The Portland daily press., 1882-04-29
Recent Publications.

ing, Short & Harmony There is no uoup
whatever, in the minds Of men who care 1or
Art net only for fashions sake but Tor the sake
of its actual force to increase the value OF lie,
that Art is now in an experimental and eifl-
cult state of progress. 1t Is good that Art
shows signs OF life, pushing bore and there,
stretching out tendrils to catch hold OF all sorts
of support but it is needful to prune and train
these shoots. Whether friends, fees or the in
different neutral party are doing most harm to
modern Art is question not SO easy to answer as
might st first appear. We may congratulate
ourselves that the latter company is lessened
very messurably, that 1t has become sign OF
hopeless stupidity to have no expressed sympa-
thy with Art in some shape The enemies Oh
tho modern theories of artistic work and en-
deayor have some sound sense and very much
dreary Philistinism on their side; and Art may
well pray to be delivered from its over-zealoHs
friends, whose extravagances open the gate to
the potent swarms of caricature and ridcule
Mr.. William Morris has the right, no man
more, to speak authoritasively Of the present
condition OF Art, its aims tendencies and dam
gers. He was one Of the foremost to indicate
its new course In his several branches OF poet
ry, color and form; aud SO vigorous, restrained,
pure and consistent has his work been, that
his words now have very great weight. The
remedy which he prsscribes for the weakly
and fantastic off shoots Of the perdurable story
stock set in the ancient days when men first
took leisure for tho thought of Arts the SOW
ran spirit of Republication. An art SO costly,
useless, and elaborate that it IS only for the
f. l. tt l1n oh n,
possess it, dies Of the very lack Of breath. To
be- healthful, Art must make itself needed in
the daily affairs Of life and it is just here that
Mr.. Morris makes his protest, his warning, and
his utterauces of bopsfulness He speaks OF
work with the honorable plainness of a man
who can and will work; and says clearly
enough that In making Art common IS air, in
giving the best form and color to serviceable
things, can alone be insured the life of Art.
In the addresses which make up his present
volume, these ideas are so fully and practically
developed, go pleasantly and With such thor
ough and mastery force that every person Who
cares for the interests Of Art and is grieved for
the lapses and affectations of its false prophets
will take great comfort from this exposition Of
the views of Mr.. Morris, one of the sturdiest
and strongest Of the leaders of modern artistic
progress.
John Singleton Copley. His Domestic and
Artistic Life. By Martha Babcock Amory.
Boston: Houghton, Miflin & Co.. Portland:
Loring, Short 81 Harmony
This life of Copley is a very full and interes-
ting memoir, containing many extracts from
his letters and journals and giving charming
picture of the social and domestic qualities
which his friends knew, and also OF the bril-
liant success which attended his career as a
portrait paikter. His letters from abroad were
bright, observing and unaffected; and record
adventures quite wonderful in those days of
difficult voyaging, when iourneyin Europe
was rare and even difficult undertaking.
Mrs. Amory's work was done with the fervor
of family pride and affection, and she had, OF
course, rich kind Of biographical material at
hand. A fine steel engraving of Oopley, after
his own portrait of himself, prefaces the volume.
John Quincy Adams. By John T. Morse, jr.
(Boston: Houghtou, lfithin and Co.; Portland:
Loring, Short and Harmony This memoir, by
the editor of the American Statesman series to
which it belongs, is particularly bright,
sound and effective volume. Mr.. Morse has
dared to look the enigy OF the respectable and
historic founder OF the Adams dynasty square
ly in the face, wipe off the dust which accrues
in course of time to the obscuring Of some Of
the characteristic lines that . mans DISPOSE
ton draws upon his face, and speak of the
statesman as his times saw him and felt him.
Thus we learn that the foreman Of the line Of
Eastern Massachusetts demi-gods was yigor-
GUS and ardent statesman; that he was q good
lover and hater that he not seldom lapsed
from the calm repose that marks the caste Of
We're de We're in politics. The tendency to pos
tive and verbally vigorous pessimism that was
strongly marked trait in him, has with the
latter men of his following dwinded to passive
distrust and gentle sestled melancholy with oc-
casional oratorical outbreaks at political din
ners. The Brahmins of politics sit now in state
ly and slumberous divine discomfort, musing
upon their own perfection and vaguely con-
trasting it with the universal badness of men
and affairs, until they lose themselves in de-
sirable nothingpess. Another volume of the
same series contains Mr.. Henry Cabot Lodges
memoir of Alexander Hamilton, fine and in
teresting subject, and written in Careful and
spirited manner
Myth and Science By Tito Vignoli. (New
York: d. Appleton and Co.; Portland, Hoyt,
Fogg and Donham). In this volume of the
International Scientific series, Professor Wig
noli gives learned and brilliant monograph
upon the origin OF myth, Its relation to human
intelligence and the historical evolution of
myth and science. His remarks upon the ORR
giR of music and verse are notably sound
and interesting.
Garfeld's Place in History. By Henry G.
Pedder. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons;
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony While
the nation gees her dear and murdered SON yet
through tears and the shadows left after SO
bright life is suddenly shut away from her
eyes, it is not time to define exactly the place
in history that Garfield will have. But it is
not possible to relate too often or too warmly
the story of his high aims, good deeds and he
roic death; and each man that tells this story
again to us has some part of thanks.
Morocco and Its People. By Edmondo de AM
icis. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons; Port
land: Loring, Short & Harmony. Another of
Sgnor de Amicis's hgh-pitched and brilliant
books of travel The naiyete, the half-laugh-
ing, wholly ,rspturous style, the inimtable gay
ETY. and spirit of the Italian, and the tremen :
dous lights, heats and contrasts of the countries
he describes, the barbarisms and caprices, the
half-European, half-savage civilization, form a
gorgeous and rapid series of pictures. which
Signor de Amicis whose mind combines all the
fortunate qualities of a Photographic apparatus
and kaleidoscope, transfers to his pages in
full effect.
Sonnets and Canzonets. By A. Bronson AL
cott Boston: Roberts Brothers; Portland.
Loring, Short s. Harmon) This volume of po-
ems fresh and tender tributes to personal
friends of the poet written at the age of eighty
two, seems not SC strange wonder whom lift
ing now the last years leaves and the Stow in
the depths of April woods, we may find may
flowers!
Messrs. Scribner of New York publish q very
tasteful edition of DR.. Hollands popular sto-
ries, Arthur Bonnicastle and The Bay Path.
portland: Loring, Short & Harmony