New-York tribune., 1866-11-30


Fron Our Special Correspondent
Two thousand pages, three columns to the page
each column an inch higher and quarter Of an men
broader than a column Of the last Merriam EDITION o4
Webster and printed in closer order; such Is 'ne ma
feral description of the first volume 10 'nclus'''
Of that monumental work, DietONaire de IA LaNg"
Francaise by Iittr6 A noble monument, hailho-
n;onslv nrooortioped of massive erudluon ana clear
seientife method. As dictionary its nomenclature
"a fIIer and definitions Of usual and classical sgnh
cations more satisfactory than those of the Dictionary
of the Academy. BUTT is more than a Tbesaurus OF
words Its treasury Of knowledge ideas. Here
4 the first value and distinctive feature of the work
Tho definition Of q word according to its usual and
classic acceptation is first supported by numerous
array e authoritative examples cited from modern
authors; then follows an "historc" paragraph show
ing the usage in chronological order by selections
from the earliest writer who can be called French
down to the sixteenth century; then on this outer
French frontier we find the chronological article,
pointing out whence and by what roads aud in what
company the word came.I"I was so impressed, says
our author with the bondsthat unite the modern with
the ancient French / observed so many cases where
the meanings and the expressions of our time are ex-
plcabe only by the meanings and expressions OF an
earlier time, SO many examples where the form OF
words is not ineligible without the preceding iorins,
thatit seemed to that the theory (dOetTiHel and
even the usage Of the language must remain unsettled
unless they rest on their ancient base And again
he says "The past OF the language guides the mihG
directly toward its future" Thanks TO his method Oi
classifying and arranging the various meanings ol te
same word we are led in following the series 70 COM
prebend by what stages and views the mnd mas
passed from one the other. Add TO this the exem-
plfying citations and the history OF FTench WoIGs
BECOMES the history of French ideas opinions, le6l-
ings-at least a most valuable documentary coA'HoW'
tiontO the history of them.
The Dictionary, Of which this colossal volume'
previously issued in thirteen livmsons Is onehali Is
completed in MS. Seeing that NJ Lltue has IVed
only 65 years and seeing what bis other abors nave
been the wonder is, at first, when he found time 10
execute this work Nor is the wonder more than nan
removed when are told that out OF the ias 20 NC
has given TO il IL solid years. But his years count
double gentleman Of his acquaintance tells me
that he habitually gives IA hours day to study.
His customary bedtime is 3 o'clock IN the morning
Then he has had most sustaining elneleht cOli"oO
Tator in his daughter, who inherts the love anu
pati,uee of study and educated by him, Is SAID 10 De
almost as learned as her father. The French Acad-
2mv one of whose bsh and snecial functions It Is 70
compose a Dictionary Of the French language lthey
say that at the rate the work is getting on it will be
ready for publication toward the close Of the next
peptury1 will not admit Little to membership, be-
cause he has translated Strauss aud helped TO pOpu
Iarize Comte's philosophy.
Tame is likewise tabooed bythe majority of that pro-
fessedly literary body; with what unreasonableness
each new book from his pen freshly demonstrates The
latest we have to thank him for is the PlOS0Phe de
rA En- Halis. 1t is the second series Of his lectures
at the Ecoe deS BeGuT Arts, the first OF which were
published last year under the title OF Ph0S0phie de
fAr and have been translated by Mr. Dunlap OF
your city The essential quality OF his philosophy Is
wen resumed in brief passage OF the last named
work: 1--WE come, then, TO lay down this rule, tnat
10 ht4pHo oTEor Df ar a
group of artists We must represent TO ourselves eX
acy the general condition of the spirit and manners
of the time to which they belonged. There we mud
the ultimate explanation; there lies the primitive
pause that determines the rest" In other words, the
character Of the individual and Of his works cor
responds by a natural law TO the character OF the
medium in which he lives and works. But Taine does
not so much preach theory practice scientific
method. He does not begin at the end. lie rarely
logmatizes. Aiming 10 show truth and let II nstlll
itself like Littr6 be only uses, as an instrument Of
Investigation, systematic analytic process.
He applies in the present case to bring out faithful
representation Of the spirit and manners OF that
glorious epoch which men agreed in regarding as
The finest creative period in Italy, and which com
pnses the last quarter Of the Fifteenth and the first
80 or 40 years Of the Sixteenth Century Within this
narrow limit fourshed the perfected artists-DR
Vinci, Raphael Michel Angelo, Andrea del Sarto,
Fra BarttoomeO, GiOrgione, Titan, Sebastien del
POmbO, Coueggio, Why on the further side OF this
marrow, but well defined, chronological limit, do we
find incomplete art, and Immediately over the bOr
der on this side corrupted art And how came it
that the great artists within the pale were so accom-
plIS informed with a various culture OF mind and
body, acutely intelligent and so exuberanty SEN
suous of hand in the design Of all the gracious
and all the vigorous beauty Of the human form, so
harmOniousy rich in color, so perfected IN the highest
form OF art the realization OF ideal human beauty re-
mindng nature how she should have made us; and
genre painting no landscape painting in our mod
em sense of the words, little sentiment" and a
calm absence Of sentimentalityl Because they lived
and worked in the blooming and fruit bearing season
of the renaissance in Italy, the Winter gloom Of the
dark ages all past, the swcterng, eneryating heats
and cOrruptlOns OF foul Summer luxury not yet
come Then was the confluence of vigorous muscular
barbarsm with exquisite literary and social culture
The finished gentleman was accomplished as few
spinde-shanked ornaments of our best society much
as dream Of aspiring 10 be to-day. He rode like a
eentaur, sang like nightingale, was equally ready
with polished pen stilettO for sonnet 10 his lady,
or lethal thrust between his rivals ribs. Then was
the time when festal professions went through the
streets ingenious in device, gorgeous in ornament
serious matter and utter delight in the mind and TO
the open sense Of participants and spectators.
Taine's book is lighted up and coiOred with all the
blliancy and striking contrasts of his theme don't
know else you will find such faithful render
ing Of that picturesque perodat once so picturesque
and so philosophical The firm If Imay so saw incsve
drawing is always visible through the cOlorng Cesar
Borgia, the highly finished gentleman assassin Leo Y,
the Pagan Pope BenvenutO Cellini the illustration
artist, Machiavel the illustrative cabinet politician
have each page or two telling and suggesting more
OF them and their 'TR6diHmS than volumes generally
give TO their readers.
Yet another occupant Of the "41st Armchair has
laid all lovers of good letters under obligation by his
Voyage REsse Understand at the outset that Theo
phle Gautier does not attempt-he would shametully
fail If be dd-tO instruct the reader as 70 the politics
or sociastics of Russia But beyond any other living
writer he has and exercises the faculty OF painting
with his pen-nOt merely the objects that have met