The New York herald., 1870-05-08
TERATUR
Criticisms of New Books.


Our OF THE PAST. Critical and Literary Papers)
BY Park Goodwin. New York: @. p. Putnam h
Sons
The latest written Of the papers contained in this
book was published fourteen years ago, and the OLD
est dates back to the lime OF Democratic Reueso
IN 1885, that the title OF the volume Is quite apt
All the articles thonehtful, wen written essays
whose perusal cannot fail to repay the reader. OF
the vaue as teray composlti rs We hardly need
speak. Mr.. Goodwin IL OF our most agree bile es-
saylsts and VIII ther ne wr ties of ''John James Au-
duoUn." "American Authorship or "GOethe,n We
are a.ways cer,an to have the subject treated In
clm, analytical style, in language sufficiently AMI
mate to render 1t more than ordinarily entertaining
We commend the volume TO the reading public.
MEMOIRS OF SAMUEL PEpys. ESQ.,, F. r. S. Edited
by Richard Lord Bray6rooke. u WI h short Intro
YORK: Scr.bner, Wexford q Co.
There are few diaries more delightful than that OF
Samuel Pepys. and we suppose there are few edu-
tied persons who have not at time or other
read 1t. The present edition comprises the diary
and selection from the private correspondence OF
Pepys an is verbatim reprint of the original edi-
ton. We hardly need say that the book is one
1t gives minute and graphic an account OF so iaI
ana political life in England from 1859 to 1869 that
the reader Is made more familiar with the manners
aud customs OF the people, the nrgues Of court and
the polit cs Of the day than any purely historical
work could make him. More than forty years have
passed sin pepys' diary first appeared in print,
ami lts popularity has steadily increased with each
volume be.ore US is admirable.
HENRY COURTLAND; OR, WHAT FARMER CAN
DO Is one OF those novels which have melancholy
effect upon the reader. Its principal aim seems to
be to demonstrate that the profession OF farmer liz
not Incompatible with Intellectual accomplishments
and social refinement, II any sensible person
contended that II was There Is, OF course, some
lovemaKing In the book which ends WI the usual
marriage and with the hero expressing his deter
mnation to renan farmer. The dialogues how
ever, are decidedly duh. Messrs ]. b. Lppncott
Co.. oil Philadelphia, who are the publishers or this
| to the public
We certainly do not remember reading q more
remarkable autobiography than that OF Edward
Wortley Montagu philadelphia, Turner Brothers,
the half insane son OF the celebrated Lady Mary
WOrtley MOntaQu. One Is somewhat shocked at the
candOr with which he speaks OF the ffailty or his
mother, but her career Is so well known that we
hardly see how he could have spoken otherwise
He might have passed her over In sience; but so
doing would have dIvested the work of its most
interesting chapters. The personal adventures OF
the author were. however, most exciting, and are
| graphlcllly told. Dir. Shelton Mackenzie Is the
editor Of the present edition.
or the comparatively few men the world has pro
duced whose writings the contents OF innumer.
| able books Lord Chesterfield Is one Of the best
KNOWN The volume before us New York. Scribner,
We ford Coz Is compiled from his letters, sentences
and maXims, and which c0ntaiW everything or
value or interest written or said by tile prince OF
gentlemen and-SnObS. An able review OF the
life and letters Of Lord Ches erfed, written by the
late Sante-B -Beuve. the famous French critic, adds
additional value TO the present edition. which Is
ably and Judicously edited.