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

THE LIFE OF CASAUBON.
A New Edition of the Works Of
Sainte Beuve.
ENGLAND.
LONDON. March %. 1875.

tory OF England, Principally In the seventeenth
Century, recently issued by the Clarendon press
To the general reader the venerable German his
torian IS chiefly Known az the author OF that his
tory OF the Popes which furnished Lord Macaulay
with the material whereOu to br0der oae OF his
most brilliant and memorable essays-one from
which writer's and speakers often quote passages
or dicta uncoascousiy, aud 10 whcl tile students
OF the present generation owe the clearing up OF
the generatiies oil the prejudice whlca obscure1
the Judgment OF their predecessors much more
absolutely than they aware o. This book,
which IS in six volumes, VIII probably find
no interpreter, az the last aud the best or the
great whis VINO possessed a. once real and
active princp.es, vital political beliefs, elegant
scholarship and a style. Supposing II 20 be ac-
cepted that too cynical 10 doubt The existence
OF the principles and lie creed in these latter days
il must BE admitted that there IL a crying want or
style. VINO shall popularize Ranke on William q
Orange ami The hydra-headed problem OF European
politics during the might aud the decadence OF the
Grand Monarque7 THIS yoiumtnous WORK IS OF very
great interest. though The translator has adhered
rather Closely 70 the Text OF the original in the
descriptions Of places and persons in England;
the foreign pnraseoogy renders them difilcut OF
recognition. Ihs l.. however, bur q slight defect
aud The novel point Or view from which the reader
OF RanEe's History i called upon 10 regard the In
vaslon or England by William Of orange, VINO
il represented not as solitary adven-
turer rigngeoIsly ayaiilng himself OF
period OF national danger aud disquie
but Is the trustee delegate OF European
combination against france, a most honorable
TOOL in TACT but SIM a 1901 has all the interest OF
novelty. W. are 100 little accustomed 20 survey
our ewn history rom the European standpoint
THIS book IS a step in desirable direction, though
1t may hurt oar pride little 70 discover tnat our
sglorIous" Revolution i held to have been effected
by German combinatlo1s. cIciated Dy German
foresight; and ID tie leading and specific interests
o Germany.
Books o. tTavel arc not very abundant just nov.
We cad such plethora d them az the beginning
or the winter that wecannoi mpaIn or having
to Gtffe aSdfoFe now Tor 4 wh,le, especially we
have the pfospec, VI a forthcoming work on
Ashantee IRON Mejjr Buffers eminenuy pie
turcsouc pen and o. the records or the Cameron
expedition 20 the Laalaba, and also OF the reprint
OF the deeply interesting series o papers now
being rubmshed pieceneal IN BGckU0o0'S Maya.
ztne under the title OF 'The Abode OF snow
Mir. Gaskell's Algeria As IL Is.n y one o. the
most recent books 81 traye, ana though
il IS not remarkable for literary graces, Il
is very ample anu painsteklng descrip.
tiOn or the AraO province which rs French
coBauerors seem 10 mismanage somehow, equally
nope.essly under each successive regime. Mr..
Gaskell il PROBABLY not aware, or he would have
made q telling point or Il MS book that
English company mas Just secured q concession
for the making or q railroad in the Province o.
Oran with a view to the encouragement or emf
grafton. Tue strange lack or enterprise among
the French IN matters Of thIs kinda project or
the sort would md neither origin nor support IN
P4r.s-counls FOR much hi their failure as Colo
nisis. Mr.. GaskeH draws lDorally on preceding
writers IN lis descriptions or the natives or Alge
ria their manners and customs, but DC at least
puts the gst 81 taer books into MS own. Il Is
remarkable however, that he seems 70 have no
knowledge of the TWO best books which have ever
neen written on their respective suojects-"Ls
SabeIr and lie sahara, ~ Fromentn. n we
may leave speaking by the card or whlle and
stray into the regions Of contemporary French
literature, we should Ike 70 direct attention TO a
work by ~ henry Hazard. on LES vilies Mortes
du Zu.der-zee."
This book has inst been published Ia Paris. bY
Plou and in addition 70 It's intrinsic interest as
apictrresque description or those wonderful old
Dutch tow whose existence seems T. be rs
much severed from that Of the outlying world as
the life OF the lacustrnc period ITSELF II has the
extrnslc Importance, which = beginning 70 attach
ITSELF 70 Holland. gter the years 81 peaceful o.
scuri,y which tnat ricn and happy htrle country
has enjoy "a 10 consequence o. the menaced coup
OF Germany. The BOOK Is very pleasant reading,
fan OF the frankness and sans gene with which
FrenchmeD recount their travelling experiences,
ana n presents an extraordinary picture Of tue
unchanged medlavslism 81 the curious towns
which stud the shores Of the dangerous Zuyder-
zee, whose clrcumnavigstion Offers points Or re-
markablc philosophical and ethn0grapaical inter-
est Probably not a dozen Dutchmen have ever
made this voyage. and We 20 not recall any
record 81 its having been made OF English at.
lists or tourists; though It Offers 70 the one class
the attractloa Of extraordinary riciufesqueness,
and 70 tne other those usually irresistible or
trouble and Gifrculty. y. Hazard accounts for
the Dufcn indifference to their living antiquities
by their excessive excigClsG,e ~ oi0cteT or a. we
snail call H. the 'psrochiar spirit which limits
eacn man to his own actual mtea and Tor the
rarity or visits these curious cities ~ foreigners
By the little that Is known about them, and the
absence Of any organized service" BY which they
can De reached lie j Justly enthusiastic about
tue pleasure 70 b. derived from sailing upon a
sea OF comparatively new formation, which mas
existed for lev centuries only, but On whose
shores cities or unrvaled power and wealth once
nounsEed; 70 behold tnesc cities In their scfgtle
decrepgsude; 10 visit MeGcnBllK and sta
vorem before the grass has hidden their
walls away forever ana their names
are struck out from the map Of the Low
Countries:" 10 glowing and persuasive terms.
No book since Captain Hutchnson's TRY Lap
landr has given giimpses Of such primitive
life and isolation without sayagery. Fifteen
Years ago. Lord soutLesk made an expedition, as
Lord Milton DID, acout the same time, OF q itte
later, 70 the Saskatchewan lie mas thought
proper 10 publish a. ihis distance Of time, hand.
somely illustrated work, descriptive o. his ttave.s
IN the Hudson bay Territory. There q nothing
new, except that which Il merely ersonal IN the
volume, and thcre is quite too much buffalo
shooting for the public appetite, much faded
IN achi vemenls Or tn sort wnerc it has mad q
surleit in fifteen year-. TIC buffalo runs ought q
be ntcroiCted hEc the New zcaIandcr, the "nlttcr
enar aud the "gcm Of purest ray serene'-tne
latter, ~ the bye, has resscd some time ~ the
"derk unattoned cav of man."
EfCgHArHY.