The Portland daily press., 1875-06-12
Recent Publications.


Mr. Stoddards taste has not deserted him in
selecting material for the seventh Bric a Brac
The autobiography of Cornelia Knight, lady
companion of the Princess Charlotte, and the
"reminiscences by Thomas Raikes, man of
society and of some literary pretensions, are
drawn upon. The editor regards the volume as
companion to the condensed Greville Me-
moirs, in the same series, dealing with the
some people, but viewing them from rather
different standpoints. Miss Knight, while
young, travelled for some years in Italy, ,iwhere
she was Dr a time under the protection of
Lady Hamilton, the Lady Hamilton of Nell
sons attachment. In 1906 sic became COM
panion to the Princess Charlotte, and held
that position for seven years. The remainder
of her life was chiefly spent on the continent.
She was lady of extensive learning and mani
fold accomplishments, with a taste for that
kind of gossip which most of us like however
vehemently we may deny it. This taste led
her to keep Journal, tine most interesting por-
tions of which Mr.. Stoddard gives US. She had
much to say about johnson, Reynolds, Gold.
smith, aud others of note, and of the celebra-
ted sovereigns. diplomatsts and warriors of the
continent. Lady Hamilton and the Princess
Charlotte figure prominently in the journals,
and the first seems to have been better wo-
man than she commonly gets credit for. Not
the least entertaining portions of the diary are
the anecdotes which Miss Knight heard and
recorded during her journeys She tells of
French banker who, having observed that one
of the ladies whom we call "ex xclusives"
always bowed most graciously to him when
she took money at his bank, but did not return
his bow when he passed her in the street, one
day, when he met her, took out gold piece of
twenty francs, and presenting it, said "c'est un
pea cher, nadis je Serais bien dise dayoir uR bon
salut." A young officer of the French navy is
credited with the enthusiastic exclamation on
seeing Guido's "Magdalen," "Oh, what
lovely picture! have always liked Magdaens
in every stage of their existence" Signor
Babi was surprised TO find that there was no
Burgundy left in his cellar, when he wanted to
place some before party of friends who were
dining with him. 'Ahr' said he, SIT must
have been that Englshman, who has been
staying here some days with my wife who has
drunk it. All! never thought of my wine.
Two Frenchmen of the lowest order. were
talking, and one said to the other that it was
delightful to be equal to the nobility. ''True,"
replied the other, sit would have been pleasant
to have been on an equality with them while
they were something; but now we have
brought them down and ruined them, do not
see what we have gained by being equal to
them.'
Raikes has much TO say of Talleyrand, to
NH +ruo oiv frasb
bon nots of the old diplomatist are told AL
vanley asked him to explain the real meaning
of the word non-intervention. The reply was
'C'est un mot naetaphysique a peu pres Ia meme
chose az intervention" The old scouudrel is
SAID to have shed tears at Wellington's defense
of him in parliament,an plaintlvely exclaimed,
''he is the only man ia the world who ever said
any good of me-" Wellington himself figures
conspicuously in the memoirs. The Duke was
highly entertained with Junot, whom he de-
feated in Portugal The Frenchman was half
a mad man in Wellington's opinion, and Is
credited with threatening Portuguese who
had sick general in the house that if the off
Ger died he would bury everything living in the
house with him.
Other entertaining stories are told. At the
time of the Chartist difficulties the mob ap-
preached the sentinel at the door of the foreign
office IN Downing street, crying ''liberty Sor
death?' The soldier presented his piece, and
SAID, "My lads know nothing about hberty
bat if you come step farther I'll show you
what death is" The magnificent assurance of
Rothschild is shown by his reply to the Emper-
or of Austria, who was expressing his satisfac-
tion at tie success of a loan, "The house of
Rothschild is delighted to be of service to the
house of Austria" Bourblanc, who introduced
the waltz into England, went afterwards to the
Cannbal Islands, and was eaten by the natives.
His fate caused much sorrow at Almacks' and
young lady was heard to say, on observing an
awkward waltzer "Quel donsnlage gull n ait pas
etc mango au lieu de ce pauvre II. Bourblanc"
biscuits wife, who was of low extraction, and
who prided herself greatly upon her title, it is
related that, soon after the marshal was made
a duke, she wrote an impudent letter to
Mademoisele Bourgouin, the actress, signing
herself with great pOmp, Eugene de Dalmate.
In reply the actress whose wit was proverbial,
signed herself Iphigenie en- Aulide, one of her
favorite characters on the stage. and all the
world laughed at the parvenue duchess.
THE EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. By Thomas Car
lyle. New York; Harper & Brothers. For sale
by Loring, Short s. Harmon.
This is collection of the papers contributed
to Fraser's magazine by Mr.. Carlyle, on the
early history of Norwegian Kings. The work
is rapid review Of the first centuries of Nor
wegian history, with running comments often
wise, frequently witty, always entertaining.
OF course the Kings are valuable in Mr.. Car
lyle's eyes chiefly as they confirm his dogma of
the necessity of Kingship, and of the Unborn
leadership of the table man." His uncouth
style seems more in place clothing the barba-
rous annals of half-civilized chiefs than in de-
scribing the events of polite age, and it lends
charm to the narrative. The first chapter
opens with this characteristic sentence: "Till
about the year of grace $50 there were no kings
in Norway, nothing but numerous jarls-essen-
TALLY kinglets-each presiding over a kind of
republican or parliamentary little territory,
generally striving each to be on some terms of
human neighborhood with those about him;
but, in spite of Fylke things (Folk things)
little parish parliaments-and small combi-
nations of these, which had gradually formed
themselves, often reduced to the unhappy
state of quarrel with them.
La the same volume is given an essay on the
portraits of John Knox, and it one of the best
things which Mr. Carlyle has of late contribu-
ted to literature. His admiration for the stern
old preacher shows itself in every sentence,
and he treats of his subject with hearty enthu-
siasm. He believes that the Somerville por-
trait is genuine, and that all the others are
spurious, being based on purely fictitious
portrait The essay is illustrated with half-a
dozen wood cuts.
OUR MUTUAL FRIEND. By Charles Dickeus. New
York: Harper s. Brothers. For sale by Loring,
Short s. Harmon.
The popular household edition of Dickens
works, printed on large paper and tastefully
bouLd has received an addition in "Our Mu-
tual Friend" The volume contains ffty-eight
illustrations by Mahoney.