New-York tribune., 1879-05-28
LITERARY NOTES.

Dean Meryale's four lectures on early
Church history announced several weeks ago. wiz DO
ready AT A. D. +. Randolph Co.'S in few days. 1Iis
Ar have lust published volumes, for ladies' under
the titles "The Lady's Knitting Book" ana A"is
Toav,s Crochet Book" They are bound in plain col.h
with triangular biz Of gilt IN one corner Ior the
title.
The q" Souvenirs" of Madame l.. E. Vlg6e-
Iebrun the noted portrait painter OF the tme oi marie
Antoinete were published in France about forty years
ogo when Madame Lebrun was past eighty years OF age
INT +hev remained untranslatcd until very recently
During the past year they appeared for the 1rst time III
England and r. worthngton is now printing an Amer
fcan edition which he expects to have ready duhe l. no
number of pictures that Madame Lebrm painted Is
great An authentic list is extant of over CSC portraits
900 landscapes and 10 other pictures she maze d
great deal OF money but her pro gate husband, also On
artist spent it all. She had married to please her
mother aud was little inclined to tue step that Oh
going TO the church she said 20 herself "shaH say
Yes q Shall say No'f NJ. Lebrun had mixture OF
sweetness and vvacity in his disposition Du MS leau
Coutures remark in his book that Raphael
ms by divine perception renstacd man. removing from
him the taint earth, strikingly suggests point
which Mr. symOnds has made in the first chapter OF MS
"Renaissance in Italy-the Fine Arts very recently
published by Henry Holt & Co. There ls lie nhus I"
strong antagonlsm between Christianity and art since
painters and sculptors glorfy that which SAINTS ana
oseetics have mortified. Titan and Correggio leau inc
sou away from peniteuce dwell on the delight OF
youthful faces blooming color, graceful movement anu
delicate emotion" The relation OF the fine arts 10
Christianity Is " the most thOrny question ohered 10
the understanding by the history of the RenalsSauee
and Mr. symonds feels bound TO affirm bis conviction
that the spiritual puriss Of all ages-the Jews, the
Iconocass savonArola and the English Purltans-Were
utged in their misrust OF plastic art. Fguratve art
Is ALWAYS reminding us Of the body which pety bids us
forget 1t IL founded he says in lust OF the eye anu
pride OF life Fra Bartolommeo. the disciple OF saYon
nrola and whom Mr.. symonds calls "the honestmndeq
and most earnest painter OF his tme 1oInd IL quct
TO effect the proper junction between pasuc Deauy
eioser of san Marco Florence, where it remained
until the Dominican cOnfessors became aware through
the ay1T OF boa iee and snare 10 souls It was then
removed. The great work WHEN art IN tne
mundane life Of man." and tnis gave an carry ana
powerful impulse 10 the reformation ana the ehtnclps
ion Of mems minds from the fe''eiS Oi'ne inOn"S~'
system.
No Life of Thackeray has yet been written.
Before he died paragraphs aboundiug III luisoWe
euogy of him had appeared and 80 disgusted him w'h
biographies that he begged his daughters TO permit tha
otbpr further Of be done with his name afier
he should be gone These instructions have been care
fuIlv observed Anthony Trollope in the biographical
cbau,er NJ his contribution the English Men Of Let
ters SERIES says il has not been his purpose 10 supply
what may be called Life of Thackeray. He has simply
aimed TO tell how Thackeray became an authCr' " no"
FIRST he worked and struggled and then how he worked
literature how in this way, he passed through that
course Of mingled failure aud success which, lhough the
literary asprent may suffer- is probably better both for
the writer and Tor the writings than uncouded early
glory Then Mr. Trolope has told how Ihacke1ay died.
carly indeed but stin having done good lifes work.
Something OF his manner" he writes, something OF
hts appearanoe, can say = something. perhaps, Of
his condition Of mind because for some years he was
known 10 me- But of the nual intercourse OF him
self with the world and Of himself with has own wohs
can tell little, because no record ot MS He mas been
made nublic" Stories told OF Ihackerays sch0O
doys nj the Charter House. which he afterward IN his
ayer books spoke of as the Slaughter House. George
Venables Who was his schoofeilOw there, writes 10
Mr. Trolope that he then " q pretty, gentle ana
rather mid bow" and did not attain distinction III the
schoo with the other boys he popular hut he had
no sk in games: he soon became known for Ills
faculty OF maAiug verses, and one OF his PAROLES was on
q nnern confaining tho Ie violets, dark blue ylOles
which he changed to cdbbGges, bright green cabDages
I, was in writing his Hoggarty Diamond that
hackeray first nveated the name Of Michael Angelo
tmarsh Whtu the Charter House his nose hsd been
broken IN fgh with another small boy and there as
probaby SAYS MI. Trolope, IN the choice or ths name
some association intended TO be joc"se with the name
of ne great artist whose nose was broken Dy us fellow
student Tori g1ano. and VINO, as 1t happened died eX
ectly three centuries before Ihaekcray. harper
brothers expect tO publish NJ. TrO0pe's book on sat
urday II VII undoubtedly prove one OF the most inter
esting Of this admirable series.