The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-25
ANCIENT HISTORY AND MYTHOLOGY
The Devils Of Luther, Milton
and Goethe.
ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS.
Exploration and Trave---Biography, Poetry
and Fiction.

u
manufacture OF the volume Is unexceptionable.
and ones @sthetic taste is grati1ed as he settles
down in his easy chair for a winter evenings en-
joyment The style OF the writer Is perspicuous
and sufficiently conversational to prevent that
traditional sopori1c effect which dul.er, II not
profoander, treatise produces. He speaks to the
general public rather than to small coterle Of
Swans and manages TO describe the business, the
religious and the social lie OF The Greeks IN such
way that the ordinary student, the mechanic or
clerk who has bookish tastes, gets a clear idea Of
The general status OF this remarkable nation. He
Is just y bit pugnacious in intellect, and cannot
bear to let an opportunity pass to have a brush
with former writer's on the same subject. Though
by no means equal IN stature TO Mr.. Grote,
ne nevertheless has no hesitation In buckling
on the armor aud engaging in a regular
hit. One has great satisfaction in witnessing such
contest, since nothing can be more evident than
that Mr.. Mahaf1y is perfectly conversant with his
subject, not only in its general outlines, but in al
It's minor details. In these days OF superficial
scholarship 1t Is an unspeakabie reireshment to
listen to the authoritative speech, and 10 Ue led
through the long corridors OF Athens, by man
VINO has been aigglng at Greek roots and conJu-
eating Greek verbs, UNTIL as De Quincy DOaSted,
thought.
Mr.. Mahany's estimate of the Greek character is
little peculiar. He sreadIastly refuses to accord
to 1t that stern courage which we have always
believed to be one or Its chleI eemens. He Is
Wiling TO allow the greeks unuSputeu possess
SION OF a certain gloriousy impulslye dash elan
whlcn at times accomplished wonders, but utterly
refuses 10 credit them with that stern grip Of Will
which stands and dies, ana which rs the miracle OF
the more northern temperaments. The Greek
soldier would stand fire. 50 10 speak, as long as
there was any chance OF victory. but when
That was gohe lie became panlc-stricken, and ned
the field as last as his coward legs could carry
be asserts o second a rate oraer." mo DOUBT
the Greeks were a war!ike nation like the French.
fond OF glory, and revealing IN excitement: but
they did not possess that stubborn valor which
was the DUTY OF the medieval knight, ana winch
Is the physical characteristic OF the English aud
German sOldler. With the exception Of Achilles
and OF Dlomede all the chiefs IN the llsd' are
The jury system Of Greece was also very defec-
tive, and gave rise to great evils he laws OF the
State were frequently overrdden by the passion
ate plea OF the eloquent prosecution, ana were
generally IN such a confused state that they are
wholly worthless 10 che modern STUDENT oil law,
While those OF Rome, on the other hand, are OF
immense value. Even Demosthenes was not I'M
touched by large lee, ana could be retained in
menr. Altogether the book Is invaluable to one
VINO has nos the lime to pod through the weary
folios OF other WRITER'S and will find warm vel.
come by many thoughtful 1resde.
REMAINS OF LOST EMPIRES BY p v. n. Myers,
A. NJ. New York: Harper Brothers.
This volume Is valuable contribution to that
department OF literature winch contains the rec.
ord OF excavations The curiosity Of man Is itself
o curiosity. Not content with the present age.
ard not by any means wholly absorbed In the
architecture, mechanics and art OF our own time,
be turns his face toward Tie East and calcul, ties
the sites OF the great cities that have long since
crumbled. He is particularly attracted by the i'm
mense sand hills which cover the huts and palaces
OF ancient Babylon, and with pick ana shovel
penerates, like a Paul Pry, into the domestic ar
rangements OF Nebuchadnczzar. Alter recovering
q lew kitchen utensils, chair or two, bit or
broken porcelain, with rude picture painted on
it, lie generalizes concerning the social life our
ancestors, and either glorcs In the proofs Of ad-
vancement and progress signs over some lost
art.
Mr. Myers trip must have been full OF novelty
and Iasc nation. He sojourns for while in Bag
da d. takir note OF the traditions with which the
very air Is filed. In It's prime glory the city would
compare favorably, in many respects, with the
largest centres OF modern civilization. 1t con-
tanned at one time more than 100000 lnhab-
tants. very nearly double the number living III
New York. It's court officers enjoyed large sala
fles ana lived In the widest cXiravagance. some
OF the public pageants were costly and imposing
to such degree 10 suggest the possibility OF
what in these days Is mystically called Ring. 1t
may be said that
The gorgeous East with richest hand,
showers on her kings baroaric pearls and gold,
for, II we may creGit Abulieda on certain royal
nuptia occasion, "a thousand pearls o! the largest
size were showcred on the mead OF the orlde."
This reads not unlike a newspaper description Of
the marrage least OF one Of our CITY officials.
Think OF the display OF wealth indicated by the
following paragraph, which must have been
written by one oil HIS Majesty's .own co respond
ens'' to the leading organ OF the time Nor
was the palace less splendid, In which were hung
up 3S,0U0 1--WE leel inclined TO make deduction OF
pne cipher, but D,ust needs be truthIuD
pieces OF tapestry, 1880 vi which were silk,
Embroidered With gold. Among tie other articles
Of rare ana slupendous luxury was tree OF gold
ana silver spreading INTO eighteen large branches,
on which, ana on the lesser bOughs, sat q variety
Of BIRDS made OF the same PRECIOUS metas as well
effected spontaneous motions the several birds
warbled their natural harmony" Truly the an
" n nt in in n ira MT of
luxury, ana knew how TO enjoy lie on large IT,
come
gard Tor the natives for generations They have
found under the sand sum Client material for their
homely structures. Seeucus Nicator Is said TO
have quilt whole CITY from the debris OF Baby
Ion, and every one who has since wanted to bud
button. so the new life was the old. Mr.. Myers
gives an exceedingly interesting account or his
ern Syria ana Mcsopotamia, and has produced a
volume oi 500 pages, not only readable, but iull OF
valuable information
We ought not to neglect to say that the book Is
well printed, on goud paper, and does credit to
the house from winch 1t is issued.
TALES IN POLITICAL ECONOMY. BY Milicent Gar.
rett Fawcett London Macmillan Co.
This little work. OF ABOUT 100 pages, was written
Tor the instruction OF beginners In the noble
science OF which 1t treats Exteriorly 1t Is a very
attractive volume being well printed on thick
paper and handsomely bound. lnteriorly 1t Is
some thing OF a curiosity, and runs out OF the
beaten track OF instruction into grooves or ruts OF
Its own. The last generation was fond OF dia-
ogue. The gravest subjects were discussed by
Two or three persons, VINO from the beginning TO
the end OF the book put startling questions to
Zach other, or answered them with q convincing
fairness or cunning subtety on which the In
teress OF the book depended. Mr.. Fawcett has
not exactly reproduced this eccentriclty OF ltera-
ture but he's adapted it to the pecuarities OF our
own time. 1t Is somewhat or a novelty, and for
that reason, perhaps, Will have charm for
many readers, The volume Is not Intended
Tor the use ana has no Information
10 o6cr 10 those who have devoted any thought TO
Tie general methods OF society in government,
cut will be OF great importance to those VINO are
ust entering on the SUBJECT and getting their hrst
lllmpse OF the reiation between commerce ana
national prosperity. Inc writer's style Is very
pleasant and one finds himself reading an article
through when ne expected SIMPLY TO glance AT u.