The Portland daily press., 1876-01-29
Literary Notes.

oPenS III la Norhdu gamDnng salon, whence
the scene is transferred 10 an English country
place in Wessex The portrait of an English
girl. Gwendolen Harleth, is first given, and
there are indications that this character will
be the chief subject of the novelist's psyche
logical study. The hints given of her nature,
as that of one of the Lamia women, cold,
strong blonde, of passioness beauty, promise
one OF George Eliot's most remarkable analyses
OF human temperament. The hero is intro
duced abruptly as being attracted to her face,
so that the novel begins at once according to
Emerson's formula-"She was beautiful and
he fell in love-" The first book, ga Spoiled
Child" is chiefly devoted to Miss Harleth; the
second is called Meeting Streams
G. P Putnam's Sons of New York announce
the immediate publication of Edward Kings
French Leaders, and German Political Leaders,
by Herbert Tuttle, in their series of Brief Bio
graphies; an abridged edition, with illustra-
tions, of Irving's Columbus; History of
TranscendentalIsm in New England, by o. b.
rockingham, which should be a valuable
work; narrative poem on The Holy Land, by
Herman Melville, who has heretofore been
known only by his audacious romances,-Ty-
pee, Omoo and Moby Dick; The Select British
Essayists," with geographic sketches by John
Habberton. In fiction they issue a Japanese
romance, Chashingura, with 80 full-psge Illus
trations, Miss Warmers Wych-Hazel, and
Daisy Brentwell, by a new writer, Irene Wild
dermere. In their scientific and educational
series they.offer books on electricity, chemistry,
building, geology, coal mining, mechanics, etc.
and work on the True Order of Studies, by
ex-President Hill of Harvard. Also, these
works: Volume one of American Clinical Leo
lures, edited by DR.. E. @. Seguin; Spiritualism
and Allied Causes of Nervous Derangement in
their Medical and Medico-Legal Relations, by
DIR. William A. Hammond; compendium of
history, by Heinrich Fray, translated by DIR. j.
r. Cutter; book for boys, by Bayard Taylor,
and second volume in the Big Brother series,
by George Cary Eggleston.
Harper's Magazine for February will for
once be issued on its date-day, the delay in the
receipt of the advance sheets of George Eliot's
new novel, holding it back until the first of
the month. 1t will have 1853 pages, the largest
number ever issued. OF these George Eliots
story will occupy thirty four for the first book,
published in England in separate part at five
shillings, will be given. Among the other fea-
lures will be the first of the two centennial
articles on American literature; an illustrated
paper on Vassar College by Miss Anna G.
Bracket; further original investigation as to
insectivorous plants, by Mrs. Mary Treat; a
sketch of Alexander I'll. Stephens, with illus
trations; some humorous Confessions of a
Candidate, by "Porte Crayon: and some
quatrains, by T. B. Aldrich. I
The Academy says that Swinburne's 'Erec-
theus" sis not bare imitation of Greek
play, or reconstruction of lost tragedy
by Eurpides. 1t us Greek play written in the
English tongue, in the creation of which the
poet has not merely adopted the forms of the
Attic drama, but has thoughtanl felt, selected
his chief subject. and distributed his subordi-
nate incidents, precisely as Greek playwright
would have done. Not one word is spoken,
not one note is struck, not one sentiment sug-
gested, which could jar upon the sympathies
or tax the intelligence of an ancient Greek"
Its centre of interest is in the splendid human
heroism of the women, Praxithea and Chtho.
MIA, her daughter; and the object of their devo-
ton, the saving of Athens and so of freedom,
compels modern sympathy, with sense of
gratitude. ITO such attitudes, rarely scaled by
the feet of poets in the modern age, has ne
ascended." The heroines of Euripidean trage-
dy have Fan element of frigid stoicism which
repels our love as much as their self sacrifice
attracts it. This peril Mr.. Swinburne, by his
vivid realization of the maternal and filial re.
lations between Praxthea and Chtbonia, has
not so much avoided as annihiated." The
writer concludes concise critical view of mer-
its by calling the poem e masterpiece, "a DO
en- which appeals TO men of all nations and of
all times" The Athenaum also unreseryedly
praises the purely Greek character of "Erech-
theus," saying that "there is little to tell us
that the poem is not a translation from Eurpi-
des." 1t ranks the poem as Swinburne's mas
terpiece, and notes that the restraint forced
upon the author by the form adopted, 'tgives to
the poem an impression of reserved power
which is not always present in his compost
tions."
Veuilot has succeeded in his preface to the
new edition of the "De Imitatione Chrsti,' in
treating that oft-treated book In novel way,
instituting comparison between it and the
drama of Job. A rare, in fact, an obsolete and
unknown work, the history of Jean, Sire de
Joinville, of the 18th century, has been pub
lished by Messrs. Firmin Didot, in Paris The
editor has copied the language of the old histo-
rian, faithfully preserved in the original charts
of the Joinyille family, and from manuscript
illustrated by "a confessor of Queen Mar
garet," he borrowed missal illustrations for the
volume. Another curiosity of the book is the
map OF France in 1859, showing the line of the
royal domain and the great fiefs in the 18th
1anturU EdUar1 Kinn IS L.
1 in the New York Post, and of the s.Bleuet,''
litth volume, which, issued in December,
began the year with its 9th edition. The slen-
der grace of the modest fower-the bluet-
adorns the title-page; Carpeaux designed it on
his dying-bed. "At first" says Mr.. King
''people contented themselves with saying Of
the book that it was sentimental, but latterly
they recognized in it exactly the magic charm
possessed by Paul and Virginia, by Werther,
and by Chateaubriand's Rene. Its tone is a
little somber, its subject by no means gay.
Franz Tilmann has two friends-women--one
of whom he loves passionately. the other as a
friend Both marry and leave Franz Tilmann
very much alone in the world. Yet it is not
because of the loss of her whom he really and
madly loves, but because of the separation
! from the one who was his friend, that Franz
| Tilmann pines away and dies like flower de-
prived of sun and dew. Now read the riddle If
| you can! The book has the advantage of an
introduction to the public by George Sand"
Jacob Frei, the popular Swiss novelist, died
| in Berne on the 3Oth of December. For many
years he was one of the foremost writers of
romantic literature in Switzerland.
About Women.