The Portland daily press., 1878-03-16

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author evidently believing that good sentences,
unlike postage stamps, may be used more than
once. The volume covers English history from
the days Of the Saxon conquest to the close Of
the War Of the Roses and gives fair promise Of
work which shall displace all others, in popu-
lar estimation certainly. upon that theme. II
has all the brillIsncy and vigor Of style which
won for the brief History so hearty reception
style by the way which was set by Macaulay
and which his followers, Mr. Green included,
have weakened in some degree BY their sffec a.
lions. Macaulay always wrote sturdy EugIisb,
They sometimes in their endeavor to riy l his
torical romance by romantic history fall 10
writing metrlcsl hstory-and forget to break
up their text into lines.
Messrs. Houghton, Osgood & Co, Boston
publish 10 their elegant and substantial RIVER
side Series of British Poets three volumes con-
tanning the works Of Thomas Moore, prefaced
by me moir and portrait of the poet. Auoth.
or volume Of the ss me series and uniform in
style with those just mentioned, is made up of
the works OF Ohatterton-those of which he
acknowledged the authorship and those, SO far
superior to the former, which he chose to at
tribute to the ancient Rowley This singular
literary deception which Chatterton insisted
upon maintaining to the end of his short, sad
life, was in part the cause Of his unhap ppiness
ard still more, was itsef caused BY the phe-
uomenal mixture of evil and good impulses, of
the unconquerable, blind and mistaken pride
of the boy and his great desire to conqner, in
some sort, the world by deceiving it, Possibly
allowable as literary trick. however uu-
worthy the great gifts Of the young
poet. the extraordinary treasure trove of
so many and complete poems of the
early date assigned to the Roslsy M IS. obig d
Cuatterton to enter iuto correspondence upon
the subject and involve himself in a network of
fslsehoods, objectionable in any case and iDso-
Lent toward the eminent men addressed
Praise and blame were bestowed on him, both
in no stintsd measure. Horace Wslpole at
first eulogizod him in a manner to initiate still
more the great couceit of the boy, and than
treated him With marked injustice aud mean
ness. Sir Waller Scott wrote of him 10 the
most kindly and moderate terms, pointing out
with keen understanding Of human nsturs the
traits OF character that had impelled the boy to
task Of great difficulty whose reward must bs
censure when the fraud was discovered. The
nature Of Chatterton was singularly usfortu-
nate mixture Of tender and sensitive traits,
inherited from his mother. and Of cosrseuess
aud excitabiiity that was not slow to develop
Into madness, the legacy Of q brutal and ntem.
perate father. The portrait of the bov, which
forms the frontspisce of the volume, is disa-
greeable, but suggestive Of this unhappily
blended character, that chose, in bravado, to
appear at its worst in the world. portland:
Loring, Short & Harmony.
Taking the "Materials for the History of
Thomas Beckett" edited By James Craigie r b-
ertsou. Canon of Canterbury, and published
under the direction of the Master of Rolls in
1876, James Anthony Froude gives one OF his
glowing sketches, entitled "Lifs aud Times Of
Thomas Beckett, (Scribuer, Armstrong & 90
New York; Portland: Loring, Short aud Hsr.
mon.) The subject is not new, but the lreat-
ment is admirable, and in the brief compass
of 150 pages gives a striking picture OF the
corruption Of the Church and Clergy in those
days, their unbouudsd ambition and tyranny,
the force aud character of Heory III, the
naughty pride and uuyielding obstinscs Of
Beckett, aud the Turbulent spirit of the oobles,
Ike those who slew him. That reaction
should have set in and the murdered mau be
considered martyr is not surprising; but that
il should have grown to such height as to
force the church into immediate canouization,
and that the belief in the power of the dead
man to work miracles should have bscome so
universal, Is indeed surprising, and after reading
Froude's sarcastic account of their credulity,
we can the better appreciate the spirit with
(which -Chaucsr's gay cavalcade sec off upon
their Journey to his shrine two centuries later.
The Messrs. Harper Brothers also publish
The Wreck of the Grosvenor, novel of sea-
life abounding In incident and adventure. mu.
Tiny and shipwreck 1t has good, wholesome
and not seldom elevated tone, it has genuine,
sat-sea favor even 10 some improbab' 'lities, IL
IS well told and full Of interest In th ir Half.
Hour Series the same publishers offer 10 Ten
der Racolections of Irene scgilllcuddy,
smart rather coarsely done satire on mol rn
society; Brother Jacob aud The Lifted Veil,
two short stories By George Eii,t-tho firss iu-
ended to be comic, aud but moderately success-
fol in line OF work wherein George Enot is
rarely happy, and then not for long; The seco nd
ineffably and unhealtnful " drssry, though
possessing touches of the extraordinary power
Of it, author. Two other volumes Of the series
are eatitl The Shadow ou the Tnresaold, .
lovely, fresh and sweet nstured novel b. Mary
Oecil Hay; and the Bride Of Landeck, Il ght.
" amusing, very ioger ious. and occasionally
coarse story By g. P. r. James. Portland:
Loring, Short s. Harmony
The Rev. j. Lukin, the author Of "The
Youog Mechsuic," has written auother "b1ok
for boys" entitled 'rhs Boy Engineers" which
Is sent in by G. P. Putnsm's Sons, New York.
through Loring, Short 81 Harmon. This book
gives excellent instruction to amateurs in re-
gard to carpenter work, turning maohine work
building steam engines, &C., bus tue boys
descr bed as the actors are 50 preternaturaly
oil h t .he average boy ialIs to take any in
ter st in them. II a boy is q mechanics
prodigy he will like il, and # two such exist in
family like the brothers described, they will
i'm immediately proceed TO face up the old grind
stone accord ng TO ths authors adv oe; but the
other, aud more numerous class will turn tue
leaves over doubt,ngly, look az the pictorss,
asd then say 30 shoot that b1oA," and go of
| to play ball.
The Memoirs Of Claude Lorraine form the
contents Of new volume of Messrs Houghton
aud Osgood's Artist Biography Series. Port
land: Loring Short 81 HARMONY The gener.
ous, gentle and virtuous ch aIac'er Of the great
painter is depicted with spirit and clearness by
the biogrspher. Mr. NJ. f. Sweetssr is wsll
itted for the task assigned him in this series,
both by his knowledge and appreciation Of art
aud BY the evident pleasure he takes in the work,
making, 80 far as is wholly consistent with the
facts at his command, agreeable aud GENIAL
portraits Of the great artists whose lives are the
subject Of these biographies.
School History of Rome (New York; Hsr
per Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short & Har
mop) is abridged by Mr.. O. Fuller, from Dean
M-rivae's General History of Rome. IL is I
| com mart littla volnrne and well fitted for III