The New York herald., 1869-11-29
LITERATURE.

THE ALBUM OF LANGUAGES. Illustrated by the Lords
Prayer. In One Hundred Languages. BY e. Ma
pnegyi, NJ D.. A. NJ Philadelphia: ]. B. Lppin-
cott x Co.
DR.. Napnegyl ls deserving OF the highest praise
for the production OF this work. which has upon its
face evidences OF careful study. 1t Is succinct
history OF languages from the earliest ascertalned
periods. The most recent discoveries which have
been made by the researches OF Bunsen, Muller and
others in Sanscrit and ancient literature are
embodied In these pages in clear simple style,
which has all the merit OF being easily understood
without deterorating from scientific value The
work is divided into three parts descriptive and ex-
planatory of-drst the Indo-European, or Aryan
family OF languages second, the semitic and last,
the Turanan, which latter. by the way received It's
distinctive appellation from Max Muller. Under
these separate heads are grouped the most promi-
nent branches OF the iamilies The various alpha
bets. with their English signincatlons, together With
brief histories Of their relations 10 and differences
from each other, given, the whole forming q
most instructive and entertaining treatise pnilo
iogy. The Lords Prayer u gwen in each Of the 100
languages recorded enabling the reader TO perceive
ana TO study the syntax. Dr. Naphegyi propoundsa
theory regarding The origin OF the letters and signs
forming the numerals and alphabets or most
European languages, wnicn he claims 10 be original
with him, and which is worthy OF notice. His idea
ls that they originated from circles. diagrams OF
whlch explanatory OF his theory, are given IN the
book. Whether ne be correct or not, IL Is certain
that he Is very plausible IN his conclusions.
AZ a smphfieatlon OF the numerous phlological
works which have been written ana published from
time to time, this album Is most valuable While, OF
Itself, 1t can hardly enable one to become pnllo-
loglst IL cannot fal To impart TO the reader vast
amount OF information on most important sub
Ject-one which has taxed tile mental resources OF
many OF the proioandest thinkers. The album Ia
really elegantly gotten up and rejects The highest
credit on the publishers Tue tte page and rrontls.
piece, engraved steel and coored, are admirable
specimens OF art the contents are printed on heavy
toned, god edged paper, and the binding OF leather.
gilt Is massive and elegant. Altogether We have
nothing but praise for thl5 work.
THE STORY OF THE CHEyALfEa BAYARD. From
The French OF the Loyal Sayant, Nj. de Bervile,
and Others. BY Edltn Waforu. with Notes and
Introduction by the Editor. New York: Scribner,
Wexford u Co.
Under the title OF the "Bayard Seresn Messrs.
Scrbner, Wexford \ Co. are publishing collection
Of choice WORKS comprising history, biography.
travels essays, novelette5,n &c. OF which this is
number With the subject most OF our readers are
already familiar, that we need only say tnat The
compilation is quite interesting. The little volume.
which is or pocket size, Is handsomely printed on
toned paper, with Illuminated title page and iS Alto
gether recherche publication
To-Day A ROMANCE. BY Richard B. Kimba,
author OF "saint Leger,n .'Student Life,n &c. New
York: Carleton; Lelpsc: Tauchnitz.
Mr. Klmball modestly ntmatss that his story or
To-Day offers only "glimpses," but these glimpses
reveal clearly multitude Of characters finely indi-
viduaized and artistically grouped that '1ive and
move aud have their oengn in an atmosphere SO
full OF the warmth Of reality as to justify IT'S appa-
rently ambitious title. 1t Is genuine American
novel and, especially, a novel OF the New York
society of to-day. Some OF the characters, indeed,
exhibit the influence OF inherited ante-revoutionary
preIudices, like the arstocratc Du Barry, or OF
European travel like his son, ALL or like Mrs. De-
laine lone Of our queens OF faslIon,u or her hus-
band or in less measure, Tom Casteton, whose
birds eye view OF transatlantic lands enabled him
to see and learn more than MH saw and learned
during an absence OF seven years abroad. But each
of these characters is an American and New
Yorker as nearly every other Is except poor, Iustfui
Charlotte Mayer Of Nuremberg. and even she lS
brought for while to New York.
