: B. The gospel according to the Hebrews; its fragments tr. and annotated with analysis of the external and internal evidence. Nineteenth century, Jan. "Opens with a graphic sketch of Russian Nihilism, from the pen of Mr. Fritz Cunliffe-Owen. Scarcely inferior in interest is the venerable Lord Stratford de Redcliffe's article on his great uncle, George Canning. It is written with a vigor that is nothing less than marvellous in a man who is almost a centenarian. In a lucid contribution Mr. Alfred R. Wallace expounds the meaning of the much misunderstood term "The origin of species by means of natural selection'. The number is rich in polemical essays." - Exam., Jan. 3. "Opens with a striking paper on Nihilism, striking because it contains so many extracts from Nihilist writings. Its effect is almost to destroy the last, lingering hope that anything can come of a movement which is so purely destructive, and which would destroy the social fabric, all religion, and all morality, while still unable to put anything in their place." Spectator, Jan. 10. Pattison, M. Milton. (Morley, J: Eng. men of letters.) "Biography of Milton, the author of 'Paradise Lost', etc., b. 1608, d. 1674; written in a succinct, popular way for the general reader. Work divided into 3 periods: first relates to his home and school life and his poems, L'allegro, Il penseroso, etc. 2, to his marriage, pamphlets on divorce, blindness, etc. 3, is devoted to a review of his literary occupations and the production of 'Paradise lost', 'Paradise regained', and 'Samson Agonistes'." - Title-slip registry. |