New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-24
FOREIGN LITERATURE.
ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS.


IN THE ACADEMY"-"v VANITY FAIR"
lrROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUsEl
LONDON Jan. 6.-Mr Conveys Sacred An
thology, Book Of clinical Scriptures" Triibner a.
Col is in the hands Of his subscribers The first re-
mark to be made about it il that they have got more
than they were entitled to for the money They are
not likely to complain of this, but judge that MIR.
Conway who publishes at his own risk and cost,
must have seen great part of his expected profits
eaten up in advance He however, Is not the man
to stop short in undertaking which had reused
his enthusiasm. Materials proving more abundant
than he had anticipated the book grew on his hands
to nearly double the size intended when the price
was fixed 30 that his subscribers receive fifteen
shilling book for just half that price To present
purchasers the price is, believe. twelve shillings-
about So in gold-and there are not many books
which will give you 10 much for the money
There is suppose no book in existence quite ike
it perhaps none even the same plan and OF equal
scope. Mr.. Conway tells in his Preface that he
believed it would be useful for moral and religious
culture if the sympathy of Religions could be more
generally made known, and the convergng testi-
MONIES of ages and races to great principles more
widely appreciated. He has accordingly made
collection of passages from those books Of moral
OF religious character. which, having commanded
the generation of the races among which they were
produced are the least accessible to European read
ers His list of Principal Authorities fills some bVe
pages. The titles largely Oriental, but not
wholly, for Mr.. Conway takes good thing where
he finds it, not stopping to inquire whether IL
sprung from the east west, nor whether born
into the world few thousand years ago or more re-
Gently In the world of morals everybody is cotem-
porary and fellow citizen. SO here Scandinavian
fables and English proverbs side by side with the
sacred utteranccs Of Hindu, Chinese, Hebrew, Parsl
and Persian literature. But by far the greater part
il Oriental and America is only contributor IN the
shape of TRANSACTIONS. The extracts, filling nearly
500 large 8vo pages classified under twenty heads
such as Laws, Religion, Superstition, Wisdom, Nature
Conduct of Life, Justice, and the like aud there is an
index by which passages on every topic may readily
be consulted. He who found no higher use for
the book would rejoice in it as handbook for
Scrptural quotations not otherwise readily accessl
ble az the number of volumes from which they have
been brought together sufficiently proves. a good
deal of information about the different works ana
authors quoted is condensed into what chro-
biological notes at the end of the volume. twerenot
ungracious to ask for moro where already so much
more has been given than was promised, q fuller
treatment of some of the questions touched in these
notes might have seemed desirable. Mr.. Conway
might have thrown the results of his long research
into an Introduction which would have kindled an
interest in many of these writings which are
scarcely known by name to the majority of readers
People of ordinary cultivation have heard Of the
"Zendavestan the PuIanas, and the Bhagavat-Gita,
but it is not everybody who knows that the latter Is
an episode of the Mahabharata, or who would like
to stand a competitive examination In the verses OF
yernana in the Jatakas, OF Raja-Ratnacarf. There
are passages of such beauty aud force assigned to
books or authors whose names are mere
mystifcaton to all but Oriental students
that they excite curiosity which the
present volume does not crafty Perhaps Mr. Con-
way will publish in a separate form popular essay
on these matters; meantime, he has gwen us a
book for which deyout persons, and students OF
ethics, owe him many thanks. suppose there Is
nothing we more need, mentally, than tinge OF
Orientalism- to give new bent and
scope to minds fed perpetually the somewhat mar
row and practical literature of the Western races
something so much less familiar to us than the Bible
AZ to fix attention. and set us thinking in a new
track. A book which will do this for us will be a
welcome friend to many who. on purely religious
grounds, might not care to push their studies be-
yond the Hebrew Scriptures. Where should we go
for sweetness if not to the Rose Garden of Sadi and
whittier turn for light but to the East Mr.. Con-
way with his eager poetic instincts his warm feel
ing and wide sympathies, is a good gulde to those
in search of what most impressive to the magma
ton, or stimulating to the sensibliries.
The Academy in its new and enlarged FORM has
promising look. It's size is that of Tie Athendun.
and the general arrangement OF Its contents does
not differ much from that of its venerable and not
too enterprsing contemporary. The great distnc-
ton between the two is that the articles of The
academy are signed Its first paper is review of
Mrs Somervilles 4" Personal Recoections" by Fran
rnb ba and ba last Iitaraturpo ia
a review of Lord Lytton's Parisians" by g. A. Sim
cox The other literary contributors write under
names not known TO me. There is Paris letter by
EVELYN Jerrold. Science" leads Off with a review
by Max Muller and :" Fine Arts" with one by w. b.
Scott, who also contributes paper on Christmas
Books a slightly beated topic. W. VI. ROssetti has
a short notice of the Exhibition of the Burlington
Club. and another on the Landseer Exhibition. lie
will be seen there is lack Of strong names.
But strong names will not of themselves float
q new paper. The editing, the general tone,
the makeup of it more important, and of these
too a good report can be given. The literary items
under the head News and Notes' are fresh and
prerty well done, though with tendency to needless
particularly of detail. The best of them are that
Lord Chief-Justice Cockburn. spite of Geneva and
the Claimant is still at work on Junus; that DR..
James Russell Lowell now at Florence, Will return
to the United States in the Spring taking Parls and
London in his way and the chair it is hoped, at one
of the meetings of the Shakespeare Society;
that that Society to have fresh series of pubica-
tons entitled Shakespeare AlusiOn Books and
that Mr. Ruskin has sent to Mr. Furnival so guineas
for the Chaucer Society, with note saying he is
grateful in no small degree to Mr. Furnval for bis
teaching concerning CHANGER, and congratulating
him earnestly on the fine literary work he has done
for England. There Notes Travel Also on
Science. on the Fine Arts and Stage Notes. Alto
gether The Academy is very readable. aud bids fair