National Republican., 1873-09-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
"oLD COURT LIFE IN FRANCE"

when wandering through the fields where the
pimperpei grows the veriest country pumpkin
knows that II the tiny scarlet flowers are un-
folded bright gracious day Is portended. lie
may not RECOGNIZES the philosophy OF atmDs-
pheric cinnuence-may even, In superstitious awe,
attribute some prophetic wisdom TO the tender
vine, but he Is still cognlzant OF the traditonary
fact. Likewise, the most superficial reader Of
history, II given book with such title a, "od
Court Life In France" In the sixteenth century,
will readily recognize 1t foretells the most inter-
esting period OF French history. lie may not
recall its famous ministers or gifted women. but
he knows It to have beea an age OF luxury, ele.
gance and proflgacy unrivaled. We receive the
book rs our pidticuBl. We are proylsloned and
insured hours Of wonirous enjoyment. Readily
will we excuse, II necessary, a mediocre style,
faulty dlction, or looss phrascology, In the de-
light Of being transported, In imagination, back
to the days Of Mazlrin, Madame de Montespan,
MaiemoIselle dc Montpensicr, or Madame de
MaintenOn-days 80 rich In inmitable scenes
and varied incidents. 10 the work before US we
have not to contend with any very nagrant er-
rors Of style. Elaboration is n litto too severely
| rejected, we think, In many chapters where 1t
might have been prontaoy employed. Bat this
ls accounted for by the employment Of so mlny
epochs OF history necessitating unusual brevity.
| A curt, precise mannerism Ia selected, leaving
much for memory to supply. Hence, q thorough
| acquaintance with this period Of French history
Is required to fully appreciate aud grasp the dif-
| ferent eras and their revelations. The aim OF
the author as declared In the preface, Is to con-
| dne himself strictly TO the substance AMI spirit
Of history. Hence, In the dialogues, We have
the very words, as early chronicled. OF each
notable Individual; also each peculiarly OF char
acter Is rlgidly lImned. The volume opens with
the commencement OF the reign OF Francis la
reign so full OF transitions In dress aud manners
"A reign, as the author fulsOmely expresses II,
| (which educated Europen-and 1t closes with the
| death OF the voluptuous Louis XIV. A rich ara
| oesque OF contemporary celebrities Is found be-
tween these two relgns, causing to start forth
many an impressive face and vivid picture.
MARIAN NosTfoRT.
miriam Montfort" Is genuine novel. Nc
| alloy about 1t. The most careful scrutiny can
detect no false veln-no transmttal OF history
or biography to wimple Instruction. Solely the
product Of aluxuriant Imagination, the aim Is
simply to engage our hours OF dolce far niente. A
Kind OF assuager to the minds application-aI
Intervention to relieve the moments oppression
We must subscribe to the wide-awske character
| Of this romance. At midnight we found It won
| derfully exating-stlmulating, In fact. We kept
slipping chapter after chapter until, we confess
| It, we became quite intoxicated. The weghty
memory Of a six O'Clock breakfast and a verdanl
servant slipped into oblivion for the nonce. We
were In golden city OF fantasies. The author
ship OF this book Is unaunounced-a kind OF
founding thrown upon the world OF literature
But we detect traits OF popularity. The charac.
ters are selected with skill; their grouping II
artistic; the delineations dramatic. In Reginald
Montfort we have the most approved Of fathers
LOT high descent courtly and honorable. In
the initiatory chapters we re-peruse little IL
| order to gain confident knowledge Of his mari
| tai relations, which are rather chaotic. lie nndi
II difiicult to keep himself In lawful wves-deatt
being the interposer. After the third sally
| Montfort retires from the field. The FIRST mar
| riage was with an arlstocratic widow lady, who
had one daughter, Evelyn, the intriJdnts OF the
| story. The second was with Jewess, who lef
one daughter, Miriam, the heroine, arouut
whom the chief interest Of the book Is made Il
centre. Constance Glenn, the house governess
was the third and last depositor OF Mr. Mont
forts affections. A daughter Mabel, sprunI
from this marriage, who was left motherles
soon after her birth. The words and ways, tht
misunderstanding, alterations and Jealousei
| OF these three daughters form the warp and WOO
| OF our novel. The lovers OF these young ladiei
are, OF course, woven In diverse colors and regu.
lar shades. We have tho rapturous swain, the
cunning fortunc-huutcr, the peralious deceiyeI
and the true and loyal lover. We are kept In a
| whrl OF excitement as to the disposition anC
apportl0nment OF these satellites. The story II
in an photographed form, Miriam being tn,
narrator. This Is certainly the happlest style o
novel writing an author could select, as 1t offer
so clear q neld whercwith to deploy the con
tending passions and emotions OF the human
heart.
WING AND WING.
A new illustrated edition OF Cooper's novels /
lust being issued by Appleton Co., ewing an
| Wing" OF course among the number. Thougl
| placed at the head OF American romancists, hnI
though Daniel Webster declares "the enduring
monuments OF Fenimore Cooper are his works,
yet we confess our utter deJom for such stln
| starchy literature. Decidedly too heavy ant
i prssaic for our advanced modern taste. Opinion
| is universal that some writer's cannot be hon
| ored with an eternal day; their sun must sci
sooner or later. Richardson, Smolett, Fielding
and hosts OF others have arisen aud shiEed, and
their coruscatious fingered long after their bones
were whltened, but now their fame has glided
away into darkness. Cooper also Is fastening
to the tomb 1t is like placing the Sa'l-GentO upon
our shoulders to bring "eye things that arc
now" such fossilized literature. ewing and
wing Is an Italian story and even the sunny
skies aud ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS landscapes OF
that fair land cannot dlsslplte its imperial state
illness and rigid Formally. Rrluicscd, il pace.
Fenlmore Is Of yesterday,
MISCELLANEOUS.
"Appleton's Journal" Is always like a well.
watered garden-green and fresh and blooming.
It would be like the attempt to "gild renned
gold or paint the lily" to think any word OF ours
could exalt Its standing In public opinion. Each
number always bears the stamp, CONNIE Il .hrut.
The October number Of the "Galaxy" Is strlk
lngly Interesting. furnishing a Pundit" Is con
lilued from last month. "The Wetherel AFFAIR
runs through Its forty-rtth chapter, and Is at
tracing much notice. "rne Stage as IL Was" Il
the nrst OF q series OF papers on that abiding In
stitutlon so prOlinc In "reminiscences. Garrick
Kean and the KemOles are the topics this month
"Alessandro Di Cag!Iostro," the charlatan, who