The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-05
SOM NEU HOOkS.



II ia very seldom that book can be pre-
t'u',d to the rca ter with such hearty COM
iuendption as il ,lu" tn Miss Caroline Titon's
translation II Consiontnopie hy EpNoNpo DE
ANicis Uutnam-l. IfwccNceut Thcouhilc Gau-
ticr-and. ~ far as know. his Impressions
80 Stamhoul have not been reproduced in Eng
l.sh-no literary artist Of power and insight ut
MI comparable To- those nttrstcd In this work.
has undertaken to interpret the proioan beauty
and sovereign charm Of the Osman capital
Indc"d the penetration grace. and sympathetic
quality IT the French picture are all conspcu-
GUS on the canvass 81 the accomplished Italian.
coupled with vivacty and hrillinncy which not
wthstanding the authors care TO adjust mood
andtrcatmcntto the varying spirit 81 the scenes
described seem oNhaustcss ana irrcprcesible.
The mystery over the instrument Of language.
Hndespecially Of it's pictorial capabilities. shown
In these swift. vivid pngca. il really astonishing
and we well understand that su'h book
should not only win the vehement approval of
exading literary ccnsors like Prof De Gubcr-
nath, but should carry delight to a wide audi
ence. having already passed. II appears through
q seventh cdbpn. In reproducing some strik-
ing and novel h.ts Of descri ption from this fas-
cinating transct ipt Of an artists scrutiny and
Tevcrie. we are besct 10y an unwonted difficulty
Of choice for II IL scarcely possible to light upon
weak or pale. II Unfinished or unfruitful. SEN
tence. 1t should / - added in Justice to one who
must expect to be, faced in the intense person
atty Of her author. that such patient. accurate.
yet withal smooth and folicitous version from
the Italian. is a Gro lit TO American culture and
deserves to be- plas ed. piece of workman
chip. beside Van La un's translation VI Taines
English Literature. -
He should be a b. I'D man who essays after
Chateaubriand. Lam artine. and Gautier. 10 paint
the vision which brh AXIS upon the voyager who,
int 1 frnp Ia, = "a ~
Marmora. doubles raglio Point. Let us sea
how SiRnor de Amci fares in the undertaking.
Directly before YOU no says. cleaving the
European shore with deep. sinuous. rent is
the Golden Horn. "a Oh bank of this curved
water way chain ofh eights. along which perch
md undulatc two par .llcl chains Of city. en-
bracing eight miles Of ills valleys. bays. and
promontorcs; a hui idrcd amphheatres Of
monuments and gard ms; houses. mosques.
hasaars. seraglos. bat Ia. kiosks in innuitc
variety. not Of contour only. but Of colors in
the midst thousands of ninnrots with shining
Iinnacles piercing the II ~ like shafts Of ivory
groves Of cyprus trees slantng in long lines
from the heights TO the sea. engarlaniing
suburbs and ports and vigorous vegetation
Eprnging and goshinG everywhere. waving
ulume-ike on the SUBMITS clrcllng the roofs
and hanging over mo the water. TO the right.
~ YOU glide into the estunry. Gaata. faced by
forest Of masts AMI sails and flags: above
taata. Pera. the hug, outlines Of her European
palaces bold against the sky; in front. ~ bridge
luSng the two shores and traversed by op-
POSING throngs glc iming with Kaleidoscope
diversity OF tint and motion; 10 the left. STAN
boul. recumbent upon six hills. over each
of which towers a. gigantic mosque with
stately dome AMI airy minarets: above
them all the white tower Of the Scras-
kierat. which overooks both continents from
nrln q. h I ri
beyond the sixth hill Of Stamboul. and seward
beyond Galata there is nothing but vague pro-
Hes visible. vanishing points Of city or suburb.
forcshortcned gmpses Of ports, fleets. gr ives.
melting into the azure air. An infinite serenity
md majesty. says the author. is difused over
tis lovcliness. something ETHEREAL and
fantastic which -tirs memories Of tales Of
enchantncnt and dreains Of spring. The
misty sky tinted with opal and with silver
forms a background On which everything
is drawn with marvellous clearness and
precision; the sapphire cOlored sea dotted
with crimson buoys gives back the min
nrats in trembling whit, reflections the domes
glitter; all the immensely of vegetation waves
and quyers in the elastic air; clouds II dovo-
hover about the mosques. thousands Of gilded
and painted eailurs dart about the waters: tho
b,eeze from the BlAes sea watts perfume from
leagues Of garden: and when. drunk with the
meets with q fresh wonder the shores of Asia
closing the panorama with the grandose -truc-
lures Of S'utari. the snow-tippel peaks OF
Mpunt Olympus the Sea II MarmOra gemmei
with islets and white with sails and the Bos-
l'rus windingbetween endless files Of temples.
palaces, ana villas and losing itself mysterious
" among the smiling uplanjs to The east.
such. according to the Italian traveller. is the
! t impression made upon the eye hy the city
~ Constantne;b but Ave hours later the vision Of
light and beauty has given place To a monstrous
tlngeri"- ot sumptuous AMI shabby ha1itntions
labyrinth II human ant hills cenetor. IS. ruins.
nnl solltui.s an enormous aggiomerat!on
ni barracks an interminlblr Asiatic cncnmp-
mt. in which -warms a population that has
yer been counted. a tumble Of races and reli-
ms Incapable Of fusion. This focus of the
u1oman world seems 20 him the rough draft Of
metropolis IN process Of formation whose
u tiiiai. are ancient cities dropping into de-
cav. now cities Of yesterday. and cities now
~ born; ON every side are the traces 81 ri
! networks -nol,uiilus tunnc!i"d. hl- shear
a.. nous 4, rvill'l great -tr'ois mapped out /.
n immense mass ui rubbish and romans OF
ruflngrttion upnn ground t1rmentcl 10y the
h'li ~ man Tor twsnfy-lve Eunlrel years.
.rs h. IN unparalleled Disorder. ID confusion
the most inronsrlou- oherts -u,r. as 90
& unexpected --ht, that make ihr hoaI SPIN
tr Gui. TIL" atr'ots. hcnt into niritr anG es.
y. ld ul mt among small hi.-. are pr lppH 90 on
1 aces. skirt rlyin'-. dart uua r. alJ' IA t.
ak nt1ailrys. run down steps. through iu-h-
- rocks. -i.u.l-. Ruins. llare amt there the
10 r.iy tts.- l- j. Nero a breathing i'm IN
{ country. auj ii.n b'slus aguu 81 user,
Nor. mnr' warmly hu-d; pow il is plain.
1 lr % limbs. hDrt ru-lr- downward q so
--. aul ;aiA Euis Itself tgatarr; in
-W. A's .n nn1tl 'r s'eep-' 80 IL