The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-22
LITERARY GOSSIP.

-Messrs. Hurd & Houghton are about to is
sue volume of Arctic discovery by DR.. Hayes,
entitled Explorations towards the North Pole
in the years 1S60-61." ~ ga
-Cervantes has often been suspected Of in
tending NDon Quixote'' for political satire on
the Duke of Lerma, and some recent discover
les made by MI, Rawdon Brown in Venice tend
to raise the suspicion to the rank of literary
fact. Having got at the inner meaning of this
famous romance, by means of his direct discoy-
cries, Mr.. Brown has devised a key to the char
aeters, by which many obscure parts of the
satire are brought into new light.
Mr.. Bayard Taylor is busy with the nroof
sheets OF his new novel, now rapidly passing
through the press of Hurd & Houghton. He
callsit "The Story of Kenneth" 1t is suppos-
ed to contain even more of the elements of
popular novel than Hannah Thurston" or
John Godfrey" The scene is laid in and
about the. village of Kenneth Square-the au-
thor's native place-and describes the quaint
and picturesque country life of Pennsylvania,
at the beginning of this century a
"A complete edition of the works of Lord
Macauley is in preparation by Lady Trevelyan,
Wy piSsS1< " C0 AiStoIlaIl. III EA3sA Ngs IL
M Michelet, is writing an aHistoire de
Louis XIV" g5 SN
The list of royal -xotaries of literature has
received new accession. Ohio, ex-king Of
Greece, is said to be engaged in translating the
Iliad into German.
MIR. George W. Carleton announces AZ in
press and shortly to appear number Of new
yuQrlrq nripoip mol Xvi <Ia i,
literature. Among them are, "The House by
the Chuchyard; a Novel," by j. Sheridan LIE
Fanu; "Josh Billings his Book" collection
ofSthe humorous writings of Mr. Henry w
Shaw, extensively circulated under that pseu-
donym; Recommended to Mercy and sBey-
minstre, two new novels; a new illustrated
edition Of ",rhe Culprit Fay, )" and Jargal " one
OF Victor. HugO's early sensational romances
hitherto unpublished in this country. He will
also issue later in the season new edition, com.
plete in one volume, of Souvenirs of Travel
by Nine octavia Walton LIE Vert; an uniform
impression, in three volumes, of Mr.. Newell's
"Orpheus @. Kerr Papers" that are now puz-
cling the English critics in the cheap npa-
copyright reprints; and "Adrift in Dixie" by
Edmund Kirke. - ore.r
-Messrs. Thomas & Co., of Edinburgh, an
nounce "that, in order more thoroughly to ac
commodate themselves to the requirements O
the American trade" they are about to add t.
their business as importers that of manufactu
rers of books in this country as American pub
hshers.-, They issue in England the writing
OF Mrs. Charles, the authoress of "Chronicles
OF the Schonberg- Gotta Family I" and othei
works, whose sudden popularity among al
classes of readers in this country now equal
that Of Mrs. II. B. Stowe in the palmy days 0
sUncle Toms Cabin" Messrs. Nelson are alst
| publishers OF the series of books by q lady wht
| writes under the signature Of "a. L. d f..
| thess, though perhaps not very familiar to III,
older branches of family, find readers y tn.
hundred thousand among the Young, and TAX,
their place in every Sunday school library i,
the land. They commence their career al
American publishers by the issue of a ney
work by this 4well-known and favorite writer,
Rescued from Egypt" in the present month:
The Nation has the following :-"In tn
brisk competition Of trade, the influence of lii
eratnre Is accommodated to strange Uses A
enterprising dealer in London announces a vol
sume elegantly 'gotup, with beautiful yignett
monograms, colored engrayings, etc. entitle
Essay and Essence containing poem, sOdo
of Hybla; or, Floral sprites' and says that th
volume, besides its literary and artistic attrae
lions, contains within it q casket of new an
choice perfumes appropriately called lFlors
sprites.' This beats the well-known boast I
Warren, the blaeking-Maker, that sWe keeps
poet.'S