The New York herald., 1874-08-18
LIT E z AT UK E.
The Latest English BOoks-Auth0r-
ship, Scope and Intent.

The Revival Of Haywood Adventures in
Korocco"-victor Hugo Translated
Is In the Gagaz:nes-What Is Thought
Of Earl Russell as an Author.
LONDON, August I, 1874.
Tho reprinting OF our old English dramatists has
been going on for some time with vigOr, and Mr.. :.
PearsoD's series now includes the Dramatic Works
OF Thomas Haywood, whom Charles Lamb, the
long nnheeded herald OF this revival OF an almost
forgotten but most valuable branch OF our htera-
ture, called "a prose Shakespeare" This work, in
six volumes, Ia one which VIII naturally be
fOund only In literary collections BY the side of the
Dekker collection which was published last year.
The publication OF HeywooOs plays was under
taken by the Shakespeare Society in 1872 butt only
proceeded so far as the production Of four dramas
The present edition comprises twenty three,
which are probably only those most worthy Of
being retained in perpetual memory, for he wrote,
arranged and owned to having had a
hand IN 900 dramas, in l6es and got through
an immense quantity Of other literary work
IN addition The historical plays, edward w."
and III YOu Know Not Me You Know Nobody''-
the latter study OF the early days OF Queen Eliza
beh-and fine burst Of patriotism apropos OF the
spanish Armada are the most interesting in some
Senses but the domestic plays are sometimes ex-
ceedingy beautiful, with the charm that s OF ali
time The masques and NEUROLOGICAL dramas in
which Haywood sought his materials from the
Greek mythology, are rather wearisome though
they are very graceful His best work IS IA wo
man Killed With Kindness;" but that is known
outside special studies Of this Kind and is indeed
described by Mr.. SymOnds. whose Judgment most
scholars VIII accept the finest bourgeois tragedy
OF our Enzabethan literature. The language of
this dramatist Is snguarly easy and devoid OF the
''quips" which frequently render the reading OF
seventeenth century literature unremuneratively
troublesome.
RoHLFs AND wNwooD READE
There has been good deal Of dlsputing about
the authenticity of new book of travel which was
extensively advertised through the well known
medium Of the Puff preliminary This Is .Dr. Ger
hard Rohlfs Adventures in Morocco and Journeys
Through the Gases Of Dram and Taflet." We
really do know very little about the Empire of
MOROCCO, and Rohlis' name as great traveller
creared preliminary interest in the BOOK which
was not, however, increased Tor those who were
acquainted with Mr.. Winwood Reade's notion OF
introductiops by the announcement that DR..
Rohls was to be presented to the public under the
auspices OF the author OF 'The MartyrdOm OF Man,
We remembered the "African Sketch BooK,n and
we did not forget the Introduction to The Heart of
A1rica"-Mr. Reade's latest and most unsatlsac-
tory performances. Out came RohHs book
and its exterior alone was most discredlt-
able. Carelessness Is too mild q term for its
putting together, and slovenlness best describes
its editing wretched clumsy translation OF the
disjointed contents Of several note books which
mad been used. In their native German, in sundry
periodicals, without any rearrangement and pre-
faced by lew pages written by Mr.. winwood
40 onAx IN %atV al tvuvN
one OF geography-he places the "Alrican Sahara"
on the eastern side OF the Egyptian Valley. and
one Of fact-he assumes the English public to
be in utter ignorance concerning the Grand
Sheriff of Wazan, whereas Miss Perrier told us all
that was needful and more than was pleasant to
know about him in her "Winter In MorOcco,n
Such did the long unexpected work prove to be.
People could not believe it, and they said it must
be trumped up compilation from Peteymon's
Journal Revision or endorsement from the au-
ii Or 1t could have had none; he is exploring tue
Libyan Desert. 1t seems, however, tnat the book
such as 1t Is, is genuine, but that DR.. kohlis,
like many intrepid and accomplished travellers
has no literary ability whatever, and has been so
unucky as TO meet his match in his translator
Notwithstanding these grave drawbacks the book
is valuable because the traveller has really gone
further into the unknown country, which Is so
near to Europe and is still 30 deep mystery TO
Europeans than any one else has done. Hitherto
we have had little except popular sketches OF the
coast towns and their Inhabitants but the German
physician and traveller, having adopted the dress
and the faith OF the MOors, entered the service OF
the late Sultan as surgeon, alter sundry strange
adventures before he reached Fez; resided there
for some time, and afterwards crossed the Atlas
and the whole country benlnd the range into Al
geria. He penetrated to all the chief towns in the
interior, and indeed made the entire circuit of
Morocco. His description Of the fierce fanaticsm
OF the people is very striking, and his own adven-
lures are Interesting; but the slovenly arrange
ment aud clumsy language deprive the book OF all
charm beyond tnat OF the absolute acquisition OF
knowledge.
TOLERABLE TRANSLATION.
A successful translation OF q work by Victor
Hugo is ieat on which no one has hitherto been
in u position 10 be congratulated. Perhaps the
very worst translation that ever was executed
was that OF al Homme Qut Rt," which appeared
under the quite inappropriate, indeed incompre.
hensDle, title, "By Order OF the King,n In the
GennenaGms Magazine. at length, however, there
is q good translation Of the most diflcult of all
French prose-. 1t is MIR. Frach Lee Benedict's ver-
sion OF "Quatre Vingt Treze," advertised as by
tnat gentleman, whose novels are much liked In
England. and Mr.. Ham Friswell. This Is col
laboration which 1t is difficult to understand Mr..
Friswe not being remarkable for ability In any
way, and certainly possessing no beauties OF style
wherewith to invest rendering OF Hugo's fantas-
tic ruggednesses and highaown sentiment. The
experiment is however, really successful-indeed,
the transatlon has only one faulr-too close ad-
herence to the Interjectional style OF the original
in portions whose characteristic features are not
strengthened thereby, but, on the contrary, ex.
aggerated IN consequence OF the variance between
the French and English modes OF conveying In
tenslty.
"YouNG BRowN.n
It is the dead season just IN point Of serious
literature, but there Is q steady outpouring Of
novels, concerning which one wonders more and
more who are the people who read and who are
the people who write them. The most interesting
announcement Is that OF serial by Mr.. william
BLACK to commence next uonrh IN tho Cornb