The New York herald., 1875-08-23

political and military history OF La Vendee In language
which is at clear and terse, and which calls up In
picturesque manner the memorable battles Of what
called the War OF the Giants. A map which is pub
lshed with this work enables the reader to follow the
march Of the royast and republican armies without
labor or difficulty
PORTRAITS D'HIsroIRE MORALE Er PoIulQUE DU
TEMPS.
Under this title NJ de Mlzade a French writer Of
some note has published a critical aud literary study
OF great merit ltis work contemporary history,
written in lively and dramatic manner, and gives pen
andnk sketches Of the celebrated personages OF
the generation which is Just passing or has passed away
Among these are portraits of Victor Jacquemont, NJ
Guizot, n. de Montaembert. le Pere Lacordaire lie
Pere Gratry, NJ. Michelet, Nine. dc Gasparn, Mime.
Swetchine, NJ Taine and Alfred Tonnee NJ de Mazades
brief biographies may be especially commended to the
attention of young American and English writers who
are disposed to study that branch Of composition The
curiosity of the public becomes naturally excited about
eminent people and details respecting their lives,
habits and manners always wen received by pub
fishers, and well paid for If they written with any
thing like good talent; but the art of penning
short and good biographies is among the rarest and
most difficult in literature Anglo-Saxon writer's are
very apt TO tumble into clumsy personalities German
writers are too minute and philosophical; the French
alone are consummate masters of the craft.
L'EsPAGNE SPLENDEURs ET MlsEREs BY NJ. Imbert
This of the best books which has recently APP
peared the Iberian peninsula II sparkles with wit
it is full Of picturesque descriptions brilliant anecdotes
and extraordinary adventures which carry the aston
ished reader from surprise to another though he
were perusing fairy tale made up of wonders and en-
chantments 1t is admirably illustrated by NJ. Alexandra
Provost artist whose pencil is graceful exact
LANcEN oRIENr Par Loon Carr6. Michel Levy
Freres, Paris
The third and fourth volumes Of NJ. Leon Cares
noble work on the East have just been issued. They
comprise historical religious and philosophical essays
on ancient Egypt, China India Persia, Chadea and
Palestine; and they very learned commentaries
the sacred writer's from Moses the date of the dis
persion of the Jews. NJ Leon Cares work is an honor
to French literature and book of a kind which has
been hitherto very rarely published in France. The
English language can show large collection Of thco-
logical writings and there is hardly any part of the
history chronology OF the Old Testament which has
not been satisfactorily treated by them To NJ. Loon
Carre however, belongs the honor of having almost in
troduced his subject to modern French readers, who
were entirely unacquainted with it, and he has GER
tainy succeeded in arousng their attention
DOCUMENTS HIsromoUEs SUR L'0RIGINE DU RoyAVME
DE BELGIoUE BY Lieutenant General A.. Eenans
G. Muquardt, Brussels.
The military conspracles of 1881, which ended in the
foundation of the Belgian Kingdom, have just been
treated by one of the most distinguished soldiers who
took part in Them and the work Of General Eenans has
been discussed by all the press of Europe His
tive extends from 1918 to 1890 He describes
the sojourn of the Prince of Orange at
Antwerp and justiles the conduct of the
Belgian officers for having taken at the call of
the government of their country He tells the tale OF
the Orange plot the House of Nassau and of
the prosecutions to which the officers incupated
subjected He relates the revolt of the Second rifle
battalion at Ghent and of the riots at Antwerp Brussels
and Malnes. Hi object is to clear the Belgian Army
from the shame of their defeat in the spring of 1881
which, the General MAINTAINS, brought about by
political and by of solderly courage
The book is published by subscription and at the rather
high price of 81, but it is worth the notice of military
men, because it is written with competent knowledge
of the subject and from unusually good of nfor
| nation.