New-York tribune., 1871-04-07


etic temperament. The author has attempted nothing
beyond her powers There within the limits OF the
book single instance OF stralnng for effect, or crap
Ming with a subject too heavy for the writer's strength
Madame Cave In her clever book on drawing expressly
discams any intention OF teaching young ladies to enter
the lists with Titan and Rubens; 1t Is enough she say
if they learn paint birds and flowers and garden
yisss such tranquil subjects. Miss Boyle seems 10
have the same Of the limits OF feminine effort All
through her golden thread Of love Tor
nature, OF sympathy with everything fresh and Deau
ful in the world, OF pure and unhackneyed pety. Es
pecialy in the poems "June," Our King" Easter
sunday" these qualities made manifest, and deeper
color Of sentiment and emotion is seen in "The
Truth and You" "a Sand Bar" and paul
There is in this volume enough OF feeling and sensi-
blity OF ntitye perception Of vershcaten, or
genuine poetic sentiment and honest sincerity ot e1-
preston to justify the Communications the songs have
received in their vspaper form, and the expectations
Of the fair authors friends that She will take an honora-
ble and useful position in the world Of letters
ORAL METHOD WIFE GERMAN b. JEAy GcsrAvE KzErEts.
l-no. pp 4l. LeyIollt, Holt Williams
The KEYNOTE Of this new German manual
may be found the remark OF the author that to speak
a language is Of art than Of science Its
method il to faniarize the pupil with the essential prn
cpes Of construction by series OF practical
exercises rather than by burdeuing the memory with
abstract rules Of GRAMMAR preparation for reading
lessons The system I'm its leading points does not differ
greatly from that Of Ranesca and Oendorf, but
tains improvements in respect to the arrange
mcnt OF topics and the iudcious selection of examples
An appendix 30 the volume presents brief synthetic
view OF German grammar, with tabular forms OF the
infections OF nouns, verbs and adectYes. The eXer
c-es are admirably adapted 10 the purpose fOr which
they designed in the prominence which they give
to the essential points OF construction and their freedom
from extraneous matter, well I'm the skill
in which constant repettions Of important
grammatical forms are introduced without
causing uonotoBy or confusion The author, who il eyi
IDENTIFY foreigner, shows familiar acquaintance with
the English language although he is sometimes betrayed
into errors dior, from which few educated natives,
however are entirely exempt Thus in his examples for
Illustration he frequently conf0Irds the use OF the
auxiares riH and sal transatng the first person sim
gul.r of the verb weyden by ciH when only simple
fuuty T. implied, construction which however COM
mon an equal violation of the correct German and En-
glish idom For instance p 4Q 81 TiE yet call to-day
on the physician" Is not the right translation OF len
verde den Arzt noch hpute besuchen" Either the En-
glish should be- shut. or the German Tch pW. An
ample Of the true diom given (p &C. and elsewhere),
Ish will durcb den Wad Sehen,' which is properly
translated 81 will go through the forest" In the classi-
ncatoD Of verbs, the very awkward word reteroe IS
always thrust In among its beters instead Of the good
English word reJectiee But serious inconyen-
in this the total absence of an index, and
table contents imperfect to describe tho matter
two hundred and seyeny-sx pages in single line.
The defect il the more important on account OF the ar
rangement Of the work which instead of placing all that
relates 10 the same subject in one division treats
II under variety Of heads, scattered at wide intervals
throughout the volume, with apparent connection,
and no clue to the part the work in which they may
found. Thus the subject OF adyerbs" IS introduced in
the third lesson the sixth page. while nothing is
said that part Of speech until arrive at the twenty
third lesson the eghtysee0nd page nor is the subject
concluded until the fftysixth lesson the twO-hundred
and ftysecond PAGE compelling the learner who wishes
to doubt to the correct Of adyerb to turn
over the leaves nearly the whole volume before he
nd what he Is in pursuit Of The difficulty exists
in regard TO every division Of the work. making its use
for purposes Of reference virtually mpractcabe, which
TO every student above the rank Of the merest child who
only learns by roe, is serious obstacle TO its utility
The pupil who has ever used the ample indexes to the
manuals OF Otto, Peissner Comfort. the
suation Of which is instructive grammatical study
will feel the force OF objection. stl as practical
introduction to the German language especially TO the
learner who wishes 10 get the hang" OF speakng,-an
art which can never b6 acquired by any study of books,
or knowledge OF grammatical fOrms-we can conscen-
ously recommend this work excellent guide in his
eudeayors Ii is sound and thorough In It's expoSitons
omtting important point, however minute and throw
ing remarkably clear light the perplexing and ye1a
tious difficulties which beset the path of the beginner.
The oral exercises in particular truly excellent, and
whoever VIII practice them faithfully with a competent
teacher ian appendage absolutely necessary for few
months will be able o travel in Germany, even inter
view " Bismarck, without making himself ridiculous.
THE HISTORY GREECE By Professor BRNsr CuErIrs.
Translatel by ADOLPnUs WILLIAM WARD NJ A. Vol l. l2mo.
PIP. 500. Charles seribner Company.
The present important classical work forms
an appropriate supplement the series OF standard his
tories which the publishers have introduced among their
reprints of OF the valuable portions of En-
gsh literature. II treats the history OF Greece from
its earliest foundations following the line of tradition
the dim obscurty OF the past through the lights
Of modern research and discovery, and skully putting
together the fragments OF truth that remain after the
searching processes skeptical criticism The author
Is a OF wide and various learning versed in the
recOndite studies essential to the investigation OF the
subject OF rare analytical power, and combining great
solidty OF judgment with genuine refinement OF taste.
Although aiming at popular utility in the composition
OF the work he sacrifices horoughness depth.
aud with a masterly gift Of expression embodies the
fruits OF profound research in flowing and agreeable
narrative. The volume now issued consists of two
books, embracing the period before the Dorian mgra-
tion aud the interval between that event and the Per
In the Introductory chapter devoted TO the
Land aud People" have admirable geographical
description of tho Grecian territory, exposition Of
the erstics of the Greek language and IN
qury the proper place OF the people Of the ellenes
In the pedigree of the Aryan nations. No more cliko
picture nationality OF the Hclenes than that pre-
sened by the author easily De found 10 say the
least, In English historical literature. lie describes
them race OF distinctly marked out by nature,