New-York tribune., 1879-01-20
LITERARY NOTES.

LITERARY NO1ES.
The only signs Of weakness in French lit
eraturr at the present time, are said by The AHe"""
TO be i'll works Of the imagination.
In Russia n marked impulse was given to
tic newspaper press by the late so that newspapers
penetrated into social strata throughout The country
where they had been almost or entirely nhkno"h DC
fore.
A new translation of 81 Don Quixote has
been made In England, and Kegan Paul ~ Co. VIII
publish it 1t Is promised TO contain notes an"
illustrations of peculiar value and the translator MI A.
j. Dulicd. has received PERMISSION TO dedicate II 10
MI. Gladstone.
Two volumes Of work which will be OF
great literary Importance have been published in spain
-Balaquers Historic Politca Ltcralia de los 1f"
badorcs" When completed il will include more than
800 biographies. The volumes now out trGat OF 'hr M
poetry and language Of the IrOubadouls ara thcir III
hucEce on European countries
OF Alexander Won Humboldt, author OF
"CO.m0s," PIincc Bismarck, III Dr. Buschs book, Is
made TO say that he was II concctcd, nsuppoEtahie
chattercr, and disgusting glutoH.' And Of IhicIs -
wde-awaEc, amabc man, witty and intelligent, but
without "a trace OF dipomatst-tOo sentimental for
that business! His higher nature, doubtless, Than
Favrcs But not fit to be ueSoliator no, not To-
he EOrsC-chaUnier lie allows himself TO De Dunci
too easl! he Oorays his feelings; he lets himself oe
pumped"
Tie Examiner UOndon) has received the
following when ought to any spelling retormcr
in this country or the Ola "Wcc- iIsti NG-A Lr.oN
FOR HARD TINA le'der in the Ttm= ov the 20th
December sez- Thrift is q kwou IN which the In'ssh
pepc IL notOrOusll defisEent. II Bor skull kan be
mad the chanelz cdn'aa'tnc that neglected taku
Ha ,cT pa. Hqr Eosi a h,tadyed G'm= orer' We ar
rehwcsIcd tn ad tnat II much tlIh Wer not wasted
in riGg tn tech cur ID urd nosi.tcuoy spelling taf
wud be- pcHti oy i'm for tecmnG thrift ana meh ulheE
Gud thincz wei"
Gerald Massey writes of Charles Lamb
that he te cher of his time, and had no CON-
mandilg immediate ia1uencc on his contemporaries
j." lie lifted up no banner, summoned no contenIng
the conflict did no battle the side Of faction
party, ana was Possessed Of no vast intellectual
powers. But this he of the most afectionate
most lovGhlc most niqlany imperfect Of dear, good
fellows tnat ever won their INTO the human heart
and OF the most hearty, most En4sA most curl"uSN
fchcitouS horstsemph mphatically OF the bcst-that
ever lived"
Two interesting books, historical in their
nature, have been published during the past year in
SPAIN One OF them, called I" "Caras dc Indias," is
folio containing fac-nilcs of lOS letters from impOr
tantpcrsons connected with TIE conquest Of America
and the Philippine Islands in the sixteenth century be-
ginning with Columbus and Americas NespGcus.
Another contains thnty-one fac-simile letters of Span
ish kings four from foreign mOnarchs ana twelve from
other persons OF note Among the most interesting are
from Queen Joanna 10 her the Emperor Charles
Win which She makes an effort TO clear herself from
written hv Mary Queen of scots from sheffield, to
Philip H., cOngTatuating him on his marriage, and one
from Ccrydntes. when tax-Sidhcrer, to PLinp H. in
forming HIM Of the efforts he had made in An
dalusian villages TO collect the taxes. The originals Of
these letters belong 10 pubic aud private libraries IN
SPAN.
There died in London few weeks ago Mr.,
Henry HUH. whose collection OF rare books and manu-
scripts regarded the most valuable in Europe belong
ing private owner 1t Is sad In be especially rich III
early voyages and travels old English poetry and dra-
matte literature. and edryprintcd books in English,
] Cor md uUh WI
in many respects frOu the celebrated Grenvlo col
! lection. it cOmplrcs most fayO abiy,' according 10
The AUeHGu, with 1t, and no such extensive aud val
uahrbrary mas brought together since tldt col
lection was Dispersed Possessed Of an adequate fortune,
Mr. Iuth was for thirty forty years constant byer
In lsG1. at the breaking up OF lhe heoISo Ddi, az i
bTry, he purchaser I" tie amount OF moe thah
tTo-'hrds OF The ~hole sum "%hlvH % tiC H. 'ninS nS PI
duccI He was very much atlachcu 10 hs poohs'
never lent volume without anxiety lest hallh sh"uit
heia IT, Al rchsohaole aypnVaomS iot ~ ~ - o a. r
lis books however, were hp dl,rcsuuu' Hiu ~ II - ~ EE
lated that only few months before he dcd, on tue
application OF total stranger, he allowed volume
winch lad cost hnh nearly &l,0OO 10 70 out ol MS
possession for more thana fortnight
Balzac's correspondence has just been pub
shed in English for the first time. His sisters edition
with her has been translated by G. Lamb Ken
new and Richard Bentley son issue 1t in two volumes
4 writer IN The Standod U0ndonl says Of the corre-
spondence: contains tie story OF genius, seconfi-
dcucc disappointment, embarrass smcnt, deep Affection,
devoted help, overfOwng gratitude, longdcferred but
final triumph u late, but loving marriage, ana then
DEATH The mirror is held TO human nature at every
page. We read on, fascinated but depressed and we
close the volumes with the reflection that happy NOR
tails like happy nations, have no history Balzac al
vavs declared that fame awaited him, and when stll
IN ms teens he said the time coming when the world
woIlG talk of him. To his sister lie wrote: MY TWO
sole and immens desires 10 be famous ana 10 De
beloved" His parents designed him for the legal pro
fcsslCu but when resistance to him had proved iue,
In mother resolved that his choice Of literature as =
vocation should he PM to the sevcIeSt tests Accord
ncly Size placed him In a gdTret i'll Paris where good
Uhriry~gas AZ hand but furnished the apartment with
n bed "A table. two chars ana nothing more. There he
wrote his tragedy Of "CrOlnwcl" ODc day, writing To
his sister of his lie there, sad ITO live after my
own fashion, to work ACCORDING to my OWE nclnaton
and III NY own way; do nothing when SO disposed
TO dream OF future, which always make beautiful
10 think OF You, knowing You 10 be happy; 10 nave for
nv mistress the Julie of Rousseau, La lontalne ana
NOGrr for NY friends, Racine for master, ana Icfe
la Claisc for my daily Wak-ah! tins would only ast
forever" The tragedy failed; even his friends were
dsappninted and he took 10 novel wiring saying lie
hopcd 10 sell novel every month for GOO aBcs. some
years atcrward he wrote: " am making the gfandest
projects world. When my novels are worth 1000
francs shall take wise aud faithful wife, II can, ana
set up pretty little house. all new and Vanished Ike II
German In truth an author ought 10 be married.
! Thus Madame dc Balzdc the Younger will be very
happy" And again. before he became famous in let
he signed himself Public Writer and French Poet
! at - francs - page"