New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-13
LITERARY NOTES.

Bishop Colenso's voluminous work on tne
Pcntateuch the publication which was begun seven
teen years ago. jast been completed oy ne
the concluding volume -,
The first part of Mr.. Hamerton's article un
Ruhens will be given In the september NUMBER oI ~"
International Rerietc. In the same NUMBER MI 100
Cabot Lodge one Of the editors will have re'io"
OF Adams's Life Of Albert Gallatn'"
Three of the living. English writer's who are
hest known in this country have articles IN the AuRs'
number of The Nineteenth Century Inc paper VI MI,
Gladstone already announced is on The Country pnu
The Government" Matthew Arnold writes on ." Inc
French PLAY in London and W L. H. Lecky, who does
not often lend himself 10 periodical htera9re Co Iicai
butes a parer The Histor~ - the h'ahEoi'''"
Movement"
"Some Practical Hints on Wood Engrav-
fng for the Instruction OF reviewers and the Puoc
the title OF a small book by Mr.. W. j. Linton when Lee
& SHEPARD announce for early publication MI. Linton
sncceeded so well with his Atlantic article IN gaming
the attention everybody interested in wood engraVns
that wide hearing a book from bis pen wouu seGo
to be assured at the start MI Linon, wnS auied 40
as an artist, a writer is nothing il MOI Iolh'ou'
nev volume bv Bayard Taylor, to be
called " Studies IN German Literature" Is announced
by F. Putnam's Sons for publication IN sepleinDel'
II has been carefully edited from the orghal hanu
scriDt by Mrs Taylor and the Hon George H. boheI'
aud consists in Part Of the twelve lectures originally
prepared by Mr. Taylor for delivery in Cornell Unver-
sy and 10 which we're added for with the lectures
on other occasions a number Of original translauOns
from German poetry. These lecture: are t9e , Sr
which Mr. Taylor delivered In tins CITY ABOUT '"i'0
years ago.
81. Nicholas for September promises tobe
ofupusuaI interest its youthful readers poIIa''
with short biography viii be given Of the late Fflnce
Napoleon overwhelming OF the coast OF Massachuse'S
win he described tenemeBt-bouse life. its picturesque
ness and its soualor have suggested an account OF ""'
two boys did TO improve wretched quarter OF INC Tow"
where they lived; s. F. Clarke, Of Johns Hopkins Oh
versity con tributes paper on the origlp MISSION anu
pecuiar WAYS OF the house ny, and FaieDGe D0Iou,
find of pottery made in the time of Henry H. OF FIauGe'
by Helene Coulter, and now very Iate a,,o ~, Uo'
quest forms The subject OF an illustrated paper .
When Charles Lamb had finished reading
for the first time Maria del Academies "Zcphel" re-
printed few months ago by Lee q Shepard having
been long ont OF PRINT, ne Is said to have rem"fkeu
"southey says that IL is by some Yankee woman as
there had ever been a woman capable OF anything so
great" southoy himself said she was the most mpas
stoned and most ina gfnave Of all poeesses' while OF
song last cantn he remarked that II was more pas
sonae than any n could call TO mind in any angu4sG
and IN his judgment FAR very Iai superior Vo0'IpHo
celebrated ode"
Hdrper for September, like its August pre-
decessor, is a strong number for vacation readers
paper on The Navesnk Highlands" with thirteen
Illustrations will catch many eyes in country towns
md on the seashore Illustrated poem has the title
"My Mariner" and another poem is on The Last Rose
OF Summer" william Black continues his yachting ro-
nance 90 White Wings" and Lizzie w. Champney writes
On Newport Society in the Last Century" the latter
article having Illustrations by Mr.. Reinhart. paper
bv Ernest Ingersol is on Gold Mining in Georgia"
Mir Benjamin contributes the second paper OF his series
on Fifty Years OF American Art" which has fifteen
illustrations inc kns sOeS9Hn U nsee
described IN another illustrated paper
The want of a proper sense of proportion
In American biography has often been insisted on by
English writer's and especially, among periodicals, by
The Saturday Rsrieo In the last number of that paper
Mr. Adams's Life Of Albert Galatn 4" is called to ac
count for q serious transgression Of this kind. The
a,dv fao dDlOma-
fist scarcely known" 1t says by name to Englshmen
of this generation, and strongly suspect not much
better known TO educated Americans until this book
appeared occupy four enormous volumes OF the largest
size now employed In any but scientific literature"
This, it adds is too often The character Of American
political biographies, and the present case is pecu-
hary striking example Of their general tendency; per-
haps the most extTavagant instance Of dsprOportiOn
between subject and treatment, tho grayest offence
against literary eommon-sense; which the tues BoS-
relliand has yet peTpetTated in the United States"
Kate Field in the forthcoming number of
6er6ner less curious than amusing the fact
that it until Gilbert the dramatst acquired the
worlds attention that his father burst INTO full
blown author beginning to write novels and stories at
the mature age sixty She goes to say that it
perhaps the only instance record of nherting in
elecual gifts backward, in all probability had not
Gilbert son, been successful in literature Gilbert,
the father would have continued TO live the life OF
Independent gentleman, without dreaming of the
latent fiction that him. Professor Boyesen, in the
tame number Of Scribner will have paper on the Uni
yersitv Of Rome, more commonly known the
sapenza In which the origin Of the university
and discusses present condition. He concludes that
HE two enemies from which 1t has most TO fear
prestcraft ana poHucal COmphcauon among the
sketches and portraits which given sketch and
portrait OF Coperncus. who for five years was pro-
lessor of mathematics in the University.
George Eliots new volume gives occasion
10 The Spectator long article La Rochefoucauld
The of work TO which her volume belongs IL re-
marks is not large. Thoughts life in its broad moral
aspects have occurred 20 all men, but few writers have
recorded their reflections, that might almost
carry about with him all the books from Seneca's "Le
tiers" to Arthur Hepss Essays" which her book sug
gests comparison with. single specimen of this class
Of literature found in La Rochefoucaulds "Maxms,"
which has generally been regarded a handbook OF
ryncsm This opinion, the mind Of The Spectator is
to some extent mistake. That there cynicsm in the
"Msxms il does not doubt but into great deal the
popular Imagination has imported the cyncism by drop
ping the limitations. La Rochefoucaud's wellkuOwn
ways something unpeasng means. it observes
only that affection is not entirely dsnterested and
that we find a satisfaction in knowing that
have now a chance OF serving fr.end-not noble
feeling in truth but which has az any envy
or spite 10. The Spectator admits that the MaXms
possess defect. They lead into very narrow
world, intensely individual world Although La
ROChefoucaud eminently the OF bis yet IN
some respects he appears emnently suited TO our
time. ave fud there the WEAKNESS, the disappOlnt-
ment, the languOr OF modern e its conscious futity
jts unrest. fiud the Of what Is best IN it
its ycarning after some indefinite IDEAL It's desire