New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-26
NOTES on BOOKS.
AMERICAN WRITERS ABROAD-MR. MARS
TON AGAIN.

| AMERICAN WRITERS ABROAD-MR. MARS
TON AGAIN.
FRoM TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oF TIE TFIBrSE.l
LONDON, February ..
An article in the current number OF the RcUuc les
| Deur MoRdes on "1he New American Novelists"
offers a singular contrast to Mr. jennings effuson
| in The Quarterly Rcriac. Mr.. Jennings summed up
his soft criticisms on recent American novels in the
epigram that they not American and not novels.
| But listen TO the Parsian:
| We have before MS a large number Of little vol
umes which, originally published in BostOn-the
| favored dwclng-Dlace OF the LOngielOws and En-
! ersOns, the Wendell HOlmcses and Whitieis, the
| AgasslZes and LOwells-nOw appear almost simulta-
neously in London and Edinburgh. They juqtiiy rs
in saying that the novel which WIS dec lining in Eng
| land has emigrated 10 the United States where IL
is born AGAIN with qualities derived from the
observation of different manners and characters, or
due 90 the temperament itself OF race which sull
assesses the fresh and vigorous traits Of youth.
L. is to America, beyond all dispute that III
debtCd to-day for the best novels written III Eng
ii,h
What has Mr. Jennings TO ray to thatH Or TO the
elaborate study Of Mr.. IIowes's writings, to which
this article the first Of series is manly devoted ?
The French critic is OF opinion not only that Mr.
Howellsis novelist, but above all things an AIuer-
| can novelist.
Howells is in truth an American, whose morality,
opinions and fundamental ideas ali sub jecis have
an eX remedy characteristic flavor, though he has
brought back from his travels in the Latin world
literary accompi IshmeBts which give "a delicate
| form 10 his originality.
With much more to the same effect which may be
commended to the ATstarchus Of The Quarterly as
profitable for his instruction. 10 may be added
that The Saturday Rcriew in the Of an amusing
commentary on Mr.. Jennings's performance.
hazards guess that the author of it is an Ameri-
can in disguise. The guess not quite accurate,
but is suggestive.
~ "A
help enliven those of US whose spirits were utterly
cast down by the tremendous onslaught of Mr.. Muir
ruy's three-decker: American scholarship is
beginning to make its mark in England
Two American professors have given us our
best Latin dictionaries and another now edits with
creditable success great classic which English
scholars have strangely neglected. This ia apropos
of Mr. George o. lIOlbroOke's Annals OF T9ctusr
The reference to the admirable Latin Dictionary OF
Messrs. Charlton T. Lewis and Professor Charles
Short ight remind the reviewer that the diction-
airy which for a quarter Of a century and more has
practically superseded all Others in England was
itself compilation from the American translation
of Freunds Latin-German Dictionary by DR.. An
drews The English adaptation of DR.. Andrews's
work is TO this day described as A Later English
Dictionary Based on the Works of Forcelini and
Freund. BY William Smith. d. c. L., Ii. d." and
don't know that the scandalous attack upon Dr.
Andrews in the preface. by which DR.. Smith
strove to conceal the extent of his
obligations, has ever been cancelled. Messrs
Lewis and Short have done only justice to DR.. An
drewss memory by the statement in their introduc
ton that his translation, published in 1850 has
been from that time in extensive use throughout
England and America, and has had for COM
peitors indeed in the schools and colleges of both
countries, only works which substantially
reprints or abridgments of itself" The story is
not new one, but 1t can do no harm to refresh
oue's memory of such matters from time to time
IL The Pail Mall reviewer. for example had been
aware of the facts he would hardly have said.
writing az he does IN friendly spirit, that Amer-
can scholarship is beginning" to make its mark