The Portland daily press., 1870-11-12
Recspt Public,sisn.


ume containing "7hs Holy GraR' and other
poems, by Tennyson. 1t embraces the Poet
Laureate's additions to the "Idyls of the
King with the fragment written long ago,
with reference to the now completed work, in
corporated into the text at the proper place.
tits published for the convenience of readers
who have the volume of "ldyls of the King
published by Ticknor and Fields some time
ago, and who naturally wish to possess the
whole OF the work, which seems to have been
written at odd moments during the whole ac-
tive part of the poets life. "Mort dArthur'
was written nearly thirty years ago, Enid, vi
Wan, Elaine and Guinevere some time after
wards, and now we have the last and final in
stalment Of Arthurian themes in the four
poems embraced in this volume, in which we
also find ''The Northern Farmer" and six
other short pieces of recent date. For sale by
Hall L. Davis.
"Words and their Uses." by Richard Grant
White, well known as the leading Shakspearian
scholar of the country, consists for the most
part of a serieSof papers that attracted great
deal of attention, favorable and otherwise,
when they appeared in thas excellant maga-
zine, the GALAXY. This work is rather in the ma
ture Of a supplement to Trench on the Study
Of Words than profound treatise on philolo-
gy, and it is more largely devoted to criticism
than to investigation. 1t is this circumstance
that has brought such hornets nest about
Mr.. Richard Grant Whites ears. In the
course Of his discussions he ha, offended two
large and powerful classes journalists and
publishers-by stoutly maintaining that news
paper English is execrable, that English is a
"grammarless language" and that there is not
to-day an English dictionary of much value in
existence. OF course the journalist was not
peased to learn for ithe hundredth time that
his favorites, inaagurated, donated, gubernato-
rial, balance, calculate, citizen, consunanaate,
convene, couple, decinaate defalcate, jeopardize,
and, in fact, nearly the whole vocabulary of
the more pretentious reporter, are absurd.
The publishers of English grammars are too
much interested in preserving the statu quo
to relish these new canons, which are enough
to make the schoolboy of the period dance
with glee when he has sufficiently recovered
| from his 'astonishment:
The verb needs not. and generally does not,
agree with its nominative IN number and per-
son:
Pronouns do not agree with their antecedent
nouns in person, number and gender:
Active verbs do not govern the objective
case nor any other:
One verb does not govern another in the In
finitive mood;
Nor is the infinitive a mood, nor is il govern
ed by substantive, adjective p participIe.
Therel-what more is there for the iconoc-
lastic spirit to ask after this?
But we cannot we'll ignore the fact that Mr..
Whites papers make an interesting and use
full volume. The chapter on Misused Words
will repay careful but not too confding atten-
tion. BY the way, in this chapter the author
insists that shew (Which we have always re-
garded as an almost universally prevalent
Portland barbarism) is the regular preterite Of
sho,c, and that sho,oed is irregular and improp-
er. 1t is of no use to appeal from this hard
paradox to the grammars and dictionaries, for
Mr.. White elsewhere exclaims, in replying to
someone who accuses him of being gramma-
| rian, "God forbid that should be anything of
the sortr' and devoted a whole chapter 10
laughing at Worcester and especially at Web
ster. The volume is published by Sheldon SC
Co., New York, and if for sale in this city by
LoriDg, Short & Harmon.
| A ComDendious German Grammar. A Ger
man Reader in Prose and Verse, by William
u. Whitney. New York. Leypoldt and
| Holt, 1870.
The study of German has acquired vastly
increased importance in this country within
| the last few years. The number of immi-
grants which we yearly receive from that coun-
try is sufficient to establish the language, with
| good degree of permanence, in our very midst
The German press, enjoying freedom and
using license which it could not at home, is
here employed in directing the thoughts and
feelings of thousands, perhaps of millions.
/ Co. ,,...
| Importance as the arms of Prussia prevail 10
France. Again, it is of interest to us because
it is a cognate language with our own. The
elements which English has in common with
| it, constitute the better part of our language
| of common life. But,the study Of German re-
commends itself to us chiefly for the rea-
son that it introduces us to a literature which
Is, in some department, the most charming the
world has ever known.
Prof Whitney, recognizing the fact that the
study of German may be made an excellent
means for securing mental discipline, and cul-
tivating a correct literary taste, has arranged
the books mentioned above very much upon
the plan of the best Latin grammars. Aban-
donipe the popular method of teaching mod
| ern languages BY parrot-like process of res
neatino without requiring the least mental ef-
fort. he has given concise statements of the
Principles of the language, with few exani-
ples to illustrate, recommending to the pupil
an extensive course of reading before attempt.
ing to use the language in conversation.
| Such a course seems far preferable to those
who may desire an acquaintance with German
literature; but yet may never have occasion
| to employ the language as medium of com.
munication; and it will prove of great advan-
tage to those who would thoroughly UNDERSTAND
our English idiom. The Reader contains So
lections from popular German authors, and is
provided with a vocabulary to save the pupil
the labor Of using large dictionary. Every
way these works seem well adapted to the pur-
pose they are intended to serve. l. b. Z.
IT is said that the Kaw Indians salt the rail-
| road track in their country, in order to entice
cattle i'm front of the cars, so they can get the
carcass. AS Artemus Ward sad OF the han-
| oaroo Tho Indian is an "amoosing cuss." Be-
1waan, white robbers and eccentric red men,