The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-06

most rema rKabe book OF the season. tho quidnuncs
will have II that George Eliot intended her Mr..
Casaubon who married the charming Dorothea.
the heroine or "Mlddlemarcn,n as an actual por-
trait. transferred to modern times, OF the great
scholar the solitary book worm or the Reiorma-
ton period, who was bored TO death by the mill
tary and political affairs OF his sovereign master
Henri Quatre, and who. alter sixteen consecu
hours study, recorded the fact In his journal
thus :-ETOdie Uirf: and who regarded his frIeIus
as direct uuisances, dnlici studi0Fttnt fneoruie
fninltct. This may or may not be. 1t appears
that the original Casaubon found TWO wives, Tor
all his sludous ways ana dislike ofhuman society,
aud had considerable trouble with large ana
sickly amiiy. and, no doubt, ne was as disagree
able ana unlucRy an niividual a. Dorothea's
Casaubon, especially as he neglected his true
vocation, the highest order OF CRITICISM
in It's infancy in his tIme--.o pluage, with all the
ardor OF sixteenth century Dr. Kenealy. into
tie study OF theology whica was getting mixed in
his time. MIR. Pattlson, VINO Is a first rate scholar
and critic himself has done his subject ample
justice ana produced highly valuable and inter-
esting oook; but tle picture OF the student Is,
after all, sad one. for he was melancholy per-
son. perpetualiy haunted by regret(ul sense or
the shortness OF human life, or the inadeq OF
It's opportunities to It's desires. The best known
or his achievements Is his "Athen9us" work
immensely priced by scholars. Mr.. Pattison tells
US that while CasauDon wrote Latin ana Greek
with equal facility and habltuay thought in either
one or the other, he spoke his native language
(Frencn) like peasant.
SHAKESPEARE.
Tae latest addition to our SnaEespearlan lltera-
ture-a literature which has become so ponderous
aud Dewlldering that one sometimes feels the wish
TO sweep IL away bodily and forget Il, returning
to The pure and simple enjoyment OF the mlnd or
the master, unopscured ana uneDcumbered py
the interpos lion OF other mnds ana the
sub;leties or our lnserpretaton-is "a Critical
study 81 the Mind ana Art or Shakespeare" by
Edward DoWdeB, who is Professor or English
Literature in the University OF Dublin, ana Vice
President or the New Shakespeare Society. The
book Is a reproduction and Encouragement OF the
Professors essays and lectures on the same sub
ject, which raised him long since to the foremost
rank among the Snakespearlan critics, and seems
10 us 20 be a TtSitD6 OF all that one needs to
know, outside his text, about Shakespeare
Professor DO ~ den deduces Shakespeare from the
ElIzabethan age, showing the points OF contrast
and OF difference. aud traces his life and his
mental and spiritual development through the
amazing succession OF his works, from the S;ao'm
una Drdng period las Goelhe says OF hlmselD OF
Romeo and Hamer, 20 tne contemplatye peace
and retirement Of the "wlnier's Tale" ending
with quaint, persuasive conceIt, IN which ne
shows how, in the sIempest,r Prospero, the
magician having reared ana brought his art
,Mlranda) to full stature and perfection, hands
ner over to the fostering care OF Fletcher (Fcri
nandJ for all the future. NJ. Dowden's style is
exceedingly lucid and graceful, and the book Is
delightful reading as a scholarly appreciation
ANECDOTES.
Mr. Barlng-Gould has recently given one OF
those remarkable yecuetls which he produces with
facility and frequency worthy OF Sir. limos and
MIR. Thornbury. Ths time he goes afeld no iCrtner
than Yorkshire, and a fertile Il, ID IN incidents,
ODDITIES ana strange events he nndsIt. 1t appears
tha, Yorkshire is especially productive OF eccen.
trc celgymen. and We rather wonder, when he
was ike the witches, "aoout IT, that he did not
End materials in tae curious life OF tue Rev. Pat
rick PrGnty other wise Bronte, tie father OF sour
rcr Bell" The home lie or tue author OF Jane
Eyrer would supply many a contribution 70 the
history or the oddities OF Yorkshire. The fascina-
ton 81 books OF anecdotc Is difficult 70 account
lor Oae generally takes them up vita conten.
tious sense OF antaqol ism, but ono ends by read.
ing them right through.
FICTION.
Mr. wilkle Collins new novel. .The Law and
the Lady, Is reprinted from the Grdphfc, In three
volume form, by Messrs Chatto wIndus who
are issuing several editions OF Mr.. Collins novels.
II is clever piece or construction. but a story
hopelessly unnatural, while the chief parsonage
introduced q man without legs, Is a repuslyo
monster. from the contemplation OF whose moral
nature The reader turns away with disgust and
adherence. One Is at a loss TO understand the
motive which induces Mr.. Wilkie Collins thus %
exaggerate and dive into the widest paradox the
ingenious conceptions which, more nationally
treated, might attract as well astonIsh. victor
Hugo knew better, when ne gave Us "Hans
monsuous, and the other persons or the
story all vulgar eccentrics. the usual
absurdlties 81 journals written up to the
last moment OF tremendous crisis, and
deliberately setting down tne Incidents OF every.
day lite ike process verbal arc not spared IN THIS
work, ana the heroine IS more decidedly unpleas.
log than even the gifted and charming impost0r
wh0 under the title OF "The New Nagdalen1 illus
trated the whole duty OF society in general and
clergy men 10 particular. Apropos Of Mr.. wilsie
Collins, 1t may be mentioned that 'Armadaien IS
about TO be dramatized and played at one OF the
leading theatres during the present season. Mr..
Hardy Is writing q novel for the C0rnhiH Magazine
and Mrs. Fawcstt, the wife OF the blind Professor
and member or Parliament for Hackney, has one
IN the press. OF Whicn runor speaks highly. MISS
ThacAeTay's new serial In TIE C0rahH Magazine
"Miss ANGEL founded on the life or Angelica
Kaufman, IN a very poor aud equally prctentious
production. ~ dint or word-psinting tnls
authoress has lost all the form and
substance hcr style ever possessed. In
the nrst NUMBER there was chapter
about Venice which va . mere c1rIcature or
Ruskn. aud IN the second there is 4 chapter about
fne society aud III Joshua tthen Mr. Reynolds
which Is caricaturc or some or her fatner's
social sketches IN the 'yiranlans.r Mrs on
plants very latest novel valentine and HIS
Brotaern i an improvement upon Clay and ON
nocent.n tie two inanIties which she has recently
perpetrated. Mrs. Opnant used TO be a clever
novelist, she has become a mere manufacturer 81
fiction 81 late and the kindest critic cannot pre-.
tend 70 ind any remains " the former charm In
ner hasty, in.consldered aud dlsoruerIy compost.
ton.
Mr. William Black has received very gracious
notice from tie Queen, VII afmres his princess
az rhnIe-i 40 much fhnt M har rnnnnatnn 1 -