Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-11-16
NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS, LITERATuRE' AND
THE FINE ARTS In NEW YORK.
[wRIrrES roa THE NATIONAL IsTELLIGEsckh.l
New YoRK, NOVEMBER y, IooO

time being new order Of literature, whose cniei
merit consists in morocco binding, gilt edges ana
line engraviDgs. Fortunately the public taste mas
SO far improved in the matter of holyday oooAs
that the demand is not exclusively confined 70 Inese
SNOWY and generally insipid volumes. The |" Keep
sake,' and the " Book Of Beauty" which used to
be in great demand, along with kindred works, Tor
the purposes of Christmas and New Years pre-
sens, yield portion Of their empire to more sub
stantial works. Fine editions of the classic Eng
sh authors, the illustrated works OF Irving ana Oh
our first poe begin be appreciated as rather more sPpo
priae well much useful souvenirs tnan EngAsn
annuas or American limitations Of them II the Penooica
excitement Of the hoydays ade subservent to inc no
rests Of literature and refined ase Is great point gained
! IN sh@fau 4pr general culture ~ Il & s.s.Ass3
One Of the abandonment illusSfed books snncun'su 80
jus, published BY PursAx selection Of the Poems o De
RAseER translated into English verse by william
Esq., of this city, Editor Of the Albion. This volume
embehed with engravngs from the plates used in the recent
French illustrated edition. and sgot up in beautiful style Be
ranger, notwithstanding popularity in his own country
almost unexamped in the history Of modern literature is
comparatively unknown to American readers They nave
heard his name and that it is the name OF we'll
known song writer in France but how closely 1t connect
ed with the progress of free opinion and republican Ideas
that country during the last thirty years. and how great mas
the influence Of this writer Of upon the character
and acts of bis countymen, they have little knowledge
BERAseER commenced life in the old Revolution. One OF
the first sights Of his youthful experience was the stormg
Of the Basle. He formed the project Of embarkng Win
Napoleon for Egypt and trying his fortunes IN desperate
ventures but accident preserved him for poetry and lame
His life continued series of struggles with poverty
hardship and pvation Twice he imprisoned for hav-
ing written and printed sedious and ibeous songs once
by the Ministry Louis XVIII nd by that Of Charles
| vholo hosh al sV
the and zeal in the of liberty That old say
ing SO hackneyed SO varouy atr buted different authors
and yet SO true" give me the mt king Of the ballads OF
nation and care not who makes Il e laws-hnds more
practical realization in the life and influence Of this poet OF
the people than those of any other modern author FOR
tunatey for himself he has ouved his enemies ana mas
afed in his old age the assertion OF the ingranode
of republics The most interesting event OF his fs was ms
election in ls4S, at the nearly four score 70 tne IVA
ona Assembly France and their repead refusal TO per-
nit him rego the honors which his cons had forced
upon him. and which the nation confirmed with unpaaieied
unarimi He persisted however, in remaining IN ms retire
men which nothing could induce him to renqu 50 ana tne
only homage which he permits to his genius the popularity
which expresses se in the purchase Of his works ana ne
singing of hls songs. !.
The present volume Of translaons the first OF any me
or completeness which has appeared in this country. Inc
task n the man and presents in bis two hundred SELECTIONS
from the mass cf Beangers political pathetic national, and
anacreonc lyrics very complete idea of the genius ana
nit Of the bard The style, the sentiments, the morals OF
Beranger are all French they would hardly be toeraaod'
especially the last in this country but they are to be pal
lated though they cannot be excused in poet OF the Pecu-
liar temperament education, and associations Of berager
They used the means of perverng or couPnne
the puer principles of others, but in the main 70 pro
ducts Of the Of the poeony incidental ind no
she inspiration of his Muse
Through the medium Of the present elegant volune, Be
ranger bids fair become proportonaly popular in tn
United States as in his native France.
Raral Hours by Miss CoorER, also dressed in holyda
gah with beautiful coore drawings, appropriate to the text
and forms most agreeable and original Anne rican work.
BorAHrs Picturesque Souuenir, volume Of sketches
foreign travel written that happy style which tourist,
leased from the drudgc Of home labor afford to assume
and decorated also with fine ius.raons forms another ma
Sro work of interest and special attractiveness.
E3oth the last two volumes from the press Of PUTSAN
has done than any of publishers to bring fol
ward the works Of American authors in style worthy Of h
htsrature which theJ represent.
Y The Memorial Sosoosr Of Genius and Virtue, ben
collection Of tributes to the memory Of the late Mrs. FRAN
cGs s. Oseoon, pscess of wide reputation and high stand
ing; volume Of Poems BY SAMUEL G. GooDRIcH, 9Th
original Peter f~lys) The Worlds Progress, Diction
~yof Dates, By GHo r. PurSAM and the complete His
sry Of Dwd cepperSdd, by DlcKEss, amongst th
announcements Of this enteprisng and successful pub
, Usher.
In Chanf;cao, the Thanksgiving story 10 which alude
s6ortnght ego forthcoming little in advance Of the Guber
nsiora Procamsons by which that national festival
kix permaDence have genuine American story, with
sasor Of nationality and patriotic feeling thoroughly in kp
os with the festival and ly maneed in these days Of
cziszinstion and dissatisfaction throughout the Union Th
plot is simple being aq0et pctnpe Of family gathering
Thanksgiving Day. and erhbng in the vsrous members
the circle under the Sd roof che prominent traits Of Anne
ricsn char acer fro the central figure old Sylvester Pea
body, patriarch Of e original stock Of PATRIOTS down
the juvenile Peabdy contemporaries of the Thanksgiving
Turkey mystery hanging Of the family its
promising scon whose unexplained disappearance and the
suspicion of crime involved in it. shadow the fair
Of the Peaboys and the declining days of the grand
SIRE ntsrvesyss dark thread the hoydy texture of the
tale and gives dramatic point and effect the sequel
Lively pictures VI native domestic life and country CT stoms
introduced aud than due given
ChuncLer the monarch Of the farmysd, by making
him sponsor for the entire chronicle Books of this class
have been rare u.s. and while the remote events Of
history and the esy epochs of American life have been
abundsny used for the purposes Of felton, the romance Of
our everyday le and the moral of our national babta
ass observance Nave been overlooked or neglected :.
nm nvorthv of the efrs of authorshp This I. ~,.., -: