New-York tribune., 1875-01-27
FOREIGN LITERATURE.
,nCyvr rRENCU puBLICATIoNs.

-, -us nrout n CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRibUNEJ
p.RIs Ian. The Histoire da Costume eH FRANCE,
vary handsome and entertaining BOOK, ls' WIN HS
f,,thfnIy-drawn designs really illustrative oi 'n0
harmed text boon 70 costume HISTORICAL painters,
and really valuable contribution to the history oi
M. French people from the early Gallo-Roman
n.riod down through the numerous social ana po-
Itoal changes and revolutions to the close OF iho
,iabteenth century. The author, NJ. Quicherat' ior
long time professor of archaeology, and the ono nv
ms Frenchman most intimately at home IN the MD
sle ages, does give us in this scrupulously long
iabored work. with remarkable accuracy ana COM
pleteness, the clothes elements OF q phiiosophica
Aistory of France.
with less display Of erudtion-uncalledf for in this
sase-but with as much science and moro critical
,eumen. vailed with the grace Of a singularly ele-
rant style, Charles Blanc, In his last charming
volume Elri daas Ia Parvre ct daHs le T6teeHt un-
sertakes to deduce and to say, codfy, the perma
penty constitutional laws Of art which the silliest
aevotees of fashion unconsciously obey oven In
Me most extrayagant attempts ut their violation.
Indeed" says our author the numberless devices
hal have been and yet are 10 be invented by men
sr the adOrning Of their persons. their dwellings or
their temples are generated By the application OF
sne Of the five following principles Repetition
Attenuation symmetry, progrosS and disorder. tor
the twenty-five letters OF the alphabet have been
and viii be sufficient TO form the words needed 10
express all human thougbts so a few elements sus-
ceptible Of INSTRUMENTATION have been aad Wlu De
enough for the creation Of ornaments the variety OF
which is capable Of being multiplied indefinitely"
= Each Of these sopeuITeDt elements Is accompanied
hy a secondary and derivatiye slement which, sun
further multiplying the resources Of the oecoi'Ol'
enables him TO vary his combinations IndefniteiS;
To repetition belongs consOnance; TO alternauon'
ssntrast; to symmetry, radiation; to progress
EraAatlon; to a balanced irregularity (cenfuHonl.
c.leulated cOmplexity. There Is method ~ the
madness" These few sentences may give shght
hint Of the seriously scientific character OF the DoOA
fssn which they are Tudely wrenched aud trans
lated but none at ali of the sound sense, the hght
grace the learning, aeuteness and fertility OF apt
illustration, with which this ingenious writer treats
his theme.
This first part of the grammar Of the decorative
arts is TO be followed by a second, the opening
shapters Of which on decorative art form, oolorng
and adapted desigusl, in porcelains, are already
written and will appear in the next number ot The
0aset.s des BeaM1 AYls. More attractive 20 many
readers will he the same emiuenly original authors
Soupeairs Egypt now n press-one OF the brightest
freshest books ever brought out by that raveIer-be
trodden book-begetting land OF dakness ana
nanvrua II is full Of information and promotes
thouRht and reflection 10 the readers mind beyond
It's own fullness. Though, happily 1t gays next 70
nsthing of the Khediye. and Of the resources" OF
that old Nile country. and absolutely nothing
of the Suez Canal il was nevertheless, on the
eecasion Of the opening Of the latter work that
N. Blanc made the visit to Egypt of which
he how gives us his Ssarenirs. He had for com
panions a rarely select society of fellow-sayans,
artists and men of letters the specially invited and
favored guests of the khedive, with Mariette Bey
fer guide and Interpreter Besides these advantages
bo carried with him a critical but open sense,
natural faculty OF sight and insight. By no means
obliyious Of the atmosphere and landscape of the
Nile, nor Of the form color and movement OF CO.
Temporary Egyptian life, his memories are mainly
umipons with visions Of old monumental Egypt. in
view of winch, prepared as they were, his eyes
widened in surprised admiration at the relative per-
feeon of grand sty lie and elementary beauty, which
had become the attainment and familiar practice of
Figyptian art long centuries before the birth or
GTecian art its egitnate descendant Delightfully."-
free from pedantry dognaisIn pretentiousness OF
any sOrt the Souvenirs of N. Charles Blanc have
something Of the charm of his conversation-tho
easy flow of light pleasantly and deep thought un-
Affected wit and wisdom. The book has q familiar,
winning tone as if wrtten specially for the reader,
and this pleasant quality is perhaps to be accounted
Tor by the fact that IL is in large part recompoeed
from letters originally written during his travel to
intimate friends at home. Aptly parallel with this
pleasant reading is the publication Of Monuments
Divers reeuehs en- ESypt ct NHbie par A. Marette
Bey.
In DHistoire une Forierssse the learned arcbe-
oiogst, eminent architect and scientific engineer.
Violet Leduc, has undertaken and carried out
with as happy completeness as in his Hist0ire
6me hGSOR of last year, work OF higher aim
and much larger scope. 1t is sort of histori-
sal novel, with these among other superorties over
most books of that category that II is novel and
historical Combined by erndtion and imagination
from the state Of science and recorded facts, it is
really in abrdgement the military history of France
a. faithful as it is dramatic and interesting. The
tmeof action extends from the earliest dates of the
ante Roman period 10 1914. The stage is the high
plain between Langres and Dion in Burgundy, on
and about which IN defense and attack. NJ Violet
Loduc shows us. in a glass, savage Cets contend
isg with one another Gauls with Cesars legioDs re-
volted BOurguignons with the men-at-arms Of Louis
XL patriot French troops with modern foreign in
vaders, as they pass through the centuries. The
Stage properties Of arms and costume, as they
sAange with the ages from clubs and stOne-pointed
ARROWS in the hands OF half-naked combatants to
the muskets and well-served artillery of the gari
son of hungry soldiers that suTrenders the
news of Napoleon's abdcation are depicted with
archaeological accuracy But particular attention is
given in this history of fortress 20 the origin and
progress of the art of fortiGeation. Here the
already singularY clear descriptive text is supple
neDted by explanatory diagrams so that the least
prepared lay reader easily follow the growth of
this branch of the military art and appreciate the
purposes Of its development from the first rude
wall Of circum vsllatiOn. built of mud -piastered
stones and unhewn logs with which the first con-
saerors Of the natural stronghold defsnsiyely
.I.As ~. ~ gNL.