The New York herald., 1869-06-23
LITERATURE.
Reviews Of New Books.

American can, and frequently does. pass through,
and which but few or none OF other nati0nalities
experience, have been so fairly exemplided
as in the subject OF this autobiography. Socially
your genuine Yankee Is a popularity.
unknown to other peoples. We have
heard OF how one OF them, being disappointed In OBJ
tanning the mission to England, was rendered happy
by his appointment TO the keepersp OF a lighthouse
with salary OF 5000 per annum. Mr.. Neal has GER
talnly been q "Jack OF all trades" but whether he
has been master OF any Is something we cannot
decide. Judged by his previous writings. we should
say not; judged by the book before us,
we should be compelled to accord to hun
no small share OF praise. The work begins
as do all autobiOgraphies the childhood ana
youth OF the uthor, including his experiences at
school, career as a shOpboy, his abandonment OF the
mysteries OF retail trade for the glorious uncer
tainties OF the law ana his removal TO baltimore.
slavery we next find him in London, in company
with such utiitarlans as John Stuart Mill and sub
sequenty as one OF che managers Of the great Lion
don Debating Society,"" OF which Messrs. Mill, Roe
buck ROmllly and Others, who afterwards became
distinguished. were active members Althougha
the Friends because Of his love or athletic sports.
which frequently led him into displays OF muscular
OF the sect The chapter which tells OF his selfedu
cation, including the study OF some eight or
ten languages Sk one OF sne S't paraaen.
through life" included pedding small wares
manufacturing lOlipOp, then selling goods from be-
hnd counter, which included several sharp opera
tions not exactly cOuntenanced IN religious morals;
the teaching OF penmanship and finally his partner
and Baltimore and the wind up In law and litera
ture which latter he made his latest and ihal pro-
iessio1. the foreign adventures OF Mr. Neal are
anecdotes OF prominent foreigners among whom
were Campbell. JEFFREY, John Bowring, so, Solicitor
whom the author came In contact. are related in
several chapters. His literary experiences with the
If not very profitable, and are admirably told The
balance OF the work is devoted to home remins-
everybody and everything that can be Imagined,
from Edgar A. Poe, James Brooks, Neal Dow, Gen
eral Fessenden. W. L. Garrison and Others. to
temperance controversies, phrenOOgy, animal mag
netism, spirituaism ab0tlOnism and q thousand
other things. The book Is throughout one OF the
most interesting Of autObiOgraphies. IL Is written
in o charming STYLE Is full OF hum0r, and is parttcu
lary interesting for the sake OF its "reminiscences ana
the number OF distinguished men who are brought
10 view by their associations with the writer for
no other reason. The life OF the author, however.
who Is one OF the prominent terat Of the country
would always be, as 1t Is In the work, OF curious
interest 10 the reading public
HANS BREITMANN's BALLADS. BY Charles g. Leland.
Complete IN one volume. Philadelphia: l. b. Pc
terson Il Brothers. 1862
There is certain class Of literature which attains
great popularity so long as 1t remains novelty,
but the moment 1t to be such 1t loses favor,
not having any intrinsic merit OF its own.
To this class belong 'Hans Breitmann's Bal
lads" The peculiar style OF German-English
in which they are written attracted attention when
they nrst appeared, more because 1t had never
before been atteDspted than because OF any marked
wit or humor the ballads contained. Now, however,
that the novelty has ceased the poems are, to use
more expressive than elegant phrase, "played OUT"
The utmost credit We can give to MIR. Leland Is that
OF having founded new scnOoi ood 0 satarca We
would not be considered asserting that the ballads
are absolutely without merit. few OF them, ana
fhn 0rl
amount OF humOr and satire, and, magazine ltera
ture pleasant read and to laugh at But the mis-
ing them in book form. We do not believe they can
live. However, as some people may wish 70 pre-
serve the Is ea pa1 on 70 sas ins
and is elegantly bound in red aud gold, rejecting
great credit upon the publishers.
MASILs RECIPROCAL METHOD FI. For LEARsNa Mans,1s.
New York: d. Appleton Co. 1859.
Senior Mantills has long possessed a high reputa-
ton as Professor OF the Spanish Language and Ltera
ture IN the University OF New York. and is therefore
well fitted, from experience, to write thoroughly
practical method for learning Spanish. From our
sorry glance the book before inclined to
the opinion that it Is well adapted to the pur.
pose for which 1t is written. Its special feature,
and most important one, 10 use the language OF
by means OF continued comparison with the native
tongue OF the learner, employing for the expression
% T1 oSyae That upcn the
study OF other languages which is to be found In the
almost universal loss OF purity in use Of ones own"
MoPsA, THE FAIRY. By Jean Ingelow With Illus
trations. Boston: Roberts Brothers. 1869.
or the many books for children which are being
published nowadays this will deservedly rank among
the most popular. "Mopsa" Is charming little
story about fairy and OF fairies in general-those
delightful beings OF the youthful imagination. The
adventures OF Captain Jack in the realms OF the
fairies, which form the thread 10 the narrative, are
told admirably. The book Is neatly printed aud
handsomely Illustrated and bound.
Magazine Notices.
Harpey's Nep Monthly Magazine for July is out,
as usual later than most OF the other monthlies and
Is an excellent number. The illustrated pages are
"Early Aeronautics,n "Border "reminiscences" !"
'.Making Watches by Machinery and 'The Birds OF
Paradise" the last named being chapter from
wallace's Malay Archipelago. The others are quite
interesting. "a Night ut Sea- "Giants and Dwars ("
Notes for Travellers in Europe" "Fishng in Mists
"rhe Buttonhole Bouquet" and esquire Surolk's
sGrant on the Battle field" is OF those excessively
audatory articles, which must be very disastefu to
the President and Is certainly quite tiresome to the
reader when he reflects how many OF the kind have
been inflicted upon him. The EDITORS Easy Chair''
Is chatty and sprlghty as ever. "My Enemy.s
Daughter'' Is continued, with improving interest.
II really promises TO turn out an entertaining novel;
| "a Brave Lady" is also continued
| The Eclectic Magazine or Foreign Literature for
July contains the cream OF the foreign periodicals.
| There Is scarcely paper In this number which Is
above ordinary merit, and all are quite interest
| ing ana instructive. Its contents comprise re-
| view OF "Rawlinsons Five Great Monarchles OF the
Ancient East" from the British quarterly; ''The
Etruscans, the English OF Antiquity" 'rhe Nature
OF the Interior OF the Earth" Can Catholic Priest
! Contract Matrlmony "Russia and the East. V
| New Expeditions 10 Central Africa" Cromwell
| and the Jews" "a Word on the Drama In England
and France" "Wallenstein and His Tines" ''Chares
| Dickens Moral Services to Literature .'rhe Coun
Gil OF Trent and the Council OF the Vatican" and
several Others on equally interesting topics.
Bdcktoood's Edinburg Magazine for June opens
with pleasant story entitled Late for the Tram.
The other papers are Historical Sketches OF the
Reign OF George H." ''rhe Sceptic," the third part
| OF "Sr John Lawrence" and Two continued novels
But the most important article to Americans IN this