The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-12-21
LITER ATU r E.
New Books.

lions but Percy Bysshe Shelly Is not one oI thchl
He was mad as March hare. Hence his blogr'
phy reads moro like the extravaganza OF som
reckless romanccr than like sober fact. VI veal
thy parentace--his father baronet-hc had CIV
ery advantage in training and education oi
scion of the English aristocracy. Being an on,
ION. with four elder sisters, he may have beef
oyerpettcd in his youth. At least he grew VI
impatient Of restraint. He quarrcled WIN III
u,ors at Eton, and was expelled from Oxford
Before ~ he became inHamcd by the rccitaIS II
parliament of Irish wrongs, and--ayowcd atheis
as he was--aspircd to place himself at the hcat
of a movement for the liberation of the lriHi
Catholic Church. He wrote pamphlets, and will
his wife whom in one Of his maddcst freaks he
married from the gutter at Is pedded them ii
the streets of Dublin. But he failed to make the
slightest impression on even so niammablc Il
Dcoplc rs the Irish Returning to England, hC
became a follower of the athciStic-communi-'ic
frec.loye philosopher Goodwin, and becoming
enomoured of his daughter Mary, child Of H.
he debauchcd her, or rather adopted her rs his
affinity" discarding his former wife, who tive
wears afterwards committed suicide. The bOg
rapher, after smoothing over such sickcnng de
tails as best he can, concludes as his only ayaa
bic apology, that
Shelly was an elemental and primrval creature,
AS little subject to the laws of custom IN his hab.
its As in his modes of thought living literally aS
the spirit moved him, with natural nonchaIancc
that has perhaps been never surpassed lie was
unconscious and oblvious Of times, places, per.
sons and seasons, and falling into some poetic
vision, quickly and completely forgot all that he
had repeatedly and solcmnly promised
Yet this lunatic wrote some of the finest poetry
in the English language, and had he not, by his
reckless and lawcss habits, ruined his health and
killed himself before he attained his Both year,
his wonderful poetic genius warrants the belief
Of his biographcr that at 10 he would poet
have immensely cclpsed all his contemporaries,
among whom were Byron, Scott, Moore, Southey,
&C, &c ~ written 10y Mr. Symondo, his biog-
raphy is certainly one OF the most Cnicng books
NC ever encountered.
SHORT History OF FRANCE. For Young People
By Miss f. :. Kirkland, author Of "SiX Little
Cooks" &c. Jansen, McClurg II Co., Chicago
Ottawa; For sale by Osinan Il !lapcman.
Price, l.jO.
To tell the story for 900 years of people
whose annals abound in more thrilling, instruc-
tive, amusing rcpulsivc and stirring events than
volume of 400 pages, in a way to diycst il of the
character Of mere collection Of dry facts and
figures, /, an undertaking few writers can safely
venture upon. The nearest approach to success
in . kindred venture that we Just now recall is
Dickenss "Jhild's History of England" As an.
other such success, however, must unqucstona-
bly, rank the achievement of Miss Kirkland in
this French history now before us. 1t is indeed
'sparkling' history Of u sparkling and viva
ciOus race. While there il no straining ut effect
no lawleSs departure from rigid faci-the story
is yet SO managed rs to possess all the sustained
interest and attractivcncss OF II well constructed
romance. II l. not only book which most
young people will read with delight, but de.
serves to be made text book in our schools. As
a general thing Americans know too little about
the French. The common idea is that they are
little better than nation Of infdcls, libcrtincs
and cuthroats. Or the contrary, they are more
religion, than either the English or Americans,
more refined, purcr and more elevated in morals,
more thrifty prosperous and happy, with less
paupcrism, suffering and crime, than any other
European people. America, which owes so much
to the French, from sheer gratitude should dill.
gently study their history.
MADELEINE: A Story of French Love. From
the French Of jules Sandcau. Chicago: Jan
sen, Mctlurg & Co. Ottawa For sale by Os.
man " Hapcman. Price, $3.50.
This is the latest issue in the elegantly printed
series of Tales from Foreign Tongues" publish
cd ty Jansen. McCurg ~ Co., Chicago, for the
holiday season. While we are perhaps too much
in the habit Of assOciating with the mention Of al
"Frcnch novel; the idea OF something tainted
either with respect to morals or religion, it,
should he borne in mind that France abounds in
writer's as notable for purity Of morals and ceva.
zion Of religious tone rs any other land. Among
these the author of Madeleine stands prc-cmi.
nent. AS early as lSi7 he received fer it the high
honor of a prize from the French Academy, and
il has secured firm place as a classic of French
literature. II is the rare characteristic Of Made
leinc that, like Paul and Virginia, or the Vicar of
Wakefield, the enjoyment of reading il is near.
ly Independent Of country or Of tongue. lIav.
ing read il with care, we cordially endorse
the Ajiauce in saying Of Madeleine, that ait is
charming and delightful story of life in the
French provinces and in Paris, told with such
beauty and simplicity that the interest never
flags; with so much Of the tendcrest pathos and
most sparkling wit that wa smile over its pages
before wc have ceased to weep aud with that
transparent purity which is the highest achieve
meat Of style, and to which So few writers ever
attain. With that peculiar and indescrbablc
charm that appeals equally TO the most cul,iva-
tod aud the most simple taste, and in transln-
iion that happily reflects the spirit and style
Of the original, Madeleine will hardly fail OF be-
coming rs dear TO American readers ne it o.
ready to The c0untrymen of its author"
CrCLorEDA or ENGLISH LITERATURE. American
Book Exchange, 81 Beekman St, New York.
The frs, volume of this eagerly looked 'or
work, upon which so much lnber has been ex-
pended, will he issued in time for the holidays,
and the remaining volumes will appear one or
two each month thereafter IL will contain, as
most OF our readers already aware, brief biog
rSphics OF all noted authors, British or American,
who have written In the English language from