The Portland daily press., 1876-03-04

anu C1drleS .. DaVelS, ROBERT dali0well Gardl-
ner. William "a. Prescott, J. G. Cogswell, the
Heads, the Lyells, the King of Ssxony and
many others, illustrate this part of his nature.
And had throughout his life remarkable hold
upon the leaders of thought whom he met in
every country, and who recognized the extent
of his culture and the manliness of his aims.
His conversations with Jefferson, Scctt. Byron,
Metternich, the Hum oldts, and hundreds of
others, show that he had to an unusual degree
the power of getting at their best thoughts and
their most genuine beliefs. We have accord.
ingly in this book succession of pictures If
the moral and intellectual lie as well of his
own country as of France, SPAN, Italy and
Germany, more accurate and more thorough,
as we believe, than can be found anywhere
else. GID.
The Memoirs of Mr.. Ticknor, noticed above,
contain the following striking lines, written by
"Bland, of the Greek Anthology" in antici-
patton of sudden death:
"While others set, thy sun shall fall:
Night without eve shall close on thee;
And He who made, with sudden call
Shall bid, and thou shalt cease to be.
So whispers Nature, whispers Sorrow,
And would greet the things they say
But for tbe thoaght OF those whose morrow
hangs trembling on my little day."
ROUND MY HOUSE, Notes of Rural Life in France
in Peace and War. By Philip Gilbert Hamerton.
Boston: Roberts Brothers. For sale by Loring,
Short 8 Harmon.
Mr. Hamerton, besides being one of Eng
lands best landscape painters, is an author of
the best repute. His "Inteliectual Life
stamped him as clear thinker and complete
master of the use OF language. "a good
many years ago" he tells us in the present vol
ume, my wife and set off on tour in search
of house." A good climate was desired,
varied scenery where as an artist be could work
happily without going far from home. and easy
communication with some metropolis or social
center. The fact that his wife was Partisan
lady doubtless Influenced him to settle some
where in France. After cousde able travel
over Eastern France south of Sens. attended
with many pleasing incidents, their house hunt
at last satisfactorily ended The location
chosen is in beautiful valley surrounded by
high hills, abounding in trout streams and
within one nights journey, to measure distance
Radiating from this centre Mr.. Hamertou
has gathered the results of his observations
upon the social, political and intellectual status
of society in rural France under the happy
title of Ground My House." Mr.. Hamertou
enters quite largely into con parison between
the customs of the French and English. 1t is
mistaken notion to suppose the classes less
sharply defined than in England. Nobility is
much more frequently mentioned and is moro
constantly present in French peoples thoughts
than with the English. The social value OF the
de is almost incalculable, and the author gives
number of very interesting accounts of its
fraudulent assumption by ambitious, well-to do
bourgeoisie
IT stranger settles in a new neighborhood
in England it is the custom for the families al
ready settled there to first call upon him, if
they think he should be admitted to their socie
ty. In France the custom is reversed; it is the
new conner who must make the first advances
and run the chances of a favorable reception or
cool rebuff. Mr.. Hamerton, however, was
not solcitous to exhibit himself in this manner
and quietly awaited the Acknowledgement of
his existence, which came in due time even
though he found himself in an aristocratic
neighborhood. The author gives amusing-or
if you choose pathetic accounts of the iguor-
ance of the French peasantry, but few being
able to read or write. Especially in geographi-
cal knowledge are they ignorant. The rustic
Frenchman does not really know what the
word France means. England he has heard Of
but confouuds together England and London
indiscriminatsly. THIS is in part to be 40.
counted for by the fact that the history of
France has been. for the last hundred years The
great theatre of history. "If the Emperor of
Germany were 10 land IN England with half a
million of men, pillage London, burn Windsor
Castle, upset the monarchy = and inflict
fine of 100000 on the British Treasury,
Frenchmen would take an interest in English
news" And in the higher circles, "the French
idea of well up brought lady," says Mr.. Bam-
erton, is, that she should rot know anything
whatever about love and marriage; that she
should be innocent and ignorant, and both in
the supreme degree-both to degree which no
English person can imagine
Mr.. Hamerton has treated the subjects of
marriage, the clergy and the universities in a
very discriminating and comprehensive man
ner. The last two chapters contain an account
of his experience duriBg the Franco.Prussian
war and permit vivid sketch of this epoch
from the inside. The book is wr itten in the
purest English and exhibits throughout the
most careful observation, aud an ability to con-
strue the meaning of important facts rarely to
be found. From this little volume one may
N q plodn of fha oh
people and at the same time be highly enter
tanned and this is great advantage over pure
history.
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
from the Discovery of the ContiLent. By George
Bancroft. Vol. 1. Boston: Little s. Brown. For
sale by Loring, Short & Harmon.
The first volume of the Centenary edition"
of Bancroft's history gives assurance of a
handsome edition and one which will prove
very popular. The volumes are duodeci m o
much more convenient to handle than the old
oc avos. are lig Itfy printed in clear, fair type
and are attractively oound. The number of
them is reduced from ten to six by the omission
of the foot notes valuable the student, but of
less interest to the general reader) by the use OF
closer type and by some condensation in the
text. Thus the first new volume covers the
s,me period as that treated in the whole of the
first and half of the second volume of the old
edition. Evidently nothing of value has been
sacrificed to brevity The story OF John Smith
and Pocahontas, tod at some leugth before, is
now dismissed in line as tale of the explor-
er recounted in his old age, the destructive his
torical criticism of these latter days having
made sad work with it; the discoveries cl,med
BY the Northmen receive but slight attention,
credence having no warrant in investigation; /;
and the voyage of Verrazzana passes without
mention. On the other hand more space is Civ
en- to some matters of great importance. The
surrender of the Massachusetts, charter is
dwelt upon more fully; and the Virginian re-
bellioD, an account of which brings the volume
to close, commands separate chapter. Op
portunity is seized too to make all needful cor
rections; for example the confident statement
that Sebastian Cabot was of English birth
does not appear in the new pages. All the es-