New-York tribune., 1879-04-23
LITERARY NOTi y

A~fhur O'Shaughnessy is engage in translat-
ing n English verse an entire series roems by u'"y
Of to. lost recent French poets, in3UI'g FRANCOIS
CopY"c sully-PrudhOmme Catulle Nelies' AipeU
Glat auy, Lon Derx and Anatole France. The stec-
tions will characteristic ones selected by IatuI'e
McnJe aud will be given illustrate historical ana
critical account OF The latest school OF PoeIy III NJ
10 he written by NJ. Mendes. This essay WIN nut
OShauyhueSsys trauslatiOns will be pubHsued III OhS VI
the London magazines.
In London two weeks ago very eXtrao1-
dnary collection OF early editions and privately printed
works OF Tennyson to be sold. The gem OF lhe
lot priceless treasure" says The Aeddemg "hlon
II Is to oe hoped the authorities at National Lhar!
will not second time neglect 10 secure lis copy o
the first aud only edition published by Tennyson OF
"The Lovers Tale" a poem in blank verse OF sixty
pages which was printed by Edward Moxon in 1855
but Withdrawn by the author before IT was offered
at public sale and given away by him to lew private
friends There are no fewer than hyc copies OF the
carly volume by Alfred and Charles Tennyson
Poems by Two Brothers," published at Louth IN LIN
conshire, when they were boys at a grammar schoo
more than fifty years ago. Four OF them are laree
paper copies and one Is presentation COPY from rom @
TeunysOn. The collection also comprises Two COPIES
~ Sbib s add,nssed IN Artb1r IaIam and two copies
OF the Laurestos first volume, Poems chiefly Lyrica,
Among other Interesting Nouint are our SOss t o
frst 81 . In MemOrlam" 1850 The collection was the
property OF the late Mr.. Pickering.
NJ. Remains speech on entering the French
Academy Is warmly praised. Tho correspondent OF
London newspaper says that he has written nothing
which better deserves Outye him. II indicates thal
bis mind has acquired yigor heretofore stranger 10
i and some Of its passages might be taken as guide
by young destined for the press, the bar ana the
pulpit. Certain German critics away, 1t IS Sald
brlmiu OF Indignation at portion Of It, winch ap
peared TO them al attack German literature pioso
ply and manners. You do not reward" ne sMd
such and such an opinion it Is talent and sincerity
that you crown. You fully admit that in all the schools
systems and parties there place for eloquence ana
uprghtness OF heart Yes IN this lies the secret OF you
eternal youth. This is why your institution remal"s
ever green while tho world is growing old when ma
ton, by what 1t calls its seriousness and application
VIII have produced, what brought forth with our
frivohty, such literary masters Pascal and NoitdiIe
such scientific heads as dAlcmbert and Lavosierj or
mobility more exduiNtely bred than ours III .ne
teentn and eighteenth centuries or women more charm
Ing than those who smiled on our phI0eOpy' or DuIet
o. vS0r greater tan VIZ snoNu III ~ H oti nv or more
rouragc more S0rOir rrre more good humor IN I3clS
ScatD" then coninues VI. Renau, we shall be con
ouered. But vauqu~hed Ne are not yet. We nave no.
ost The car of the world OF that winch done without
time to come you alone Will he able to utter the praises
that deserve 10 live forever
Frederic Harrison has Old-fashiOned no.
Hons of what books people ought read In his recent
lecture on the choice Of books printed in the current
Foynigkay Rere he remarks that 1t is true psy1ho
logical problem this which idle culture seems
70 produce for all that IS manly and pure In heroic
poetry" Walter scotts prose-Scott, whom he cans
the latest perhaps in the series OF the WORLDWIDE ana
Immortal poets OF the whole human race us pro-
nounced by last discovery OF modern culture 10 ut
conmonulace Dante, tie most profound, the most
meditative, the most prophetic OF all poets
in whose epic the panorama Of medieval lie,
Of feudalsm at its best, and Christianity al
its best, stands IN microcosIn, trans
figured Judged and measured, in an age OF steam II
seems almost idle TO speak Of. Nilton's Paradise
with all Its mighty music andi idylc pictures
Of human nature" Is serious and uugrateful task
There are magazine articles aboundg in ccascess ex
plantations less readable prose. OF what John
Milton meant OF did mean, Of what he saw or did
not see-indeed, read perfect library about Par
adse Lost but the Paradise Lost itself we do not
read" Homer Is always fresh and rich, but " q
generation which viii listen TO 'Pinafore' for
fhree hundred nights, and VIII read NJ. zola's
seventeenth romance, can more read Homer than
could read a cuuejfOrm inscription" People VIII crowd
10 see "A few pots which perhaps come from Troy, but
Homer and the primcvd type OF heroic man, N hls
beauty and his smpleness aud jOyOusness the cultured
generation is really dead completely some spoiled
beauty OF the ballroom il dead 10 the bloom OF the
heather or the waving OF the datOdis IN glade"