The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-03
LITERARY CHIT-CHAT.

TIE VARIOUS weekly newspapers are competing
against each other for circulation by offering pre-
miums in chromos for new subscribers. The man.
ufacture OF chromos for this use already absorbs
the entire capacity of some manufacturers OF this
speciality.
EMILE DE LAvELAYE has just published in Paris
his best work, "L'Instructon du Peupe."
MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS "Fashion ana Faminev
is sold in Paris book shops at franc and twenty
five centimes under the title Of "Opulence ct
Mlsere.'
HORACE WALPoLE used to call the Catalogues of
the Dead" by Lord Lyttleton, dead Dialogues
and the epthet well fits the vapid character Of the
book.
M. LABoULAYE has just issued. under the title Of
"Lettres Politiques,r his sketch OF a republican
constitution for France, modelled mainly on that
of the United States.
THE BEST BOOK on arbOriculture recently issued
is published at Nce under the title OF "Dictionnaire
des Forets; legislation ct administration, recuel
complet concernant les forets depuis 1872 jusq'cn
1871"
M. LITTRE, the author OF the greatest French die.
tionary, which seems destined to take the place Of
that OF the Academy forever incomplete) lives in
humble lodgings and In honorable poverty. He Is
a republican. and refused from Napoleon ILL., the
Cross OF the Legion Of Honor and pension.
THE Pau NAL Gazette and the Saturday ReDie1o
have standing quarrel over the merits of Mr..
Froude as historian. The Saturday declares that
the historian OF the Tudors has mind that is Gin.
herently Inaccurate" and the F'nu Mall retorts
that the critical journal deals habitually coarse
destinations"
MRS. MoNTAGU, who wrote a century ago.
studied gentlemen as profoundly as the ladies'. She
gently laughed at DR.. Young's philosophy,
which brought him to believe that one vice corrects
a n ma nm nj taO md
bad qualities grows up to be social creature toll
cradle to live with. Sir william Brown could
hardly claim this liberation. for he had not discov
cred (said Mrs. Montagu that the wsest man in
the company is not always the most welcome, and
that people are not at times disposed to be in
formed.
AN ENGLISH COMMISSION for the discovery OF his.
torical documents scattered in private families has
recently unearthed and published some curious
and valuable letters Of Queen Elizabeth, Mary
Queen OF Scots, James l. and other notable charac-
ters.
Mr.. SAMUEL HAZARDS 'santo Domingo and
Hayti," which was first published In London in or
der TO secure the author the English copyright as
the law of that country requires in the case OF
foreign author), il published here by Harper Il
Brothers. The Saturday ReUetc, no enient critic Of
things American, finds the book to be systematic
and agreeably told history and description OF the
island. "The narrative Of Mr.. Hazards tour" says
the Rere,c sis graphic and often picturesque 1t Is
compiled with praiseworthy care, aud shows
throughout more than common powers of observa-
ton and judgment"
Mrs. ELIZABETH MoNTAGU thus wrote OF her far.
famed cousin, Lady Mary wortley Montagu, In
1762:-
/. When nature is at the trouble Of making very
singular person time does right In respecting IT,
She does not look older''than when she went
abroad, has more than the vivacity OF fifteen and
meAbry which, perhaps. Is unique. She neither
thinks. speaks acts nor dresses ike anvil body else
Her donaesticc is made up of all nations and, when
you get into her drawing room, you imagine
you are in the first story of the Tower Of
the door, he gives 1t to Italian, who delivers it
TO Frenchman, the Frenchinan to a swiss, and
the Swiss to Q Polander; so that by the time YOU
get TO her adyship's presence you have changed
your name five times without the expense OF an
act OF Parliament