In the first chapter life In New York is broadly con-
trasted with lie III London and in Paris. We cannot
help thinking that the author has the potential New
York OF the future in his minds eye when he declares
with a certain eXagge rated patriotism that New
York yet the smallest OF the three CHIEF cities OF
the world Is the same1tlme, III the largest sense,
the most fascinating lie makes out, however, an
ingenious special plea in Iavor OF his assertion. Tne
opening Of the story on Broadway, where we
are introduced to Ellsworth Graves, William Holt
and Tom Casteton, and hear OF ALI DuBarry, MISS
Clara Digby, Miss Virginia Randall, Mr.. Ferris and
EnO5 Foote each and all OF whom are types as we'll
as individual entlLies with whom all the other drd-
mats pers0it9 are more or less intimately con-
nected.
vited visit the select school OF Mr. aud Mrs. Pettn
gil, at Scotenskopft, on the Hudson, IN West.
chester county, and the soutaern plantation
where Clara Dlgby mother died, and the W estern
prairie farID wnere Wllliam Holt aI last found
reformed nirt loving wife, and Dartmouth
College, and Saratoga, ami with fashionable Mrs.
Deaine Paris, Dieppe, Barritz, Baden, Hamburg,
.'every pass In the Alps," Rome, Florence and the
Nile and the picturesque valley in the Fran ncOnlan
Alps, where All Faust drstm Charlotte Mayer his
Marguerite-although we are whirled away To these
and other remote points according 10 the approved
American mode OF sudden, swift and distant trips,
yet the main action or the story Is confined 10 New
YORK city. 1t is here that William Holt oravely begins
and carries to successful Issue his struggle for
wealth and the restoration OF ms fond mother TO her
early social POSITION J Is here that the OF the
Church OF the Apostolic Succession becomes rector
OF the Church OF the MIRACULOUS Presence. Even the
rIuallsts OF ST. Adams cannot deny that Mr. KIM
bars portrait OF the Rev. Croton Ellsworth s
consummate WORK OF satrlcal art, ana by means
q carricature. Tne superb picture or the spanish
monk in Vbert's waiting for the Man,n
now on exhibition at Knoeder's on Fifth
avenue, is not more powerfully drawn and
painted than this mastery protrait. Ii ls in
Nassau street that We enter the Office Of
thai model lawyer, Mr.. Horace Puisfer It Is IN
this city that Mr.. fulsIer and DR.. Castleton Toms
father have risen TO the highest position in their re-
spectiye prolesslons IL is In a New York fashion,
able church that the thunder Of the terrible text
"Go and sell that tnou hast and give to the poor'
IS nusned 10 whisper, and translated mildly into
simple test OF sincerity, ''quite lnappcable to the
present state OF society,"" IL Is Wali street that
Jacob lllngsworth's very soul was abandoned to his
large and complicated affairs until late the day,
ana his fine intellect haa become mere machine
and the pulsatons OF his heart were muried. IL Is
IN New York. III the gayest season ever known here
'.the year Fooly aDsconded ana Terwiilngcr COM
mitted suicide by blowing his Dralns out his
wiie's handsome carpet and hangings'-tnat we
attend splendid reception" at Mrs. Enos Foote'S,
wnere We see most OF the principal persons OF
tho novel, together with gay crowd OF such
Deaux and bellies as only Grace Church Brown
could distinguish each from the other, all Of
either sex being much alike. Even these appa.
rentiy duplicate beanN and duplicate eehes, with
their almost imperceptDle shades OF unkeness are
as cievery hit of py Mr. kmball as certain Partisan
types used TO be by Gavarnl. In fine, the dramatic
action OF To-Day has New York for its chief the
atre, and the reader feels that met in actual
New York life just such people as figure in Mr.. KIM
balls book Nevertheless their very truth to nature
aHests that they are creations and not simply
copies. They breathe, speak, walk, talk, laugh,
weep and act like living men and women. They
must be added to the Inhabitants of that world Of
imagination which has been peoped by the genius
OF modern noveiists With individuals whose names
and FEATURES are as familiar to us those OF any
person whom we nave actually known. 'To-Day''