New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

With etchincs ana maps. i@no PP -'
Scribners Sons.
rr v;ncsnt,s record of idle days passed among
che Basoue-folk is graceful AID spirited. lie has
Tho art fu paint wildly in law words the brauti-
mi mctn,es of sea and SKY and country which he
fonnd under the shadow of the mountains; and the
Measure which he took in the historical associa-
tions of the region be has known how to share with
his leaders These deeper colors Of tragedy and
,omance lend picturesque glow to his chronicles OF
modern life in Basque-Land There Is an underione
of thongntfuuess, too. now aud then note OF re-
ligious feeling which gives q certain Puritan
ouainness to these animated sketches OF the s"u'h
with all ITS bloom and passion. Mr. IL the nttle
hook without It's duo HUT of humor. The author
bad an eye for all the amusing traits and haeits OF
that fascinating frontier of France and SPAN.
The Basques of the interior ale. as d. vincent
records. mostly farmers aud shepherds; and they
have at least one custom which recalls New-l ng-
land: The eteheoo yauRa mater of a wei-lo-
do house announces 10 his neighbOrs that. on >nch
An evening and the evenings following. there VIII
be husking AT his house The guesis gather r"uno
"A great heap OF maize. the lads on one SHE ana to
maidena on the otbor. The busks pincked OH pass
from hand to hand till they reach The lares' ""r"
sells The yorng people sing the nat"nai s"pSs' ""u
at least poet is always present eager W u''P"'
his powers. Afectionate glances begun 10 pass W
and fro there Is a general stir; young man has
found "A red ear a discovery which entities nun To
the privilege of kissing all round; the Ice Is prokeh
they chatter, laugh and sing, and meanw h'le 'ne
work goes steadily on and the baskets are hiiec'
emn,ied and reflled At midnight they separate
with cries of Kikissai' Irincina uttered as ONLY
Basous threats can shout, to come together again
the next evening" The gaia dress of the Basque
peasant as described 10y DR.. Vincent is the most
picturesque imaginable: His blue beret droops
over his CAR: his brrrches are of dark velvet red
seart surrounds his oins bis vest hangs gracefully
uuon one shoulder and his pear tree stick, pointed
with ,ron is slung by cord to his wrist. lhey
are interchangeable dancers these romantic people:
Even the prie SITS ere formerly wont to take part
in tho dance possibly IN imitaIlcn OF hing Day'",
And the churches have been known 10 De opehet, az
Christmas for the tam BOURNE and the dance. i he
women were formerly not allowed 10 par'lciPa'ci
the clergy set down their dancing III the list Oh
deadly SINS. and one OF the native poeiS WIN more
vehen,ence than gal antry, asserted that woman
who danced Ought TO he c"dgelled. NJ. parat soSs
that though the priests no longer dance lhey nave
become no more indulgent toward the women III
this particular; but in GupuZcOa. at least, ne
damseIs have either Modified or dehed iher spirit
ual fathers for have often stopped 10 wa'cn ne
dancing groups in front of the taverns or on the
greensward, and have never seen one composed
only OF men. -. D. C,Lol;o.
their native dependence and lmpatience of con
troll seeming to desert them in spiritual things All
that their natural reason cannot account l"r, tneN
impute to TO who ~ known as Jan d@cod' or tie
gnad master on Highland still mole TO the Devil.
They have multitude OF snDerslltlons' sometimes
gloomy, always naive. Soroeresses ana iort1ne.
felrr, are in high rerute When they build HES at
saint lean -de-Luz, il is not only TO dance Int To
pleass the Saint, for whom seat IL PROVIDED ny
placing a stone III the midst oil a brazler; ana tho
more artless do not tail to inspect the ashes the
next day 10 see if the Saint may not by some lucky
accident or benevolent design, have lett haIr
among them The sea going Basques claim that
of fhripn
OF second sight. and affirm thai such nave seen AT
certain times the death-snlp, sort OF flying
Dntchman-a sure presage OF disaster. ,
Their physical type Is very fine. especially on the
mart of the men. Nv own observation does not
confirm the current statements as 10 the beauty OF
the women in general except as respects their mar
which is superb. Both men and women nave poor
teeth. But the roads, walking beside thelr
Oxen. at work in the fields, aud standing III tho
strre "a of the corntIy towns have often seen men
whoso truly grand faces would adorn an assembly
of avors the head large and round, the tofehead
full, the nose slightly aqulinv, the lower ia mass
i've the mouth aud chin finely cpt and the face
oval The complexion is light, but usually sun
burned, the eyes black the hair and eyebrows
brown. They are OF medium stature, muscular,
vsli-nrouortjuped and with small and we'll mod
eIled hands and feet theii bearing Is simple, Dig
ntsd and reserved. and their taciturnty is notor-
he has been truthfully observed that, in ancient
times the Basques kept themselves OUTSIDE OF the
Roman world; In the middle age ,hey remained aimed
out side OF feudal society; while to-day they w0ulu
fain keep out of the modern world.
The four illustrations etched by Messrs. Smillie,
Swan Clifford and Yale excellent bits of work
to which the printing has not done full Justice:
and the maps are suggestive and valuable adjuncts
10 this admirable aud beautiful little volume.
Women series. 16mo. Up. 3d. Roberts Broth rs
Miss A. Mary F. Robinson is a young English lady
from whose unusual scholarship and from whose
trained imagination great things have been
pected by her friends 1t is. doubt, the con-
seriousness of this expectation which has produced
the faults that mar tins little mono
graph. 1t has certain largeness of
intention which does not suit the
sary limitations of the publisher; It's ex-
pansive style would better BELT bulky three
volume biography. There is a straning after etfec
tive expression also which is disagreeable and is
sup gestive of desire to live up to" not the ideal
of purest prose, but the literary afectations of a
Clique. Occasionally, as in her paragraphs
upon the moors, Miss Robinson intro
duces descriptions full of poetic feeling;
but they nowhere come in quite naturally; the
seams show. Her style is far from good, her abuse
of adlectives being the least of its faults. Such
afiectations as the use of "'twas" aud of semi
dramatic ellipses Miss Robinson will doubtless
discard when years and experience have
taught her that one great charm of d phil
cal sketch which is necessarily short and
slight is purity OF style; and that this cannot exist
without simplicity, neatness and restraint
or life 80 short, 50 secluded. unaffected by
the outer world as was Emily Brontes there Is lit
tie to say. Hers a sEgularly strong and self
contained character, and even the members of her
own family were strangers to hsr deeper thoughts
and feelings One story and few poems
are all that she gave to the world. and while these
reveal mind of rare order, an ideal and passion
ate spirit and considering her barren surroundings
a marvellous comprehension of the philosophy OF
life, they do not, nevertheless afford much
scope to the critic and biographer.
Miss Robinson has perforce told almost
as muc about Charlotte and Patrick Branweil and