The New York herald., 1879-03-10

present edition is o all intents and purposes, the
the preceding. save in the omission of de-
ceased persons. The additions have been few, even
of English names. and surprisingly ill selected
The eighth and ninth editions enjoyed the benefit of
a considerable number of American biographies, very
well prepared by Dr. l.. p Brockett and Mr.. A. H.
Guernsey. These have rarely been added to- and the
only American biography we have noticed is
that of President Hayes. Some of the biographies
have not been altered for twenty years, and several
venerable campaigners have had their namss pre-
served by kind of postivist immortality for a
quarter of century more after their earthly
euthanasia. Very few of the present chief magis-
traes Of countries outside of Europe to be found
In this volume; may instance conspicuously
absent the late and present Presidents of Mexico.
Colombia. Venezuela. Peru, Ecuador. Chill and the
Argentine Republic. Our Vice President and several
members Of the Cabinet at Washington missing.
list of conspicuous living characters not found in
this book includes the names Of Edison. Graham,
Bell. Elisha Gray, Premier Stremayr. of Austria;
the metaphy ysicians II. Sidgwick. S. II. Hodgson and
4. HARTMANN the scientists Haecke Clausus. Mem
dcleef. Du Moucel. Cailletet. Pictet. Jansen.
Jablochkoff, werdermann. Paul Bert and J. H. Glad
stone; the theologians. Knenen. Tiele. Cheyne and
Robertson Smith; the historians j. r. Green, s. II.
Gardiner. James Gardner. DIR. E. Guest and Max
and Augusta webster the artists Whistler and Scy-
mour Haden and in other departments Premier
Tisza. Of Hungary; the commanders -in-chief in
Afghanistan and Zululand; the travellers Yule and
Prejevalsky. Paul Heyse, Gustavc Droz. General
Martinez Campos and multitude of equal fame.
To sum up the merits of this unhappy Manual. one
half of its 'men Of the time" have no claim to such
place and should give way to still greater number
of men Of real eminence who will be sought in vain.
MODERN RHYMES.
It is to be presumed that Mr. William Entriken
Bailey dubbed his humble Offering of 100 pages of
equivocal verse. "Modern Rhymes" II. B. Lippin-
colt co., feeling the decided necessity that existed
for some explanation of his intentions in the writ
ing Of what he is pleased to call poetry. The publi
cation of such works do possible good, and
is, indeed calculated to work positive harm in en-
couraging other amateurs to bare their literary
nakedness to the public view The title page affords
the following suggestive information in "verse"-
Some said We'll! print it;r others said. Not So,
Some said, 1T might be good ~ others said, NO"
"Wc'll'' should have needed the advice of the
"others." 1t is invariably prudent to do so in all
such instances. Mr.. Bailey. we should judge from
the above specimen and other similar effusions in
the book, had gained his experience in princi
pally as the composer of sentiments bon-bon
lozenges, which, from earliest day, have seen
lettered crosswise in carmne ink upon discs of pink
sugar But perhaps wrong. He has also
turned his mournful Tyre to obituary strains, wit
his lovers lament for Maud
But yet he cannot. cannot decm,
Thee otherwhere for aye:
To conquer sorrow Is to seem
Thee back some future day.