The New York herald., 1878-09-16
LITERATURE.
Archbishop Trench's Medi@val
Church History.
THE LATEST NOVELS.
Chit Chat About Things in the
Book World.

Archbishop OF Dublin, which Charles Scribner's
Sous haye just published The foundation OF the
volume was series of lectures delivered to class Of
young ladies at Queens Co leee, London The au-
thor's preface Is rather apologize than otherwise.
He seems TO fear that lectures delivered to young
girls will not be received by the general public with
the consideration they would have had they
been delivered to young men. He breaks n lance for
the ladies by saying that in regard to
"recsptive capacity, to the power OF TAX
ing in, assimilating and inteliigentIy repro
ducng what is set before them, my conviction,
alter experience in lecturing to the young OF
both sexes that there is need to break the bread
ofknowiedge smaller for young women than young
men," The history OF the Medi1val Church has been
got into paratively small spaces Instead OF multi
plying details which obtainablc almost anywhere
he prepares the reader for the OF those larger
aspects Of the subject which moro or loss determine
and dominate the whole. The history IS broken up
into periods OF manageable lengths Most Church
historians have divided the story they had TO relate
into centuries, and this done, have told all which be-
longed, or which seemed to belong, to one century
before entering upon the events OF another. "ThIs
Distribution by conturies," says Archbishop Trench,
"besdes often cutting up the history into portions n
conveniently small, lies under the fault which
just now notcd-namely, that 1t purely arbitrary
and II 1t has some advantages, has inconvenionces
which in my judgment very much outweigh these
This author has subordinated the chronological order
and succession OF events 10 the higher interests OF
his story. His plan is 10 have one central idea
fact in each Of his lectures and TO group his ma
torials around this, recaptulatng what may be be-
hind, anticipating what lies before, refusing alto
gether to play tho part Of analyst centuriator
and seeking to marshal his materials according TO
quite other laws than those OF Time OF course,
when time gives the events their significance time
10 not ignored In concluding his Introductory
chapter the author says .sthat the Church militant, If
in all ages success, is also in all failure. The
success may be more evident in one age aud in one
and the failure may be more marked in another but
tokens of this and Of that will never be want
ing. Some may dwell almost exclusively on
one OF these aspects; we shall do well
not to hide eyes lrom either. For US who
believe the Church to be a divine foundation in the
world It must be success, it shows itself TO
be such by many infailible proofs. For who know
that the treasure OF Gou's grace Is contained in
earthen vessels II must be failure DO loss, mper
feet embodiment ol divine Idea. Let Us boldly face
this side OF the truth less than the other In the
chapter ON ''rhe Beginning OF the Middle Ages' he
says OF Pope Gregory the Great:-'But II The
whole Latin Church owes him much there
is q peculiar and special benefit for which Eng.
lish men and women are his debtors, and which wo
out oil sight-this namely that, regarding part OF
bis high commission to take oversight OF the heather
world, to roduce under spiritual culture the out6eld
OF the nations he and seized the opportunity Tor
reanncxng England to Western Christendom, IRON
which IL had for nearly Centuries been vio-
lently torn away"
There is, OF course, some sectarian bias in Arch
bishop Trench's volume, but he is in the main fair
handles his facts carefully and is vigorous his
opinions and decided in his deductions.
IMPRESSIONS OF AMERICA.
Mr. r. W. Dale's '.Impressions OF America" which
first saw the light in tho broad columns OF the Nine.
teenM Century, have been collected and published
Appleton's Handy Volume Series Mr. Dale Is one OF
the few Engshmen who have found anything to
praise America, and for that If Tor nothing else,
his little book should be thankfully received this
side OF tho Atlantic. We are sorry to say that this
author spont but Two months in America; perhaps
II he had stayed lonserbut why should We find fault
If a foreigner did notY During his VISIT he that
he saw enough to convince him that some Of tho
representations OF tho American people which have
become popular in England ARE gross and slanoerous
lbels He thinks that Young America is more respect
full TO his parents Young England, and mentions
the practice OF saying sir TO older people and the
father and mother as proos Mr. Dale also
reserved people. They are not eager TO tpik
about their affairs This he noticed particularly
among the upper classes tho labor people he found
more communicative. He also thinks that we are
undomonstrativc. 1t is unnecessary TO say that Mr..
Dale ade the greater part OF his observations among
New England people. The good nature OF Americans
he thinks Is remarkable, and tells how when travelling
over a certain railroad q tram was delayed several
hours and that In all that time no did not hear SIM
gle impatient word from tho passengers. We think
that they must have known that there English
man among them taking notes He laughs at tho
IDEA OF Communism. Thero may be- he says a few
hundred OF restless aud disconnected men who havo
carried with them across the Atlantic the bitter hos.
tility to government and 10 society which exists
among the less fortunate classes IN many Continent ta
nations. But OF all tho great countries in the world
America he thinks. contains the smallest number OF
people that can have any motive Tor desiring social
revolution. He mentions conservativism as a char
acteristc OF people. III DO not say that on the
whole America is more conservative than England,
but there IS strength OF CONSERVATIVE sentiment in
America which some English statesmen would be
very glad to transfer England" 1t will be seen
by tins tnat Mr.. Dale iees picasanty toward Amer
ica that he Is inclined to do full justice
nation.
wINGATE's MANUAL FOR RIFLE PRACTICE.
The sixth edition Of General George W. wingate's
rifle manual has been issued by W. C. n +. p Church,
of Now York Its popularity is proved by the con-
tiuued demand. Many additions aud alterations have
boen made to bring 1t up to the latest improvements
In the rifle and It's II has been adopted by tho
authorities OF the National Guard Tor the OF
State militia and In addition to the practical articles
rifle drill aud military rlo practice con
tains useful hints on the higher branches OF marks
manship range construction and team oTsani iou
We do not think that literary style Is OF
great moment in book Of this nature, but IL s TO
be regretted tnat greater attention has paid
to ordinary grammar and spelling ''S,. Ledger for
ST. Legsr, sensitive" Tor sensitive "guage" for
gauge, and singular verbs with plural nouns a
little too mucn tor our patience. We nopo In tho
next edition OF this little work to see all such blum
dors OF the types eliminated. A book that can claim
fairly to have done grcat deal for spread OF rifle