National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-07
LITERARY CHITCHAT.

Three-fourths of the circulation of American
public libraries is made up of works of fiction.
Mr.. Leslie Stephens ''Hours in Library" is
just ready in London. .....s..
Mr.. William 8. Browning, uncle of Robert
Browning, the poet, and author of the "History
Of the Huguenots," died recently in London.
The Communist General Cluseret has begun
In the St1iss Times of Geneva, series of letters
on the Paris Commune.
The "Tichborne number" of the London
Graphic, the letter-press of which, by the way,
was written by Mr.. Moy Thomas, is said to
have attained o sale Of over 200. 700 copies.
Lord Chief Justice Cockburn's work on
"Junius" Is, Il is said, completed, and will be
published in September. He processes to have
discovered the secret of Junius.
Prosper Merimee's famous "Inconnue" is be-
lieved by many to be myth, like the "Clara
Gael" whose dramatic poems Merlmee in
vented, and pretended to have translated from
the Spanish.
The German philosopher, Fichte, has been
honored by reprint in English of his ''Nature
of the Scholar" "Vocation of Man" and
"Doctrine of Religion" with memoir by DR..
William Smith.
"The English Peasantry" is the title of a
new work by Mr.. F. G. Heath, author of 'The
Romance of Peasant Life" The book deals
with the general condition of the English
peasantry. By. ...
A selection from Joseph G. Cogswell's cor
respoSdence is TO be privately printed In Bos-
ton. The author will be remembered as the
late venerable librarian Of the Aston Library.
William Cullen Bryant is at present engaged
on popular History of the United States"
He viii be assisted by Mr.. Sydney Howard Gay.
The work will begin with the earliest authentic
records and come down to the first century Of
American independence.
Mr.. W. c. Hazlitt has published, under the
title of "Lambiana," many uncoIlected letters,
papers and scraps of Charles and Mary Lamb,
illustrated with drawings of their various resi-
dences.
Miss Akin, Thomas Carlyle's niece, has
edited for Macmillan, the publisher, q collec-
ton Of Scottish songs. Mr.. Carlyle's part in
revising and correcting the proofs has been so
thorough that 1t Is said to be virtually his
work.
Mr.. J. R. blanche has prepared 1.-THE Cyclic
pedia of Costume; or, dictionary of dress,
regal, ecclesiastical, civil and military, from
the earliest period in England to the reign of
George the Third" The volume will be pro-
fusely illustrated.
A romantic writer In the CornAM Magazine
draws tragical picture of the white slavery
Of servants in English houses. The wretched
female servants, we are told, live under the
ground, or else under the roof, and are treated
as If they had no rights beyond food, lodging
and wages. Even the food is inferior to that
of the family.
Misses Longmans arepreparing for publica-
ton, in four volumes, with portraits from the
originals in the possession of the imperial
family, and fac SMILES of letters of Napoleon
l., Napoleon III, Queen Hortense, &c., "The
Life of Napoleon H., derived from State Re-
cords, Unpublished Family Correspondents and
Personal Testimony" by Blanc and Jerrold.
Mr.. Walter Thornbury is going 10 lecture on
Holborn and its associations, beginning with
Furniyals Inn and Charles Dickens and ending
with the Blue Boar Inn, where Cromwell ripped
from the saddle the concealed letter Of Charles
the First.
Herr Carl Elze, of Dessau, author of the
I" Life of Byron" has in the press an edition,
with copious introduction, Of Samuel Row.
ley's play, "When You See Me, You Know
me; or, The Famous Chronicle Historic of
King Henrie the Eight" 1t will be published
in this country by Messrs. Williams & Norgate.
The English Literary Journals are full of
articles lately about Chaucer and Shakespeare.
Five or six rival reprinting societies are in full
blast, giving the public the works of all the
earlier English poets. Ifthere is half as much
study of these authors as there is writing about
them, the Chaucer and Shakespeare epidemic
may be frui tful of benefit.
The London Academy pronounces Max Null
ler's discourse on Christian missions, with its
introduction by Dean Stanley, to be reform
step in the emancipation Of Christianity from
the priesthood, ceremonies and dogmas that
have overgrown It. The work deals plainly
with the failure Of modern missions among the
heather.
The AtNepcsim say: "It Is not creditable TO
the nation z hich holds India that the His
tory Of the Mahrattss' should be allowed to
remain out of print. A second edition, com
plefed down to the annexation of Soltara, Is
urgently wanted, and we hope that the attenl
ton which has been drawn TO the matter by
Mr.. James Taylor's publication of Grant Duf's
letter may lead To an edition de lure being
brought OUT"