The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-19
LITERARY CHIT-CHAT.

LITERARY CHIT.CHAT.
A CURIOUS FORTHCOMING BOOK on early Amerf-
can history and customs is Mr.. John b. Dillon's
"Historlcal Compendium OF Early Remarkable
Laws Enacted in the English Colonies on the sub
jects of Religion, Morals. Education, Lands,
Slavery, Indians" &c.
THE ENTIRE COPYRIGHTS which Frederick Won
Schiller, the great German poet, received for his
works during his life time fell short of fifteen
thousand dollars.
PRESIDENT THEIRS received for his historical
works. during his long literary career, eighteen
prizes, amounting to nearly three hundred thou
sand francs.
FRANCOIS GUrzoT in engaged upon book ON mi
nOrity represen tati0n.
THE EPIDEMIC OF VERsE-MAKINa, which year
ago threatened to absorb almost all the Italian
literary world, has changed to more solid and
full works in the last few months Scientific and
classical works, historical literature, art and tho
OlOgy divide the attention OF the best writer's OF
Italy between them.
A FRENCH BOHEMIAN has written book entitled
'The Suicides Manual" He enumerates the re-
markabe suicides chronicled in history and sug.
gests to his readers numerous methods by which
they may take their lives without suffering any
pain.
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN, the Danish poet, Ia
almost totally blind, his left side is parayzed, and
he is, moreover, confirmed hypochondriac His
dissolution is expected at an early day.
M. PHI. CHAsLEs, Paris correspondent of the
Athengua, sums up the net results OF French lite
rary activity for the year 1872 as unsatisfactory.
sterile and unattractive." No new men Of talent
have arisen and the old writer's have been plying
their old trade unheeded by the public, who are en-
crossed In what Is called politics.
THE SENSATION TALES published in certain Ameri-
can journals are regularly issued in French trans
lations by Partisan publishers, who sell them in
volumes, at one franc each.
GERMANY HAS Now eleven periodicals printed In
the English language.
PLATO WAS not facie writer, but the finished
diction of his dialogues the fruit Of protraoted
labor Up to the age Of eighty he continued TO cor
rect and new mould the language of his writings,
and notebook was found after his death in which
he had written the opening sentences Of the ere
public'' several times over in q different order.
M. PAULIN PARIS has issued an essay on tho
origin of the Holy Graal He contends that the
legend sprang from the apocryphal gospel Of Nic0
demus that Joseph of Armatheas bones were
stolen from the abbey Of MOieumoutier and brought
to Glastonbury, where Arthur was also buried;
that JOseph's dish of the Last Supper was woven
into the Arthur legends; and that Walter Map, at
the request of Henry the Second, wrote the ro-
nance of Joseph Of Arimathea, or the Graal which
set up Joseph as the first Christian bishop in order
to place England on level with Rome, and So help
Henry in his struggle with the Pope.
Mr.. WILLIAM r. BLISS has produced q timely
little book entitled paradise In the Pacific"
which Sheldon q Co. will print.
EDMOND ABoUT's "Rouge-et-NOir a tale Of Baden
Baden" has been translated and will be brought
out by Claxton, Remsen Hafelfnger
GENERAL CLUsERET declares that he will never
return to the United States but he Is at work upon
book of "reminiscences of mis- life in this country
which will doubtless be romantic In more senses
than one
HERR STRAUSS, the German leader and composer,
is writing humorous letters about his adventures
in the United States, to the Pest1er Lloyd Hun
garan journal
AS AN EXAMPLE Of change Of tastes in literature,
that intolerably langud book, Sidney's Arcadia
was universally read and eulogzed at the time of
its publication in folio nearly three hundred years
ago.
QUAINT AND QUEER OLD SAMUEL PEPYs thus
records a book purchase he made when collecting
for his library, under date Of April 49, 1687-'T to
my new booksellers and there bought Hooker's
Polity,' the new edition. and Dugdale's History OF
the Inns OF Court Of which there was but few
saved out OF the fire, and Playford's New Catch
book, that hath great many new fooeries in it."
The latter was volume OF songs set to music.
BENJAMIN D. EMERSON, one OF the compilers Of
those highly profitable school books, "Emerson's
Arithmetics," died recently at Jamaica Plains,
Mass leaving about s25O,0OO, Of which 100000 goes
to Dartmouth Colleges notable instance Of ping
up fortune in arirhmetical ratio.
WASHINGTON IRvNG's great delight was to read
in the open air. "Come and see me-" was his ex-
pressive invitation to friend 'and I'll give you
book and a treen
MISS MILFORD who wrote her books for the sup
port Of poor and querulous and spendthrift in
valided father, thus bitterly spoke Of her lott
l would rather serve in a shop, rather scour
foors rather nurse children, than undergo these
tremendous and interminable disputes and this
unwomanly publicity y am now chained
to desk eight, ten. twelve hours q day at mere
drudgery All my thoughts Of writing are for hard
money.