New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-26
NOTES ON BOOKS.
ART PUBLICATIONS AND CURRENT LITERA-

\
familiar as his Judgment IS sound ms Tho
o;tiooI rorro,ive ia not confined to England INC
Auor;can VIII, commonly cares more for french an
than English will find here rapid but slhe""''S
Incid and .uflicent history of the schooi "h'0
its jrsp,ration from the EnglIshman Johh |ons'-
nj A time when he was almost unkho"n " ,a
The school includes names when nave "a
household words alike i'll France ana ID ,,,and
which of late years have become famous III Np So
-Trovon Rousseau. Diaz, Dupre' Coro''
Millet Mr. Carr does that justice 10 Oono'a
was denied him while living, Due "h'o" 70 ,;'..Ir
huu,,,od,ad TO lie his due he deases dec's''elS,
,,t,ral with living men. but the in portant
names OF contemporary landscape palh'e'' , "
III f,on NtiIlais TO Lawson. Who IL but adJus'eu
ar. treated with discretion ana insight ne SUI
dent will lind himself able to follo"' ny "i |
helm not only the succession OF pa'n'''' W"
..rin. ,nau.nces and idea. which have controlled
a.. oau,.s of tina art. He will he aided by skiliui
combinations of many admirable pictures luz
volume contains etch.ngs By lheophlie Ohan'oi'
Iohn Park Greux and c. L. Wilson, from paintings
by Crome, Corot, Constable, Diaz, DauD'gny'
Jnpr6 Lawson and Rousseau, and large number
of ongravines on wood ana in fac smile Inc pun
hshers in England are Messrs. Remington * Co.;
the printers Messis Clay Sons N Taylor, who have
done their difficult work credita3y
OF fire illustrated DOCKS IOr WDlCn WIS 10 WIZ
usual season the English press Is almost BARREN
Hardly anything really admirable and oil the ilrSt
importance has appeared this autumn with an Eng
lisb imprint. The French houses meantime are
turning out volume after volume of art publlca-
tjons. not a few OF great beauty. Among recent
issues is volume not IN the front rank as regards
elegance of printing or illustration, but OF interest
in another way. "La Revolution by NJ Charles
dlI6ticault is "a large quarto OF 400 pages 90 lar
Ms text goes. it is violent and bitter ahClle'oIu
tionary pamphlet TO be road by anybody WHO cares
TO see how reckessy it is possible 10 state the roy
aIst case. IL would lie good practice Tor student
who knows his French history to 90 over TINS
datribe pencil in hand, and correct as he goes the
more Harrant and lmpudent mistakes OF fact. Inc
lkcrapr winch CARLYLE found in liners would pe
very much exceeded. 1t Is the ILLUSTRATIONS WHICH
cive q certain yalne to NJ. dH6ricaults book lie
has renroduced a large number Of designs, cdrlca-
tnres. COZ temporary pictorial lampoons and views
of storlca scenes some OF which dre now giVen lo
the first time and all of which can hardly be ionnd
elsewhere so conveniently grouped. To these hc
has very needlessly added some which have very
LITTLE TO do with the text and which relate but ie-
ruotsly 10 the text Luther tearing up the ropes
bull is one tue battle Of Fontenoy anot' er' Inc
greater number are wood engravlngs; Win 3 gooa
many chrome Autographs. Neither OF these TWO
classes is remarkable Ork OF art. but the DOCK
is well enough printed aud has most PlauslDle
ar of sumptuousncss II not looked at 100 Closely
If Is meant. no doubt. to strike a blow for mon
archy in the reactionary campaign still 1ttuHy
prosecuted in France.
A Trash attack on Mr. Howells appears in The
UorId of today and another on Mr.. james. Mr.
Yates's paper though it hardly pretends to author
ity in literature has accepted mission to defend
the memory of Dickens against all Corners 1T Is,
moreover so widely road that It's critical opinions
are sure to be received with respect by some part OF
It's motley audience. SO it is not without some as
tress that see both Mr. Jamess and MI Howeliss
novels described as pallid, Incht ate sketches MT
James's works (which Mr.. HOwells extols 80 rap
turously" are, it seems thin themes stliened
with literary afiectation as poor cacoes are thcA
ened with SIZE" Surely it is not surprising that
they nave hitherto secured no real hold on popu'
lar affection or esteem" The surprise begins when
we read that hoy "may seem to bloom for while,
hut like cut flowers. their fair hour is soon over
and they perish" This palmetto picture OF thin
themes stnened with atectaton blooming Tor a
while as cut flowers had it been drawn by an
American hand would perhaps elicit remark
about mixed metaphors an offence OF which no
Englisnman could DO guilty; least Of all disciple
of hi kens.
This terrible onslaught on our two unprotected
Americans occurs in the course OF an article emitted
Editions de Luxe The article Is panegvrlc-l
n,iubt use a shorter word also beginning with pom
the recent pODderOus issues OF Dickens, Ihacheray
and Fielding, more enthusiastic than intelligent.
When a man addresses The universe on blbHos-
r,,hv be really ought tC get up his facts. II he
writes on "a technical subject, Ignorance OF ruul-
mentary technical terms does not add much to the
n nil (lur
tre volumes be is praising as tall copies -" the
tall COMICS that have lately been published OF the
works of Fielding, of Dickens and OF IhackeraJ.'
Rrt tall COPY does not mean book which towers
IN a GREAT alttud on a groaning shelf book may
be two feet high and a short copy. 1t may he
two inches high aud he tall copy. TAI Is useo by
bilIiorapners not absolutely but relatively
Most books 0f a certain age have been cut down Dy
the binder Those which have been least cut are
tall COPIES; those which have been most cut are
short copies. An Ezevr Horace of 'G76 measuring
49, mllimeters is tan measuring l3O' 1t is snort
The d ference between tall and short in this case Is
one-tifth OF an inch.
Mr.. Henry Crak. author of the Life of Swift"
which appears to day Is newcomer in the field OF
literature. lie is a young man who lett the Uni
versity with distinction ana is nov Civil Servant
under the Crown. IL may help to identity him
with some of Your readers if add that he is brother
to Mr. G. l.. CrsIk, partner III tue publishing hrm
of Messrs Macmillan 4 Co.. who married, not many
wears ago Miss Niulock the author OF John Hall
fax. Gentleman" Mr.. Craks Swift" nevertheless,
is published by Mr.. Murray with whom books OF
the class to which this belongs have long been
speciality 1t may be convenient to say that Mr.
Craiks work is by no means a continuation OF the
late ia, John Forsters unfinished biography Mr..
Forster. with whom detail had come TO be fash
ion. meant his " Life of Swift" to I'LL three vol
umes of which he lived TO publish one. mr. Craik
ha, begun afresh and has man aged to tell his story