New-York tribune., 1874-11-19
FOREIGN LITERATURE.
PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLAND.


trRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIno Ne
IoxpoS. Oct. 2o-When The Acadeny published
sone weeks since translation of an extract from
the Shah's diary in England, the interest III II was
very great though mingled with some lcIe"uII9'
Skeptcs suggested that it was clever forgery. DuV
IL was probably genuine AT any rate, MT. Murray
now announces The Diary of H. NJ tue shah Oh
Persia During his Tour Through Europe IN 1873"
translat d verbatim from the originals or. ovo
Enough has appeared to show that the Shahs spec
tacles. which he never went without. were not OF
Enropean manufacture And we have yet to see
whether Europe had more amusement out OF the
Shah or he out of Europe, and on which side there
was the greater profit
That very remarkable novel, with the reinarhaolS
bad title, "Far from the Madding Crowd now
drawing to its close in The CoTnhH Will oe isS"cu
by Messrs. Smith & Elder early in November, III
2 vols, with IL illustrations This IS INC ho'0' u
which George Eliot was believed 10 DC tno ""'"0
TIE Spcctdor said time ago thar, II It "eio no'
she, new light had arisen among noVe"s'S' ""9
discovered not TO be she and that the new llgh' Is
Thor,os Hardy who had before written "a Pair OF
RIue Eves.v and Under the Greenwood Tree
without leading anybody to proclaim the dawn OF
another genius in romance. In bOok-form the pres
ent novel is likely to be better known almost at
once for the publication of novel In parts IN a
monthly magazine by no means the surest OF
onickest path TO fame for an unknown author. 10
him the circulating library is a boon, whatever IL
NAV be to the public, to literature In general
Hinder the system now established bad novel gets
almost as widely distributed as moderately goou
one. but then it insures TO the very good one de-
gree of rapid publicity which would otherwise be
impossible. Otherwise, that is so long as novels
continue to be published in the present expensive
forms.
The first volume of the Life of His Royal High
ness The Prince Consort," by Theodore Martin
DENY svo illustrated with portraits end views IS III
the press of Messrs. Smith, Elder IL Co. L hardly
see why they should choose to describe this lie rs
published under the sanction of Her Majesty the
oneen.n That means that it will contain nothing
which the Queen does not approve: IN other wordS'
that Mr.. Theodore Martin is to give us such view
of the life of Prince Albert as his widow desires
to be accepted for true TO cothe him in the garb OF
the antique Roman, TO construct myth about hlm'
and leave him for poSterity to contemplate, statu-
esque heroic and shadowy in outline. The taste OF
the world for official biographies has so far died out
that the experiment of a new one was hardly worth
trying. Nor fear, does the public OF to-day really
care q great deal about the estimablc man who had
the good fortune to be the husband of the Queen OF
England. That he was a good husband has long
since been agreed on all hands, that he carried HIM
self well in a difficult position; that he gave good
advice TO the Queen on her public duties; that he
was a good father; that he had good knowledge OF
some branches Of artal these and some other good
qualities are freely conceded to Prince Albert. Too
freely perhaps, as in the case of Mr.. Kinglake's
statesman whom his enemies vindictvely went
about calling good man in the worst sense OF the
word "-and who have had imitators in the United
States We still manage TO feel angud interest in
the Albert Memorial. architectural interest-but
we are not consumed with impatience to see the
empty pedestal surmounted with its unfinished
statue. We do not buy many copies of Mr.. Murray o
costly folio Of engravngs in which the decorations,
statues and mOsaics of the Memorial are reproduced
When Mr. Martins life comes to be published, So
cety will perhaps think it a good book to lie on the
drawing room table. Not much more can be hoped.
From real Life by some person of insight and
with knowledge of the times in which Prince Albert
lived, and of his peculiar relation to affairs good
deal might be hoped. 1t would need to be both
social and political If for instance, the continua-
tion of Grevle's Memoirs should ever see the light,
we shall find out something. The IT, unhappily, is
very necessary for the volumes just out have given
great OnSe and all sorts of pressure will be put on
Mr. Reeve and Mr.. Grevilles family to prevent the
appearance OF those dealing with later times, or to
expurgate them, winch would be almost as bad In
the reviews of the book you scarcely get hint OF
the angry dissatisfaction expressed privately. Mr.
Reeve comes in for good share of the resentment
Grevllc meant he should, and it can hardly be sup
posed that Mr. Greville would have chosen to a1roDt
his old friends from the grave. But to this genera
lion the ndiScTetiOn if it be one, clear gain. and
people who are displeased by what they find Mr..
Greville thought of them or of their near relations
must bear their grievance for the general good For
the book is most interesting contribution to his
tory of the period covered by it full Of anecdOte,
shrewd observation, aud Of that kind of wisdom
which comes from living long famiary with the
rulers OF society and of the country.
A book which. without having seen it, for be-
lieve it is not yet out, may be commended to Amer
ican students of English art, is Mr.. Basil Champ
neys's a Quiet Corner of England" Imp. 8vo. 1t
comprises studies of Landscape and Architecture in
Rye, Wiuchelsea AID Romney Marsh, with numer-
Gus illustrations. How lovely some parts of this
quiet corner are visitors TO the Royal Academy,
last Summer saw IN Mr.. BOughton's Canterbury
Pilgrimage the scenery Of which was drawn from
of the Cinque Ports. Mr.. Basil Champncys is
All architect who takes the liberty 10 think for
himsen-a man of much original genius and sincere
culture, young, and with enthusiastic contempt
for eOnventiOnality. which l hope he may never
outgrow. The work such men do is an invaluable
protest against the vulgar spirit which has pene-
trated so much modern work Mr. Champneyss
publishers are Messrs. Seeley, jackson &
HALLIDAY, who have also ready, or nearly ready,
Examples of Modern Etching" % plates by
Flameng. RaOD, Seymour Haden, BraeQuemond,
Lalanne, LegrOs VeyTassat. and Others with notes
by Hamerton imp. 4to. Not one of the men have
named who is not in the front rank of etchers and
they are all Frenchmen except HadeD. The English
schools however, more fully represented in the
book itself though one Ofthe greatest-the greatest
i suppose. after Haden-is omitted. No epitome of
modern etching TO which Whistler has contributed