The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-04
LITERATURE.

& brothers.
we have no doubt whatever that Mr.. Abbott con-
sc.ennousy believes TINS work fair, impartial and
Just contribution to historical literature. We regret
the necessity Tor expressing our conviction that its
reliability is TO write mildly, most questionable.
Span sh history contains more OF romance than the
history Of any otner existing people; but romance
does not necessarily imply fiction. Now, much has
been written about SPAN wnicn Is absolutely FALSE
and has been so proven from time to tlme That Mr..
Abbott should have ignored the contradictions with
accompanying proofs, and accepted the original
iasehood, Is a deliberate act OF partisanship which
cannot be too deeply dep.ored. 1t Is pandering 70
the vulgar prejudlcs Wuich perslsrenty refuses 10
hold otner than certain opinions III the face OF facts
to the contrary. We lear tnat the Vulgar nina.
which cannot reflect ana would not II IL could, VII!
never be taught To believe that Lucretla BorIla was
plous, girtuons ana charitable woman. And veg
what scho ar OF the present Gay daTes assert tnat
She the horrible creature popular prejudice De-
eyes her 10 have been, III the face OF overwhelming
evidence TO tie contrary In Ike manner there are
certain statements epanating from the enemies OF
SPAN which have long sluce been deeply rooted In
the minds oi the masses but whlch the researches
OF learned men nave proved erroneous Ia every par
ticulaf.
1t was hardly to be expected that Mr.. Abbott would
display ether PARTIALLY Or moderation III Dis MARIA
ton OF events III spain. To ''hit man when he II
down" is hardly far; but it is fashionable. A more
bigoI,ed, tyrannical set OF ruers than the Spanish
have existed since the birth Of Christ; and their
enemies nave not hesitated TO paint them biacKer
than they were. In the work before us the author
less OF statements, ana cndeavors to clOthe
them III tue s0emn garo OF history. Questlons
IN dispute between historians ne decides according
10 MS preiudces, without iaiily acquainting the
reader with the 1act that their truth Is con-
tested DT the most eminent Of men, the ln,erneclne
struggles on tue peninsula have given rise to vass
amount OF partisan literature, In which the wEltere
do not hesitate TO ascriDe tue most monsrous deeds
to their opponents. MI. Abbott does justice TO
neither side by his parCiality Tho stories told OF
Spanish brutality OF oarbarty Of political lead
ers OF The horrors the nquiston, OF the corrup-
v,
modlcum or truth which are Dad enough we think,
without accepting their every wild assertion. Now
this broad acceptance OF the papable errors 10
what we find fault with. In this book there are
numerous errors when we ore debarred from pa,
tlcuarzng for want OF space. The nrst ana the lass
chapters we do not lind ialit with they are, IN the
main, reliable and Impartial from the expulsion
ever, many OF his statements are cOnspcuously In
correct. or course tlere s abundant authority
for them; but or the reliable authority But
could we expect Otherwise from writer who refers
approvingy TO Napoieon's brutal Recommendation
his brother Joseph 10 burn few Spanish villages
ana put to death few hundred Spanish prisoners,
ana VINO, IN THIS book speaks with pious horror
OF Las Casas Tor recommending the SHIPMENT OF
negroes as slaves TO the West Indies. There Is o
touch or line Pecksnlinan about this which would
be amusing II the SUBJECT was not SO grave one as
history.
LADY GRnALp1NE's CouaTsnIr. BY Elizabeth Bar.
rett Browning. New YORK: Charles Scribner
co.
In this charmingly gotten up volume we have
"I.ady GeraIdlnes Courtshp" illustrated for the
first time in style worthy OF the poem. The artist
seems to nave caught the spirit OF the work in his
conceptions OF the numerous engravings that embe-
lisa IT, We need not, OF course, refer TO the poem
ITSELF which 10 too well known aud popular 10 need
1urtuer notice Caan mere mention Of 1t. The form
Ia which 1t Is now published VIII undoubtedly add
TO Its popularity
TuoBwALDsEN AND Ills WORKS. containing 366
engravings. with Explanatory Text. BY j. NJ.
