New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
xAx MULLER AND PROFESSOR WHITNEY,.

q
interesting to many readers. As the author has al
lasl finished the publication of his edition OF the
-" Ri,-VedaD and has resigned his Professorslp at
Oxford there is reason conjecture that tins vol
uue of Chipsp will be the last. Ii contains nine
separate papers, to some of which are appended
notes Of cOnsiderab length. They are: IL lnaugu-
raj LoctuIo before the Univ ersty OF Oxford III 1905
H. Two Rede Lectures. before the University Oh
Cambridge delivered in 1865 and so respectively
III. The Migration o{ Fables ~ Inaugural Lecture
beiorr tine University Of Strassburg V. Lecture ON
Missions delivered in Westminster Abbey III
1873; W. Address before the international Con-
gress Of Orientalists in London, 1871 VII.
Sketch of the Life of Colebrookei VIII. Re
ply to Mr. Darwin; TX. In Sef-Deionse.
The Oxford Inaugural is one OF the most favorable
speciens OF the authors characteristic eXccllenee,
1t is All eloquent presentation of the claims OF COM
parative pathology to a place in the academic cur
riculuin and shows by many attractive Illustrations
how ii is an indispensable complement of classical
studies especially by throwing new light upon Oreer~
and Latin etymology, and explaining the origin and
grounds of many apparently arbitrary rules OF gram
mar. The First Rede Lecture, published several
years ago in a little volume entitled " The stratlii-
cation of Language" is now supplemented by
Second Rede Lecture, which contains avery interest
ing and valuable exposition and criticism OF Curtuss
Professor Miller does not accept the views OF Cuus
who has sought TO establish distinct periods OF
linguistic development but maintains that these
periods may he reduced to three ; and that even
these three not capable III the strict SENSE OF Ot
Ing clronogically separated from one another. Inc
Migration of Fables" is curious and suggestive
ehapterol literary history, and will attract the atte-
ton of many who might he indiii rent Ia questions
of nguistics The inaugural at StrassbuTg, upon
"The Results Of the Science of Language" does not
COMPARE fayorably with the Oxford Inaugural. 1t
seems 10 lack the fullness of treatment which might
have been expected from the author; though per-
hans il should be remembered i'll reading IT that II
was merely an Introduction to a of lectures
upon the same subject. Tc these two lnausuralS
are appended SOME pathological notes among them
very plausible argument III favor OF the identity
of rhe6s and Deus, notwithstanding the phoheticOD-
jections which tine author shows to lie against such
s,eE. The Lecture OH Missions 10 already pretty
well known. 1t has brought its author much praise
and much ccnsure. and will no doubt IN ITS new
form divide the opinions of its readers. Dean stain
ley's sermon, delivered upon the same day us Mill
lers lecture also given, in order to explain the
authors appearance as lecturer upol MISSIONS
An article on the vitality of Brahmlnisn," which
was called out III answer 10 structures uloI Null
lers sermon, is appended TO it as Postscript
The subject OF the address before the Oriental on
gress is " The Importance OF Oriental Studies Ii
Is an interesting paper and, like the Oxford lnau-
gural, seems especially adapted 10 exert iiDfIdi-
iziug influence in England. The notable
fact is pointed out that although at Oxford, " the
first University ia what has rightly been called the
greatest Oriental Empire" there is a chair Of tie
brew aud one of SanscTit. yet for the modern IAN
ruages of India whether Aryan Dravdian, for the
language and literature of Persia, both ancient ana
modern the language and antiqu ties ot kgypt
and Bah, on for Chinese, for Turkish nay even ioI
Arabic, there is nothing deserving The name OF q
chair" The " Life of CoebI0Oke' is reprint from
the Edinburgh Review" in which it appeared as a
notice of the miscellaneous ESSAYS of COlebrooke,
eded along with life of their author by his son.
Annexed is series of tables from Coebrooke's
manuscripts drawn up about 1901 and 1902, and
never Published till they appeared in TIE Academy
Ia October, 1871. They give new illustration Ga
ColebroOke's learning and sagacity, and show that
al that early day he distinctly recognized the rea-
tionship existing between the principal languages
since grouped together a. indO-Eurspean.
The last two papers, forming nearly fourth of the
volume and entitled respectively Ny RcPiy 10 Mr.
Darwin and "In Self Defense"-this latter together
with the Second Rede Lecture" being if the notes
are not reckonel, the only papers in the book
are of totally different character from any of the
preceding and present their author IN the new role
of controversialist They Will have especial inter
est for American readers, tine opponent against
whom they are directed is Professor W. ID. Whitney
of Yale College. 1t is the laster OF these articles
which we purpose to examine merely promising That
thorough criticism in sufficient detail % put this
extraordinary paper in its proper light - not posi-
bic even in the space afforded in the columns of THE
TRIBUNE.
The circumstances Immediately leading to the
publication of this article In Sel-Dofense" are
follows In November, 1874. Mr. George Darwin,
son Of the great naturalist, Published in the Con
Temporary Review" along with some comments Of
his own, an abstract of paper by Professor Whit
nev contained i'm the "NOrth American Review" OF
the july preceding and entitled "DarwInism and
Language in this essay, Professor Whitney at
tempted to show, contrary 10 views set forth by
Miller in 1873 in three lectures upon the sub
feet that the science of language warrants no con-
illusions hostile TO Darwinisn just as in 1871, IN
paper read before the American Pathological Asso-
ciation' he had controverted the precisely opposite
view Of Sch+icher, that the science of language
furnished evidences Of the truth Of Darwinsn
This abstract Of Mr. George Darwin pnade, 1t should
be stated without the knowledge Of Professor Whit
ney) and his comments upon it, in the main iayora-
bic To the views Of Professor Whitney, called forth
from MILLER, in the Contemporary Review" Jann-
sry, 1875 an article styled, my Reply to Mr.
Darwin" a German version of which, with some
notifications, WAS published III the Deaische
Eaaf,ehaa in the following March, In April
Professor Whitney printed in the Contemporary
Review an article in reply, entitled "Are Lam
guages Institltonsi" This also, with slight altera-
tons. was published in the Raadschda of August
1875. ain self-Defense" bears date September
1875. aud first appeared in The last week of October
han, f,e Vo!n If