The Portland daily press., 1883-06-16
Recent Publications.

Italian Balnbles. Studies of Life and
Manners in New aud Old Italy. BY James
Jackson Jaryes. tNew York: G. p Put
nam's Sons; Portland: Loring, Short & Har-
mon).
Mr.. Jaryes is well known in literary cir
cles as delightful as well as prolific writer.
His art studies and Italian sketches are read
with pleasure always. Portions of the pres
ent work have ben published In letters or
magazine articles, but almost all is new and
all is most attractive. The sketches Of Ra-
VIENNA and Venice are particularly fine. One
short chapter is given to an account of IAN
cent aud Modern ,slass of Murano. The
closing talk on New and Old World Manners
is not only discriminating and just but con-
veys wholesome reproof, directed against
''promiscuous smoking" and other barbara
ties, with tribute to Italian manners. An
Italian croad is, he says, clean, sober, po-
lite, pleasant-tempered and helpful, and of
Italians as race he quotes rherss saying
that they had shown themselves superior to
their reputation.
Recollections of My Youth. BY Ernest
Renan. Translated by C. b. Pitman New
York: G. p. PutnaM's Sons; Portland: Lor-
ing, Short Il HARMONY
ANY writing from the pen of so distin-
gushea philologist and author as Joseph
Ernest Renan is received with interest by
the reading world. In the preface to this
tttla VI ha calo L.,
ton of furnishing information aboat him
self for the future use of ''those who might
wish 10 write essays or articles about me-
and says, "The natural sequence of this
book, which is neither more nor less than
the sequence in the various periods of my
life, brings about sort of contrast between
the anecdotes of Brittany and those of the
seminary, the latter being the details of a
darksome struggle, full of reasonipgs and
hard scholasticism, while the reeollections
of my earlier years are instinct with the i'm
pressions of child like sensitiveness, Of can
dor, ofinnocence and of Affection"
The narrative OF The Flax-crusher, and
sketches such as Good Master Systeme and
Little Noemi come under the first heading
and Renan s experiences at ST. Sulpice un.
der the second. In this latter division es-
pecially we note the striking almost startling
expression of thought and the intease ego
ism which readers of Renan so well know.
To quote further: Zone should never write
except upon that which one loves. Oblivion
and silence are the proper punishments to be
inflicted upon all th at we meet with in the
way of what is ungainly or vulgar in the
course of our journey through life. Referring
to past which is dear to me, / have spoken
of it with kindly sympathy but should
be sorry to create any misapprehension, and
be taken for an uncompromising reactionist
| love the past, but / envy the future. 1t
would bave been very pleasant to have lived
upon this plane. at as late period as posi-
bic. Descartes would be delighted if he
could read some trivial work on natural
philosophy and cosmography written in the
present day. The fourth-form school-boy of
our age is acquainted with truths to know
which Archimedes would have laid down
his life. What would we not give to be able
to get a glimpse of some book which will be
used as school primer a hundred years
hence?" The translation is of course both
careful and satisfactory.