Inlee, OF Copenhagen. Translated by Prot. Paul
G. sinding. Vol. |. New YORK: John q. Unaeyehr.
lo09.
Notwithstanding certain measure Of justice In
Mr. Palgraye's severe criticism OF this unveing OF
the life OF "a worthless man aud an Indifferent
artist' by an idozlng biographer, Thiele's memoir
Of Thorwaldsen ana mis- works is too valuable con-
tribution the history Of modern art not to merit
place IN every pubic library and IN the library Of
every sculptor Inc engrLvih2s are nncly executed.
and the text gives uetaiied descriptions or the org
nal groups and statues. Perhaps the Danish sculp-
TORS elaborate training III tecnnlcaltles, although
devoted TO the service OF the pseudoantlque school,
when In his day tried TO Gaivanze the Pantheon OF
an extinct world, deserves more commentator than
1t receives Thorwaidsen Is at present decried
as unustly as he was for long time extravagantly
eulo9zed. The very celebrity which ne long
enjoyed without dispute has made his name and his
historical ana sindings excellenr ranslation
OF Thele5 book Will probably have an extensive
circulation IN the United STATES as 1t already has had
IN Great Britain
Magazine Notices,
Ha,pers' Magazine FOR December is a 1ne number.
II opens with the first instalment OF life OF Fred
erick the Great well llustr ated; the second paper
on "Beast, Bird AMI Fishp uiustrated), Is most
interesting and entertaining; "The University Row.
Ing Matcn tells the story OF the late contest between
the Harvards ana Oxiords, ana tells Il well. "A
Brave Lady" Ia continued and "My EnemyiB
Daughters concluded. "Eclmenical Councilsr is q
ptch-int0-t Pope article AMI winds up with ter
holiness. The other papers are interesting. In the
Editors Easy Chair" there Ii capital article on
."Father Hyacinthc and jenkins Account OF Him."
1t Is ricn In satrlcal hunor.
be i9cfic 1hpr Ia rtoh1
good It's contents comprise "France and the Ecu.
menical Council OF 1862" 'Female Education IN
France" '.Of Unconscousness and Annihliationn
ottoman Imperialism "a set OF National French
Novels" 'sTne Aurora Polaris,o "a Peep at Pom
Peii,n "Df. Hanna's Life of Christ" (concluded),
.Palestine Exploration Fund.- "Arthur Hugh
First Love" together With several poems. An ar
tlce on Pere Hyacinthe, with q steel engraving OF
the pe,p VIII attract attentloior the moderate and
sensible view 1t takes OF tho quarrel between the
french priest and his Order
Appletons Jou,nal-5fonthty Part, No. e.-The
continued brilliant success OF this publication, even
without the additional attraction OF O great novel BY
Victor Hugo, is gratifying indication of DISPOSE
ton on the part Of people to literally support
really first class literary enterprise. We doubt IL
there are many weekllcs monthlies In Great
Britain the standard OF whose contents are high
as those OF Applstons Journal either their prose-
and poetry or in their engravings; and certainly
there are none superior 1t would require more
space than we can anora TO enumerate the varied
contents OF this monthly part OF the Journal.
They comprise every subject appertanng TO tera-
ture science and art every PAGER on which Is well
and Interestingly written. The Illustrations we
need not repeat are ali that could be desired, III an
artistic point OF wow
Blac6cood's Edfaouy Magazine for November
opens with new novel entitled "Earls Denev
tho FIRST part OF which reads strongly as II the
idea was borrowed from Victor Hugo The ..Jeyish
Reformation and the Ialmud' IS an instructive
paper. "Corneus 0'Dowdr satirzes ,Dr Cumming
ana the Counci" and discusses "rne Claims Of the
Fenlgas" 'slne Land question IN Irelandu 'John.u
part hrst Of story; 'eamt-Eloysu Co-Demes."
cine tarJesc Saga and scotland IN Parliament
the Poor Law inquiry,u complete the contents OF
an excellent number.
The Oil Guard Is unusually good. It's contents
comprise "Tbo Conservative southern Victories"
"Ihe Last OF the American Female Gnou.n down