New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE MAN WHO LAUGHS.

THE MAN WHO LAUGHs f r"in YnUsG Part I-Sea
Hugo Translated by WILIlAgH ~ % Command Svo
and Night Part u.-By the hnS N'-'''
PIP S5l. ID. Appleton q 70, -, uovor before
90 sorl tried rs in this latest creation OF us
-, .o,ins The golden ore of his poetcal fancy
A. - ,nixed more or less with the dross OF e1
tavooonce and affectatiOn; but here the Oaoo
90 ahounds that we doubt whether the oio i' ~
extracting There are scenes OF gic"V Po"o a.
=. tbe Grand but over-elaborated storm al sc"
scintions maryelously rich and Vlvd' ana 10" p"'
.aoes of tender beauty; but the extavasaNV0 - ~
wild the sentiment drops so hequenIS IlVV
mentality the straiDing for theatrical erect ID %
;rsl Tho story is so repulsve the plumbers are 60
.ra,nandons and the deluge of words is so over
,yhalmino that no reader of average common
.An0a can keep his patience The scene Is
laid in England in the time Oh queen
Anne and NJ Hugo is understood to PRIDE hlln-
,elf upon the fidelity with which he has painted the
society and manners Of the age and country ana tie
genealogical lore which he has lavished upon dis
account of the British peeraRe. Yet IL his pui-
nose had been 10 burlesque French writers
upon English affairs he could not nave
made his mistakes funnier. He has de-
seriptien of prize-fght for instance between an
Irisbman bearing the highly characteristic name OF
Phelen1- CHE Malone and Scotch puglllst WITH the
equally appropriate appellatiOn of Helmsgal Inc
nobility act as bOttle-hOlders ard umpres, ana
duchess is one of the spectators Hemsgail beats IN
his adversary's breast by what is declared fonl
blow but the mill is allowed to go on with tho I'M
Outstanding that the Irishman shall have the prYl-
lege of striking O foul blow alsol So Phelem-ghe-
Malone hits the ScOtchnan in the navel, and Helms
gail as the translator neatly expresses IT. ratted
in the throat" There is debate in the House OF
Lords almost as good and almost as violent; there
probably never was q legislative assembly
anywhere in which it could have taken place except
the New-YOrk Common Council. The Man who
Laughs Bears the very English name of Gwynplaine.
He is the and heir of eXiled Lord Claneharle'
and at the age Of two has been sold by order OF King
James II. to band of COmpraekicoS or professional
manufacturers of human mOnstrosltes, VINO by Il
surgical operation stamp upon his face perpetual
and involuntary laugh. He is brought up as a noun
teban and loves blind girl called Dea who performs
with him. but he fascnates the lovely duchess
JOsiane" who being eccentric, sensual, and in fact
good deal of rOwdy loves him because he Is so
horrible. The secret of his BIRTH being discovered
by one Barkilphedro another English namel, he Is
installed in the peerage and admitted to the House
of Lords where he Immediately makes a passionate
speech full of the very nobest rhapsodies
my lords" he says on rising, Il i'm
part to you novelty. The human race
exists" The mutilated face, however is too
much for their lordshps "They bounded on their
stamped their feet; they clutched hold of each
others collars. The lords laughed, the bishops
laughed, the judges laughed. The old mems bench
smoOthed its wrinkles, the chdren's bench wriggled
The Archbishop of Canterbury logged the elbow of
the Archbishop of York. Henry Compton, Bishop of
London brother of the Earl of Northampton, was
holding his sides. The Lord Chancellor lowered his
eyes to hide his probable laugh. And at the bar,
that statue of respect, the usher of the black rod
was laughing" GwYnplaine throws aside his great
ness and rushes back to his mountebanks BOOTH
jast in time to receive the last sigh of Dea Then he
stretches forth his arms and walks calmly into the
river. As there real poetry in his life. so
there is neither beauty dignity in its cowardly
termination.
The minor persOnages in the story are capable OF
affording q good deal of amusement There is Lord
David Drry-Moir, the supposed heir Of Clancharlie.
who masquerades now and then q sailor under the
true British name of Tom Jim-Jack" He challenges
a whole batch of lords to duel one chooses for
weapon the pistol another the claymore another the
sword. ~, said Escrck, the ancient combat of the
lists, with mace and dagger. l. said HOlderness the
duel with two knives the long and the short, naked
upward from the waist and body TO body. l. said the
Dske Ralph, prefer boxing. 1t is more noble"
This little business settled, Tom Jm-Jacb saps
Gwynplaihe in the face and says, twill send you
my seconds. Tomorrow We will cut each others
thrOats." There is an inn-keeper called Master
.Nicless This, says ~ Hugo. is the English pronun
citation of Nicholas potboy rejoces IN the nation
al name ofGoyicum. Thenn was situated in the sub
urbof Southwark then pronounced "SOudric 'aDdn now
called "Sousourc-or nearly 500 In like manner,
says our author Chatham used to be pronounced
'Je fame" and Southampton is called "Stpntn"
There is very little attempt to deDeate character.
Ursus, the knd-hearted growing philosopher Is
drawn with frmer hand than any of the other per-
soRages but he loses all his philosophy in presence
Of constable, and becomes mere vulgar potroon-
a commonplace charatan. None of the others have
any character at all except the Duchess Josiane,
who describes herself as being internally the monster
which Gwynplaine is externally She is, however
far from successful effort.
We have not compared Mr.. Young's translation
with the original, and therefore cannot speak posi-
lively as TO ITS accuracy 1t has evidently been made
with excessive haste, and adheres slavshly at times
TO the French diom; but in general it is smooth
enough, and quite sufficient for the requirements of
the ordinary reader
The latest novels are Metals Faith, by the
author OF st. olaves" and False Goyors by ANNIE
THOMAS both reprinted from English editions By Harper
Brothers; SibyI Huntingdon by Mrs JULIA c. p DoRR
tCareton) and Agnes Graham, by Fila" reprinted
from Tie Southern Literary Messenger philadelphia:
CisItoD, Remsen, d Hafelhnger)
ID. Appleton g. Co. have published, in two
thick volumes translation by DIR. George H. Hum.
phreys and Dr. Charles E. Hackley of DR. FELIX Won
EIEhEYERs Tsxt Book Of Practical Medicine ,o partie
lar Reference to Physiology aud Pathological Anatora-a
work which has special value a concise and well.
dgested epOne Of the results Of the last years Of
progress in medical science.
MISS OLIVE LOGAN has collected q nun,ber