New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-02-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MARTINS HISTORY OF FRANCE

The first nstallmcnt oil the repOhhcauon o'
Henri Martins great work on the history OF
France j. presented in these volumes. They
form the seventh part Of the original work.
which is divided into eight portions or epoths,
each of which is complete in Itself. We tender
a frank aud cordial welcome to The American
translation of this standard history, which, !
although doubtless susceptible Of many mi
proyements, appears 10 have been execute" WI"
diligence and fidelity.
The author susiaius highly honorable rcp''-
tatiop. which he has won hy extensive ano accu'
rate learning, profound research, sobrsiy AMI
moderation Of tone, and lucid and eloquent
style. a. one Of the most eminent historca!
WRITER'S in modern French history. lie is now
abont ffty-fvc years Of age, NTH inll mai Inty
of his powers, having devoted twenty years Of
his life to the composition OF Ihls w"h, tne
publication of which was completed ia loo
Originally intended for the legei profession, b.
nursucd an elaborate course of study IS q PIE
marathon for the bar Int his taste for ictt@
proved too strong for his intentions, and leaving
The study Of law. he devoted siimself 10 the cen-
History of France IN sixteen volumes de,t ed
10 serve as an introducton1o THEIRS History
,f the French Revolution" and then entered
,,pon the erowning labor Of bis life in The pre-
paration Of the present work.
A most interesting feature of TINS his'ol Is
the careful estimate presented by the author OF
the intellectual and mora progress OF TIE dli'
ferent epochs into which The work is dlTided,
Including a survey of letters, science, and art,
and a critical Judgment o. their principal cIlt-
yators.
After Tie peace of RysV.ck, the mteiie' tual
condition of France began 20 langui>h. iirnnS
the period which preceded it, the age was idcn-
tifcd with he glory of the monarch; nov the
sun of Louia XIV. va, declining; the stars which
cave brillancy TO his train began 10 disappear
and new luminaries arose upon The horz n.
The fine srts Lad been struck first in the person Of
fhe head Of school that had Vigorously dls' pheu
them. Lebrun rad died in 1890 l>ous NV. c"nd n,t
renace him No one had longer lis ucXhausahie fer
tiiy OF his pO@er Of dominion; al soush mere Lealue.
an artist Superior 20 ebTun dis pointer tlat l"'ell
who in some reminds Us Of Nesnncse by the even
Of his cOmpOsitiprg grave ana sage Gfl-' ''u""'"
with a SOFT Of majesty. WHO Wa 10 foussln ana w
Icsueur what tine CaTaCCi and OsLchicLlHo were 20
Leonardo and Raphael The inst Of our masters oi tue
4 81
bat by style, between poussin and leb'ln' II he Ial
lost the noleuess and amplitude OF movement "Aich
signailed Ae fist h |9s irEeT nm itF ana NOR
profound than tie second. Oit'n feeble 3D. execution
he did render ali that lc felt bu' Ire Aad great con
teVtiOHs. pp. 30 ana ~. o.
When tie domain Of IebUn was disUen 5cret Gier
his death il was not jon, euct but TIE 0ot0gcLaran
Ngnard the CANT p0ItIai painter Of me cant auleS
who received from the Kong the ohca di tclIoh o.
painting IL not tie eyed Puget, DIi NlIardon
the docile second OF lehrun who appotied pee
Tor OF works - sculpture. Toe proud ana ioo at 10
bow before ebrun. Puget had passed his hie iaF IRON
rourt sometimes ia Provence. bis native land come
Zines in Genoa his adopted country. LOUIS Nv u
nevertheless knew wel-io use tic baughiy saying Of
ihe artist himsefthat there were Rot many fug-is
an France" Colbert had caused Puget 70 be reoah d
from Genoa 70 Touon, in 1902 TO ga him the drei0n
81 the decoration "a kne Toy al sh "a lg is diito-
Alto Of CroOna purchased Of liz, iof eraillesi
the Andromeda was sent nom Marseipes in lo'' I'M
King gave q fit welcome 10 the son 81 me artist Who
brought this beautiful group "Slf.' add De-. 'y0ur
father great and iuSiJu- there is noDhe Europe
that equal him Louis nevertheless .eit ihe great
Sculptor in Strengthened circumstances al MAJ Selles
Puget did appear Paris and the court unt l6rs
md returned TO die at hor'ciigs Wn,e ieisDDg us
greet bas.r,lief The Plague Of Milan NC9D
The aged Mlgnard dlsappeaIod soon alter ava :" 's
sccCedod in the direction Of tho works % painting by
who like himself eXcelled especially N female
portraits, LargilieIe O6s5). Mgnard and Lsrgherc
Had had ior rival artist of les delicate aEd more
Vigorous talent Rgaud, WHO rendered himself ilustri.
by bequeathing to POserlty iIe living images Of
tcycral Of the great men Of tie age.
Neither did Louis safer sculpture. nor high mural
mad deeofati, painting TO lack object and empoymc9t
furo for buildings during the git OF the the war
over. he had made ii bis dnty to finish Versailles and
The lnvades by the construction of tie cbap'I ana inc
dome; he modified and increased Marty. despite the
somewhat timid remonsiranoes oi Madame de Mamie
non, he received the city OF Pans tie suMuous
tribute OF an equestrian colossus in bronze on The new
Piece Vend6me O6s0; Jouvcnet. Coypei, La tOssoe.
tue goulongnes covered the chapel u Versatile and
ihe Church Of the Inyalides with vast COMPOSITIONS
Colsovcx, the two Coustous Lepautre, Van Clcye,
peOped it'll statues the groves 81 Marty. kabe
faent still sustained therefore the honor ~ Tue Gencb
l.l1 arrl lnA fINfH u Ill
degrees. Psytraifure, difficult and profound siyle,
bnt preserved BY the postyeness Of is object from the
alterations 20 which the ideal Of art wac exposed,
acquired Olerably great relative superiority although
largilliere and kigaud were far from ATTAINING the
height Of the Tans and the Kenltrsndts. FORM be.
came soitened and overweight among The majority OF
Che painter. and scuptors the ampi.ude ond gravity
which had signazed the age vi Louis XIV tended 10
degenerate into th6 atirged grace WJnc apn0unces
tle decline Of the arts and which had aoady Gppe ared
DOR moment among at the close OF the sixteenth
century: oTDamentaton was distorted and tOfturcd |
petty conceptions sculpture siIsyod into abuse u
details, and lost the beautiful simplicity OF lines and
adjustment. The spirit OF the seventeenth century !
became extinct in Tie arts before tie Great King
descended TO the tomb.
a similar process was going Oh il tie world
al literature.
Poetry and letters had also seer glorious day, since
uo splendid epoch tie sketch Of which ~ hay"
~ndeay oied to trace We paused at the moment Wien
holiere had Just disappeared, when Racine attained
fhe perfection Of his art with phedre, when La lontaihe
and POeau had produced their most precious :rJifs.
few wears then elapsed without bringing forth any
important book, tie literary impulse being however
Kept ND by the publication Of multitude Of works
which REPRODUCED In less degree the essential char.
,erstics OF the reigDing lieratureericr elcarness
Indoment and That beautiful language by which the
L ,t,se yaup-at luaK Dg tie