The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-04

The New American CycIOpspais.
POPULAR DICTIONARY or GKNKRAL KNOwLnDoB-
EDIrsD BY ssOEsx Ripley AND CBARLEs A. DANA.
VOL A-ARA6vAY. NEW YORK: APrLnroN co.
LOHrOs: TRUBNKR co.
Gfrcm the London Ashensum, April g.
The old Encyclopedia Americana" the publ
cation OF which commenced about twenty years ago,
had but slender claims u its distinctive title II was
edited by German editor, Francis Lieber and nine
tenths Of 1t were translation, honestly acknow
ledged, from the German Conversations Lexkon'-
the fruitful mother OF q large family OF cyclope
dias. IT the American publishers considered 1t no
infringement OF literary courtesy TO change the title
Of the book they borrowed they had soon All OppOr-
tunity of extending the indulgence they claimed to
a Glasgow publisher who took the liberty allowed
him by the state Of the law of appropriating al
much Of their property AZ he thought worth taking,
and circulating an improved edition in Great Britain
under the title of The Popular Cyclopadis"
1.-The New American Cyclopgdiar will apparently
far surpass its predecessor in dimensions Its first
volume carries us just about far into the alphabet
the frst half volume of the Encyclopaedia Ameri-
cana, the set Of which was TO extend to q dozen,
but went one beyond. In place Of drawing the main
body Of their Information from source, the ed
tors acknowledge in the preface their special obi
CATION to three-to the French Biographe
Generate OF Didot, TO the German Universal Lexi
kOn" Of Pierer, and Ito the English CyclopGdia,'
edited by Mr.. Charles Knight, whose summaries in
some instances, have been drawn upon for useful
information" They state, also, that numerous other
ency and dictionaries Of various kinds have
been diligently consulted and compared" Building
on this foundation 1.-The New American Cyclopedia,
the publishers do not hesitate to say" in widely
circulated advertisement, will be superior in extent
variety and exactness Of information to any similar
publication in the English language" The boast is
somewhat too lofty under the circumstances. Oi
cyciopedias, surely the very highest class il that
which il compiled from original authorities and COM
posed Of original articles bringing together nforma
tion that was never brought together before There
are two cycop9dias of this kind now actually in
course Of publication in the English language: THE
English CycIopadia," an improved edition of " The
Penny CycloE adis," to which the American editors
acknowledge their Indebtedness Ito an Ameri
can phrase, and the Encyclopaedia Britannica" to
which, with all its shOrtcOmings-which the Ahhe-
naum has sometimes felt it its duty To point out-a
large tribute OF praise IL undoubtedly due would
be scarcely Just TO put into competition with works
like these compilation from compilations, CYCLIC
padia OF which the main contents were only skill
fully poured from one bottle into another, even If
the bottlehOlders had been remarkably udci0us and
panstakmg in the execution Of their task. Part Of
the new cyclopGdia has, however, We are told, been
taken from recent biographies, histories, books of
travel and scientific treatises,' and many OF the
writer's employed upon this work have enriched 1t
with the fruit OF their personal researches, observa
tons and discoveries" BY an unfortunate arrange
ment reference S given in any case to the sources
from which any particular article IL derived, no that
those which claim to be original only be discov
"Almacks," The Agapemone," and other subjects
Of recent interest connected with either America or
England.
The number of articles in the first volume of "The
New American Cyclop9iia' Is unusually large, al
together about 300 in 1852 pages, or on an average
more than three to page. by far the greater num-
Der Of All historical and biographical character.
and science il not at all 20 prominent az usual In
English cyclop&dias, though there IL an article of
some length Oh animal magnetism, pronouncing in
its favor and one anthracite, to which there are
few wood cuts the only Illustrations In the volume.
OF the biographies by far the largest and most ella
boiate are those on American names, ana these are
at the newest and the most valuable feature In
the work. The life of John Quincy Adams occupies
eight closely printed double columned pages, and
that OF his father thirteen. The biography OF liv
ing citizens OF the United States said the preface
TO the old Encyclopedias Americana, " has for OBJ
viOus reasons been omitted, but the reader will find
an account of our most distinguished foreign cotem
porares" The most obvious reason for emitting
articles of this kind the convenience OF the COM
pliers; we are glad To lind that in the new cyclop3-
da they are TO be inserted for the quite az obvious
reason OF the satisfaction of the reader. The Ger
man Conversations Lexicon" was, We believe, the
frst general cyclopGdia which introduced the bio
graphies OF LIVING men, and The English Cyciop9-
dia, the first English work of its class to follow the
example. We know Of no shorter and more agree
able way Of acquiring general knowledge Of the
state OF modern contemporary literature than by the
perusal Of series OF good biographical articles on
on record during Mr.. Dickens lifetime that he "
author OF the "Pickwick Papers" and has made a
tour TO America without mourning the reproach Of
betrayiBg secrets.
The main staple of the new cyclop@dia is, az we
have stated, large quantity OF short articles. The
first and obvious effect of this pecullarity is to make
the book very dry reading. III these notices. how
ever, comprised The real pth Of what Is known re-
speeding the subjects they relate to, Of coure their
shortness would be recommendation, and we should
feel grateful to those who had compressed 50 much
into small compass. We have tested some oil
the articles here and there with the vie~ Of ascer
not been satisfactory. let us examine single no
tice, sufficiently brief to be quoted ent,re:--
Amqust, Kari Jonas Ludwig, . swedish writer born In
17sa Who began NE politician, Dut soon eft pohncs
for tbs charms Of primitive mode Of LIE IN tho swedish
forests Asr this be tred the pulpit, but the sphere OF
tbeokgy Afford sufficient scope 10 bis aspirations,
and be eventually DEVOTED himself 70 lsrature where bc
bias srsady gained some distinction BY coecten Of ro-
mantle poems the most celebrated Of which "Dorn.
~sppusob" He has written various elemeo tary works
history, geography, SC, In addition W 6amm1s and
sxcons, and has likewise composed two epic poems,
''~ch, eli NitNr" and "Ar,hurs Jagi," besides
maIees, dramas, tales and humorous stories
On comparing this article with that on the same
subject IN the last edition OF the German "COnverra
tions Lexicon, We find that every particle OF inior-
nation II contains has bern taken from one pubca.
ton; that the German original contains additional
information which the American compiler has neg
ected ~ transfer, and that some of that which be
has taken he has mistaken. At the outset, the Ger
man, in the preliminary description Of Almquist,
styles him "a very fertile Swedish writer which
the American not very Judiciously curtas into the
bald designation OF "a Swedish writer" merely.
The German, after assigning his birth 10 1893 pro
cceds To state that at rst he entered on an official
career (sns ansti,chs Lauf bahn), which the Ameri-
can, apparently unable To comprehend the phrase,
renders that he =" began life as n politician me
tbod Of beginning life which may be customary in
America, but certainly " not in Sweden. hut"
purues the German, "he withdrew In 1923 ~ the
forests of Wermland, 70 live in the of the old
free peasantry" The American draws from this
that he soon left politics for the charms Of print
tive mode Of life in the Swedish forests; !" but a.
Almquist took this step in 1873. he must then have
been thirty years OF aye. The German informs as
that in Almquists career a. n theologan his demo
oratical and theological opinions involved him in
a contest with his ecclesiastical superiors and
that he had 10 stand O trial before oonsistorial
court, which, however. ended in his acquittal.
This definite statement Is translated by the
American cyclopRdist into mist of vagueness.