New-York tribune., 1875-11-26
FRENCH LITERARY GOSSIP.
NEW AND FORTHCOMING BOOKS.

q"
,arTRE's GREAT DICTIONARY CoNpENskD-". "-
NAy,s ORIENTAL ExPLoRAr1oNs-rAIN' MS
TORY OF THE FRENCH NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
HUaos ACTEs st PAROLES.
fFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rhi"US"'
PARIs, Nov. 3.-Tho meteoroogists ana otl,er
Seather-wseacres are foretelling eoid, h"io Mi''
ter IL needs no prophet to assure us that IL WIZ u"
warm and lively on the political side. Inc hea'eu
,aro onens with the Assembly tomorrow. Wh'e
there is vet time let us take last look NJ literary
things. And here. tO begin with aud to be much
commended is an abrdeement of Littr,s great Die
6onaaire. The abridgcment leaving stont volume
still il effected with great Judgment, chiefly ny
omission OF the wonderful wealth Of eNempniylhg
ouotations in the original work. The whole Vocaou-
lary aud the definitions, with some exceptions Oh
nice details i'm definition of medical and other scei-
tfc terms are preserved, as well as tiat h'S'o'io
method which is 80 valuable distinctive i'aVuo Vi
the great lexicon. The abridgement IL mace WIN
H. sanction of Littr6 by NJ Beaujcan, university
professor whom he had already employed 10 review
and correct some of the proofs OF the Gro"d
Jiof;opsairc I.ittr6 appears in a new and quite
attractive role in the preface he writes to new
hook by Eugene Noel, bearing TINS bold ute
Memories dsm iB,Jtcile 6ciS par tai meme
The interest Of the preface which has not much 10
do with the book except 10 help its sale, lies IN Ie
Vli,npses il gives of the writer's self-some simple
autoliographical touches, full OF grace ana cam
wisdom. ,.
Renan's account of his " Mission de Fhemcie Is at
last ssucd complete from the National Press; large
uuarto of text and folio atlas of illustrative plates
translate a notice of THIS important work from
MS. kindly lent me tha, is written by peculiarly
eopretent hand The plan OF the Mission was con
ceyed in 1860 and met with ready approval from
the Enpcror who had real taste for historical IN
vestgations. Its realizations had hardly oeeh uo-
terinined on when 10y singular chance the troubles
in Syria broke out and il decided that so ne OF
the French troops that had been landed IN that cou-
try for their suppression should be employed III inc
work OF excavation. Owing to the crowded sedeh-
tarv nopulations that have succeSsiyely inhabited
the PhGnciau coast for more than 5000 years. l'S
aptiouities have been remarkably cffaced by time
The monuments of the Roman epoch and of the BY
xaptine epoch Of the MUsSuluans and of the CRU
saders and the numerous constructions Of later
periods have all been built ont Of the mateflis ol
more ancient epocls. Two poiIts Ohly have pre-
served the distinct impress Of their PhOIician past
these are Amr,th lthe ancient Mar&;hus, ana Gum
eli Arvamid, a locality situated between Tyre an"
ST Iean dAcre that seems to have been anclcnty
named Iaodcea. These two towns had fallen TO ram
before the Ron an occupation. and Lave not since
been rebuilt. The Mission do Pbcnlce" gives
complete representations Of all the PhGnic.an moAu-
r,,,ts Of Alnrith drawn with the greatest Gaze by
NJ. Thobois the architect uf The Mission. Imposing
and original in their general character, they reveal
a marked but not serye imitation Of Egyptian mt.
The funereal needles msGbG.ii, G., spndes, as tie
people now call tloln-aTe very beautiful The tenn
ple named Maabed IS yet more remarAaOie and eh-
abos us to a certain eXtcat, 10 represent 10 our
selves the most essential pccUlariues OF The
Phpnician religious worship. The excavations at
Oum el Arvamid have furnished three PhGuiclan i'll
scrip.ions. ono of which is cut gnomon of conf
cal FORM and great number Of architectural de
fails An Egyptol hrnician portal Is especially
noteworthy for its beauty Of style and its sculptures
that are fall Of interest. NJ Renan, who thinks that
he aud lis co-laborers Of the Mission have sniii-
tientIy uucaIthcd and duly explored about one-haI
Of the ancient city, earnestly advises future nyes-
gators to direct their efforts TO the remaining part
gLeprincpal object cf the laborers at Sdon was
20 examine the metropolis which is nearly Il mile
distant from the modern town. There were found
seven or eight of those GahroPode sarccphan, OF
mummy cases, with pculp.Urcd heads ia white mar
BE that are among the most curious productions #
PhGncian art One Of these cases has sle arms
carved along the dy; il IS the Oldest OF them ALL
and NAV be referred to the ninth ceutuy before
Christ. The others descend 10y successive gada-
tons 70 the third century before Christ.
Gebeil. the ancient B, bios, yielded several frag-
ments in architecture aud sculpture OF an essen
tally lhOuCiau character but lcilh'uiB usVIO'HoS'
of Eg,pt, sometimes Of Assyria. NJ Renan even
found some fragments with Egyptian lieroglyphics.
The monuments from the Lihan above Bybos, par
Gcuarly those relating TO the worship of Adon-,
are carefully reproduced ia thc plates OF The work
Those discovered at Aradus present features aalo-
gous to those of GeDeil. 4 general comparison OF
all these remains, reveals the lines Of an art, not
only anterior to all Grecian influence, bat
bearing the strong stamp of that of Egypt,
and reminding sometimes Of Assyrian art
and of Persian art of the Archlmedean era.
IL is the opinion Of NJ Renan that for the discovery
of specimens OF this art at Tyre very extensive and
deep excavations would be necessary; the retire
tnent Of the French expcdiiouary army from Syria
at an Unexpectedly carly date prevented their eX-
ecutiOn. A notably distinct and complete topOg-
raphy of ancient Tyre, seems, however, To be one
Ieeured result of the labors of tie Mission before
the untimely interruption. To the objects un-
earthed or otherwise brought to light By the re-
searches of himself and his companions, NJ. Renan
has adjoined here descriptive and often engraved
reproductions Of previously discovered monuments
NJ. Renan has been spending The last months in
Palermo Rome, and Iscba, partly IN search of
health which, tie last pleasant report If, he has
largely recovered. Shortly after his return from
Iaiy probably whichis looked fornext week. he Will
publish new volume, made up of lis Later es,ays
printed in the Reruc des LCa1 AoRGcs, the nature
of the soul, etc, aud OF the hitherto unpul hshod
"Dialogues on God" metaphysical work originally
composed by him at Versailles. when oxiied floli
Paris and his library during the Co lnune.
The fourth volume of his " Hstore dies Origines
du Cbristianisme," which so grows as he goes on
that hc already conteiuplatos the need of a btth