The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-11-19
Recent Publications.

Songs Of Seven. BY Jean Ingelow Boston
Roberts Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short g
Harmon) One of the choicest holiday volumes
These well-known poems are singularly deli
cate and dramatic, and in Miss Ingelow's best
vein of verse. It Is needless to point out their
individual beauties-for they are among the
songs that the ear and heart hold, and that
sing themselves over and over in their sponta-
neous melody. The illustrations by Miss
Northsm and Messrs. Murphy and Garrett are
excellent. 1t will be among the most saleahle
Of this seasons gift-books; the charm of tie
poems and the excellent style of its edition,
afforded at moderate price, will please buy
ers of fine but not extravagant gifts.
He Giveth His Beloved Sleep. BY Eliza
beth Barrett Browning Boston: Lee & Shep-
ard; Portland Bailey & Noyes). This favorite
poem is reprinted as holiday gift-book, with
the advantages of excellent paper and type.
AS to Miss L. B. Humphreys illustrations-the
flower and leaf designs are good; the land
scapes tolerable; the figures at once stiff and
boneless-a sort Of "wood-pulp" anatomy
with meaningless countenances.
The Hudson. By Wallace Bruer Boston:
Houghton, Miffin & Co.; Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmony. This volume in elegant
holiday dress, with spirited and finished illus
trations by Mr.. Alfred Fredericks, contains a
group Of pleasant, easily written poems, de-
scriptive of the Hudson River scenery and leg
ends. 1t viii have local popularity; and is
also pleasant souvenir for those who have
journeyed in the picturesque region which it
celebrates.
Pictures and Legends from Normandy and
Brittany. By Thomas and Katharine Mac
quoid (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons;
Portland: Loring. Short & Harmony. A work
of rare and thoroughly charming quality.
The authors have soiourned long enough in
Brittany and Normandy to become at one with
the antique atmosphere Of the region OF ro-
nance, the very water-spring of the great
stream of Arthurian story Of legends OF faery
and witch-lore and strange enchantment
The writers heard local legends from the
Breton beggars who are inspired storytellers-
wild tales of elfn changelings, and OF demon
boatmen and unforgiven wandering souls;
they saw the site of King Arthur's castle OF
Joyeuse- -Garde, the ruins Of the chateau OF
Carnoet, where is said to have lived Count
Commore, the original Bluebeard; they visited
Dinan, where Sir Bertrand Du Guesclin and
St. Thomas of Canterbury fought their duel,
and where the air must seem yet to ring with
steel on steel; and Chateau Gaillard, poised
on its promontory-the "saucy castle" which
Philip Augustus swore by all the saints to
"take II it were made Of iron," and which
Richard Cnur de Lion vowed to "hold if it
were made of butter"
Mr.. and Mrs. Macquoid write in an artistic
and brilliant style, with the true instinct OF
the storyteller and the illustrations from Mr..
Macquoid's sketches are admirable.
Anthropology. By Edward B. Tylor, d. Q.
L., f. R. s. (New York: D. Appleton & Co.;
Portland: Hoyt, Fogg & Donham.) The au-
thor of this delightful contribution to science,
valuable and authoritative too as 1t is charm
ing, need not have made his ingenious plea for
a place for Anthropology in the long list OF sci
ences to be studied. The tracing out and COM
parison of civilizations and tho progress OF the
human race is an absorbing and remunerative
subject. The orderly and reasonable arrange
ment of the contents of this volume will at
once impress the reader. Professor Tylor be-
gins by considering the large cycles OF time re-
auired for developemenI of races, and the earli-
est traces of human existence which remain
from the Stone Period. Next he proceeds to
discuss the origin OF the human species; and
while giving full credit to animals for their IN
stinct, wit, and capabilities of affection and
other moral qualities. he observes that 1t Is
wrong to .ttribute mans difference and SUI
premacy TO mental traits alone. As he clsverly
says.
"If one looks at the illustrations to Rey nard
the Fox, where the artist does bis best to repre-
sent the lion holding a sceptre, the she-wol
flirting fan, or the fox writlDg letter; wnai
he really shows is, how i'll adapted the limbs OF
quadrupeds are TO such actions. Mans being
the stool-using animal is due to his having
hands to use the tool as we'll as mind to invent
it,
The author next observes the differences Of
races as to stature, proportion, shape of skull,
ETC.. traces human speech and writing from
their beginnings in gesture, emotional and imi-
tative sounds or in picture-writing; the separa-
tion into families of languages; the arts OF life
from the first attempts to su pply the needs of
food and warmth to the most elaborate canons
of verse, music and painting; and lastly de-
votes chapters to sciences, religions, history
and society. So large scope cannot OF course
be exhaustively treated in the limits of any one
work; but the reader will greatly admire the
direct and inteIligible thought, the ingenious
and interesting remarks and the fine proper
tons of this most attractive aid to "the study of
mankind"
Louise, Queen of Prussia By August Kluck-
holm Translated by Elizabeth II. Denio.
Cambridge: Riverside Press; Portland: Loring.
Short & Harmony This beautiful memorial OF
the lovely and unfortunate Queen Louise gives
full history of her life in its domestic rela-
tons as well as its public conditions. 1t is well
translated; and its soft heavy paper and clear
type give the little pamphlet an air OF elegance
The frontispiece is charming portrait Of
Queen Louise.
hall-f1Ouf5 Will 0i0oh ohN hoeAu ~AHsNS'
By G. H. Jennings and w. s. tombstone,
(New York: D. Appleton & Co.; Portland:
Hoyt, Fogg & Donham) is sizeable volume
Of translations from classic literature, many OF
them by famous hands. The editors are favor
ably known for fine literary taste and practical
acquaintance with journalistic and book-mak-
ing work. Every young man should add this
inspiring and solid volume to his library.
Volcanoes. By John W. Judd. f. 4. 3.
Professor of Geology in the Royal School OF
Mines (New York: D. Appleton & Co.;
Portland Hoyt, Fogg & Donham.) This vol
ume is an interesting addition to the publish
ers' Popular Science series of books. 1t treats
of the nature and product of volcanic action,
the structure of volcanic centres and the les
sons derived from them concerning the in
ward structure of the globe; concluding with
survey of the theories formed to account for
the origin of volcanic action.
Messrs. Harpers s. Brothers OF New York
publish for the use of students an excellent
edition of the Protagoras of Plato, with copi-
GUS explanatory notes BY Prof. E. G. Sihler'
From the same publishing-house comes an sp-
pendix to DIR. Wm. Smiths Initia Griecs,
Part l., which consists of additional exercises