Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-08-03
LITERARY NOTES.

Mrs. Harriet Beechar Stowe 10 sum
mering at Saco.
Seventeen editions OF the life of Gar
field are In preparation.
The s'Agamemonon'' Of lEschylus was
recently rendered in the original Greek by
The various parts were performed with ex
ceptional skill and effect.
One or two OF the prosaic critics com
plain that Mr.. Howells does not solve the
mystery OF the Spiritualisms In 'sThe Un-
discovered Country" It Is not the sphere
OF art to solve mysteries, but to create
them.
A newspaper correspondent has heard
through Mr.. W. II. Merrill, that w. ii. III.
Murray is doing large commission bust
ness in Liverpool, and has a prospect OF,
at no distant period, coming back TO the
scene of his former triumph and defeat,
and wiping out all his Indebtedness.
james Clepeane compositor now
living in Washington, is said to have as
sisted in setting up the first edition OF
SCOTS "Waverly." He was born in 1890,
and emigrated to America in 1917. He
was employed for many years on the Ma
tional Intelligencer.
-Longfellow is never great, but he Is
almost always popular. He appeals, not
in vain, to our feelings, and does so gen
orally with a simplicity And truthfulness Of
utterance that afford striking contrast To
the tortuous style and painfully involved
expression Of some of our younger poets.
-SpectdtOr.
The Germans do nothing by halves.
Herr Won Hagen il engaged IN writing
commentary on one of Wagner poems, OF
whose structure aS regards grammar, syn
tax. figure ofspeech, and letters he fully
treats. and calculation, based on the two
volumes hc has already published, requires
for the completion of his commentary on
the ''Rheingold." alone no less than eighty
volumes of $50 pages each, which he could
not possibly flush before the year 2l?9.
This work begins TO seem - little long"
even TO the Germans themselves.
The first edition of the revised trans
lation OF the New Testament will he pub
lished this autumn. Along with the Eng
fish translation two recensions OF the Greek
test viii be isuScd simultaneously in Eng
land, the one from the Clarendon and the
other from the Pitt press These two
texts will exhibit notable aud rather
suggestive contrast in the different
methods pursued in their construction.
The oxford text will represent the critical
spirit of the nineteenth century, which Is
somewhat prone To seek new departures
and 10 break with the past. The Cam
l.rilge text will, on the contrary, be no more
nor less than a reprint Of the TcTtus
Rcccptus with foot notes giving the read
ing adopted by the reyisionists.
"A Fools Errand" is attracting atten-
ton abroad, having been honored with an
English edition The reviews universally
commend II tor its freshness and power.
The tthsgGHm says, The Fool has great
deal 10 tell, and he tells IL In such man.
ner as 10 be always picturesque and i'm
prcsSive. and never in the least suggestive
OF prejudice or eXaggeration. This Is say
ing 4 good deal In his favor, but II is not
ssying 100 much. Every one should read
the book, for the matierls not Old enough
to have got into history, aud Is lew
enough 10 be new 10 art" The hternd-
fioHdl Rsrier endorses this view in saying
that lit Is written with force, spirit, and
viyidness which hold the critic SPELL
bouIG. - spite OF himself Eng
lish literature contains no similar picture